Steven Buratto
Institute Role
Member of Production & Storage Solutions Group
Research
Steven Buratto’s research is focused on applying near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) and near-field optical spectroscopy (NFOS) to the study of thin films and surfaces on a nanoscopic scale (10nm to 100nm), a regime where many interesting chemical and physical properties are defined. One application of this research involves conducting polymer films used for light emitting diodes (LEDs). Buratto uses NFOS to explore local order and disorder in the film and its effect on carrier generation, transport and lifetime. He also images working LEDs to provide insights into the spatial dependence of the emission. This type of data will have direct implication on the performance of the device. Another application of Buratto’s research involves semiconductor quantum structures (quantum wells, wires and dots) used for opto-electronics applications. Buratto uses NFOS to characterize individual wells, wires and dots through their excitation spectra and dynamics. From this data he can correlate the optical performance of the material with structural parameters. He also uses NSOM to image diodes, LED's and photodetectors made from these heterostructures, providing a very powerful diagnostic.
Biography
Steven Buratto obtained a B.S. degree from the University of Puget Sound and a Ph.D. in 1992 from CalTech. He was a postdoctoral researcher at AT&T Bell Laboratories for two years before joining the UC Santa Barbara’s Chemistry & Biochemistry faculty in 1994. Since coming to UCSB, Buratto has received a Camille and Henry Dreyfus New Faculty Award as well as a NSF Early Career Development Award.
