Materials Science Research Lecture
Abstract:
In 2025, we will mark the 100th anniversary of J.B. Johnson's accidental discovery of 1/f noise in experiments designed to test Schottky's theory of shot noise in vacuum tubes (f is frequency). Since this first observation, the fluctuation processes, with the spectra close to 1/f dependence, have been observed in physics, technology, biology, astrophysics, geophysics, economics, language, and music. Despite its long history and technological importance, low-frequency noise remains the subject of intense debate. In recent years, 1/f noise attracted attention in the context of quantum computing. In this Lecture, I will give a historical overview of the noise field and describe the fundamental properties of the 1/f noise in semiconductors, metals, and graphene. After that, I will discuss how low-frequency noise can be used as a source of information about materials rather than a nuisance hampering the device's operation. The specific examples will include noise in charge-density-wave quantum materials, and ultra-wide-band-gap semiconductors. I will show that noise spectroscopy can be utilized for monitoring phase transitions, determining material degradation, and assessing the quality of the materials and device technology.
More about the Speaker:
Alexander A. Balandin is a distinguished professor and vice chair for graduate education at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at UCLA and a faculty member at The California NanoSystems Institute. Professor Balandin is internationally recognized for discovering the unique heat conduction properties of graphene and introducing the first graphene-based thermal management technologies. His current research interests include 1D and 2D van der Waals quantum materials, electronic noise in materials and devices, Brillouin-Mandelstam-Raman optical spectroscopy, materials for electromagnetic interference shielding and thermal management, and emerging quantum devices and technologies. Professor Balandin is a recipient of The MRS Medal from the Materials Research Society, The Brillouin Medal from the International Phononics Society, and The Pioneer of Nanotechnology Award from the IEEE Society for his graphene, phononics, and nanotechnology research. He is an elected Fellow of MRS, APS, IEEE, OSA, SPIE, AAAS, and other professional societies; he is the Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellow. He serves as a Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Applied Physics Letters.