Steven Akwabli, a graduate student in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, has been awarded a Department of Energy Office of Science Graduate Student Research grant. The award will support a portion of his Ph.D. thesis, titled "Study of the Causes and Behavior of In-Gap Defect States in Germanium-Tin (GeSn)," which he will conduct at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The Science Graduate Student Research program supports exceptional U.S. graduate students by enabling them to conduct part of their doctoral research at DOE National Laboratories. Through access to cutting-edge facilities, advanced training and mentorship from leading DOE scientists, the program prepares recipients to address pressing scientific challenges and drive future breakthroughs in science and technology.

Akwabli is co-advised by professors Wei Du and Shui-Qing "Fisher" Yu here at the U of A. His thesis work focuses on development of GeSn/SiGeSn alloys by addressing fundamental questions about the nature and origin of defects in GeSn/SiGeSn and their impact on the alloy properties. His work is critical for improving material quality and unlocking the potential of GeSn-based devices for applications in mid-infrared photonics, including night vision, LiDAR and low-cost imaging systems.

As part of his project for the Science Graduate Student Research program, Akwabli will collaborate with Tzu-Ming Lu, an expert researcher on group IV semiconductor materials such as SiGeSn, GeSn and SiGe at the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, part of Sandia National Laboratories.