The Center for Nanophotonics gathers a large group of faculty members from various disciplines to foster new ideas and to carry out collaborative research with enhanced inspiration. It integrates a broad spectrum of research topics ranging from fundamental study of photon-matter interactions to practical optical sensors for medical and biological applications. The center coherently merges education and research by embedding one in the other. The center is committed to not only high standard scholarship development but also the promotion of its technology commercialization. The very recent awards of two prestigious multi-million-dollar MURI (Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative) programs, both of which are led by the center faculty members, have marked a noticeable milestone for the center.

Research: The main research areas of CNP are:

• Optical properties of compound semiconductor nanostructures and devices (quantum wells, quantum dots, nanowires, photonic crystals, lasers, and photodetectors)
• Si-based nanophotonic structures and devices (Si-based low-dimensional optoelectronic materials, structures, and devices)
• Energy conversion materials and devices (optical refrigeration, solid state lighting, solar cells, thermophotovoltaics etc.)
• Organic and bio-photonics

Applications of these devices in electricity direct generation, communications, chemical and biological sensing, and medical applications. Major on-going research programs:
Two MURI programs

• Semiconductor Optical Refrigeration ( http://csor.asu.edu/index.htm)
• Silicon-Based Lasers and Nanophotonics (http://web.mac.com/jose.menendez/iWeb/MURI/Welcome.html)

Education: The center offers numerous opportunities for both graduate and undergraduate students to do their thesis research, senior design projects, and other research and educational activities. Entrepreneurship development: The center will actively collaborate with industries to promote the commercialization of the technologies developed in the center. Facilities: In addition to the materials growth and optical spectroscopy tools in each individual faculty group, the center also has access to the state of the art general user facilities at Center for Solid State Engineering Research (CSSER) and LeRoy Eyring Center for Solid State Science (LE-CSSS) for device fabrication and materials characterization.