ANPA conference has successfully completed. We would like to thank all the people who helped us make this a grand success.

For those who have presented, you also have option to submit your paper that will be published in special edition of Journal of Nepal Physical Society (JNPS).

Click here for “Manuscript Preparation” details.

Biography:

Dr. Mim Lal Nakarmi is currently a Professor of Physics and Director of Coordinated Engineering program at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York (CUNY). Dr. Nakarmi also served as Chairperson of the Physics department for 5 years. He joined Brooklyn College as an Assistant Professor in 2007. Before joining Brooklyn College, he worked as a postdoc for 2 years right after completing PhD in Physics in 2005 at Kansas State University.

Dr. Nakarmi completed his M. Sc. in Physics from Tribhuvan University, Nepal in 1994 and M. S. in Electronics from Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences (BITS), Pilani, India in 1997. Before coming to the USA, he was an assistant professor at Kathmandu University where he taught for 6 years.

Dr. Nakarmi’s research involves development and characterization of wide bandgap semiconductors for optoelectronic applications.  Recently, he was awarded a National Science Foundation grant for development of time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy for deep UV applications. He has graduated three PhD students including a Nepali student. He has published over 70 journal articles and conference papers.

“Exploring Wide Bandgap Semiconductors in My Academic Journey from Banepa to Brooklyn”

Abstract:

Wide bandgap materials with bandgap wider than 3 eV are technologically important materials for high temperature/power/frequency electronic devices, and for efficient light emitters. In this talk, I will discuss the progress and my contribution in the development of wideband gap materials, especially in III-nitrides for optical applications in the deep UV region during my Academic Journey from Banepa to Brooklyn.

Bandgap of AlGaN alloy can be increased systematically from ~ 3.4 to 6.1 eV by increasing aluminum content. AlGaN alloys of Al content > 60% is required for deep UV applications. A binary point in the nitride system, aluminum nitride (AlN), was chosen as the reference for the growth of Al-rich AlGaN alloys. Three-step growth technique was developed using the metal organic chemical vapor deposition to grow high quality AlN thin films on sapphire substrate. Growth of Al-rich AlGaN alloys has become a routine practice after the demonstration of reduced dislocation density of the materials when grown on AlN template. Achieving both n- and p-type conductivity is essential for optical devices such as light emitting diodes (LEDs). Increasing activation energy of the dopants with Al content and compensating point defects are challenges for enhancing conductivity in Al-rich AlGaN alloys. Heavy doping technique was used to achieve highly conductive n-type AlGaN by Si-doping. Recently, p-type AlGaN was also demonstrated in thin films grown on AlN bulk substrate by Mg-heavy doping.

In last decade, other materials such as zinc oxide, boron nitrides were also explored as alternative to the nitride. However, doping on these materials is still a challenge for reliable conductivity of both types. Thus, AlGaN alloy has become a unique material for deep UV applications. Recently, wide bandgap materials are also emerged as potential materials as host of single photon emitters. Current work on the h-BN materials and its atomic-like emissions will also be discussed.

Biography:

Prof. Vivek Prakash is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics, and a secondary faculty in the Departments of Biology, and Marine Biology & Ecology (RSMAS) at the University of Miami. His research at the interface of Physics and Biology is driven by a sense of curiosity, fascination and discovery. Previously, he carried out Postdoctoral research in Biomechanics at Stanford University. He received his Ph.D. in Applied Physics from the University of Twente, The Netherlands. He obtained his master’s and undergraduate degrees in Engineering Mechanics and Mechanical Engineering in India. For more information, visit: www.marinebiophysics.org.

“Fascinating Biophysics in Simple Marine Animals”

Abstract:

Animals are characterized by their movement, and their tissues are continuously subjected to dynamic force loading. Tissue mechanics determines the ecological niches that can be endured by a living organism. In the first part of my talk, I will present our surprising discovery of motility-induced tissue fractures and healing in a simple, early divergent marine animal – the Trichoplax adhaerens. I will demonstrate how fracture mechanics governs dramatic shape changes and asexual reproduction in this animal. In the second part of my talk, I will focus on the role of fluid mechanics in marine invertebrates. In starfish larvae, we discovered that ciliary arrays give rise to a beautiful pattern of slowly evolving vortices which determine a physical tradeoff between feeding and swimming.