1. National Science Foundation Materials for Optical Properties by Design at the UV Range Leah Bergman, University of Idaho, DMR 1202532 Outcome: The researchers at the University of Idaho are creating optical alloys that absorb and emit light at wavelengths, tailored by design, in the UV part of the spectrum. The research is exploring the use of environmentally friendly materials for the alloys. Impact: With further research the samples can potently be employed in lighting technology as UV friendly sources (to replace mercury gas) for the production of white light. Additionally, the spot size of a light source in the UV-range is smaller than that of red lasers, and thus highly compacted optical storage devices (CD) can potentially be realized. Explanation: An alloy is a mix of at least two different materials resulting in new properties. The objective of the study is to synthesize optical alloys in order to create light emissions with new wavelengths which do not exist naturally. This research studies the ZnO-MgO alloy system. ZnO emits light in the lower UV-range at energy ~ 3.3 eV (corresponding to a wavelength of 376 nm), while MgO emits light at the deep UV ~ 7.5 eV (165 nm). By alloying ZnO with different percentages of MgO, one can achieve tunable light emissions starting from that of ZnO up to that of MgO. Left: One of the optical alloys that were deposited on flexible polymer. The inset to the figure is a zoomed SEM image of the surface of that alloy. Right: The photoluminescence spectra which represent the light emission of the alloys. The spectra is from four ZnO- MgO alloys with different percentages of MgO. As the percent of the MgO in the alloy increases, it emits light deeper in the UV-range. (courtesy of L. Bergman, 2013). 7.5 eV – 3.4 eV The scale of the optical spectrum, in units of wavelength (nm) and energy (eV). The circled area is the approximate UV-range addressed in this research. (courtesy of L. Bergman, 2013).

2. National Science Foundation Education and Outreach in the Research Field of UV Materials Leah Bergman, University of Idaho, DMR 1202532 The education and outreach effort of this project includes the development of a series of three lectures on the topic of Materials for Consumer Technology. The lectures are designed to be suitable to the level of undergraduate and high school students as well as to that of a general audience. A preliminary version of a lecture on the topic of Materials in Cellular Phones and Flat Panel Displays was presented by Dr. Jesse Huso, a postdoctoral fellow supported by this grant, to a class of physics undergraduate students. The lecture was enthusiastically received, and in the near future the lecture will be presented in the local high schools. Dr. Leah Bergman for many years has conducted the Physics Seminar for Undergraduates. The class has 20 to 30 students from the sciences and engineering. Key points being addressed include: (a) how to successfully complete a degree in the above disciplines, (b) the benefits of higher education in the sciences and engineering, (c) how to get actively involved in undergraduate research, and (d) the role of NSF DMR in the educational and research efforts. Top Left. An undergraduate student from Dr. Bergman’s group, Diana Gutierrez (left), supported by this NSF grant, presenting a research poster at the Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics at the Colorado School of Mines in 2013. In the summer of 2013 Diana was also an NSF-REU student at Notre Dame University. Top right. Dr. Jesse Huso, a postdoctoral fellow supported by this NSF grant (right), and Dinesh Thapa, a Ph.D. student (left), conducting optical experiments. Center. Dr. Leah Bergman with Douglas G. Bopp, an NSF-REU undergraduate student (summer 2013) from Arizona State University, using the sputtering system for the growth of the optical alloys. (courtesy of L. Bergman, 2013)