Photo of Andrew Espenlaub

Andrew Espenlaub

Email: 
acespenlaub@ucsb.edu
Office: 
Engineering II, 2515

Education

  • Ph.D. in Materials, Electronic and Photonic Materials Specialization, UCSB, 2018
  • B.S. in Physics, (magna cum laude), University of Pittsburgh, 2012

Awards & Honors

  • Outstanding Graduate Student Research Achievement Award, SSLEEC, UCSB, 2018
  • Peter F. M. Koehler Junior/Senior Academic Achievement Award, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pittsubrgh, 2012
  • Halliday Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pittsburgh, 2012
  • Julia Thompson Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Writing, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pittsburgh, 2011

Biography

My current research focuses on developing a technique for detecting hot carrier generation (by Auger recombination processes) in the active region of operating LEDs, by resonant photoexcitation of the QW(s) of the LED under forward bias conditions.  This technique sacrifices the ability to resolve the energy of Auger-generated hot electrons that electroemission spectroscopy (EES) offers, in favor of being able to detect both hot electrons and hot holes, and being a bench-top technique that does not require ultra-high vacuum equipment.

Publications:

1. Auger-generated hot carrier current in photo-excited forward biased single quantum well blue light emitting diodes, A.C.Espenlaub, A.I.Alhassan, S.Nakamura, C.Weisbuch, J.S.Speck, Applied Physics Letters, 112, 141106 (2018). (featured as an Editor’s Pick article)

2. High wall-plug efficiencyblue III-nitride LEDs designed for low current density operation, L.Y.Kuritzky, A.C.Espenlaub, B.P.Yonkee, C.D.Pynn, S.P.DenBaars, S.Nakamura, C.Weisbuch, J.S.Speck, Optics Express, 25, 30696 (2017).

3. Stability of materials in supercritical ammonia solutions, S.Pimputkar, T.F.Malkowski, S.Griffiths, A.Espenlaub, S.Suihkonen, J.S.Speck, S.Nakamura, Journal of Supercritical Fluids, 110, 193 (2016).

4. Using Intrinsic Defect Spectra in 4H SiC as Imbedded Thermometers in the Temperature Range from 100 degrees C to 1500 degrees C, F.Yan, A.Espenlaub, R.P.Devaty, T.Ohshima, W.J.Choyke, Materials Science Forum, 679-680, 237 (2011).

Research Areas