Debdeep Jena
Professor, Cornell Electrical and Computer Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering Departments
Graduate Field Faculty, Cornell Applied and Engineering Physics
In 2022 Spring I completed this textbook:
Quantum Physics of Semiconductor Materials and Devices [Cornell announcement, Amazon link, Google link, and Publisher’s link]
Bio/Summary
Professor 2015-Now Cornell University, ECE & MSE, AEP graduate field faculty
Professor 2003-2014 University of Notre Dame, EE
Ph.D. 2003 UCSB, ECE, Electronics and Photonics, Thesis
B.S. 1998 IIT Kanpur, EE major, Physics minor
Research
Publications Group Conferences
A short summary of our research translated to practical applications and of some waiting their turn.
Categorized research pages: Nitride
Electronics, Super/Semi
Quantum Electronics, UV
Lasers/Photonics, Oxide
Electronics, 2D
Materials, Ultrapolar/Ferro Semiconductors
We are a semiconductor materials and devices group. We explore the fundamental limits of computation, memory, and communications with semiconductor devices by exploiting and understanding new physics. In recent years, we are immersed in research on the following topics (in collaboration with Prof. Xing’s group):
- the performance limits of ultrahigh speed GaN and AlN transistors for all-electronic THz sources,
- ultra wide bandgap semiconductor transistors for power electronics (see Energy.gov presentation),
- photonic devices in the IR & visible, and deep-UV LEDs and lasers approaching 200 nm using quantum dots,
- ultra-low power electronics: logic and memory exploiting spintronics, topological insulators, and superconductors, and
- novel materials and devices for quantum computation and communication that go far beyond classical device limits.
This research path requires us to explore new materials. We grow the new materials by ourselves using Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE), or work very closely with groups that do. Currently the materials families we are investigating for the above devices are:
- Nitride semiconductors (and nitride superconductors, magnets, and ferroelectrics),
- Graphene, hBN & 2D Crystals, and
- Oxide semiconductors, ferroelectrics, and multiferroics.
The goal to make devices also requires, or results in, a deep theoretical understanding of electron transport, electron-phonon interactions, light-matter interactions, geometric and topological aspects of condensed matter physics, and correlated electron physics. We do a significant amount of theory and modeling ourselves, and also work closely with theoreticians.
Teaching
2023 Spring ECE 4070/ECE 5350/MSE 6050 Physics of Semiconductors and Nanostructures
Older classes [some with recorded lecture Videos].
I love teaching courses on Solid State Electronic and Photonic Devices (Transistors, LEDs and Lasers), Quantum Mechanics, Solid-State Physics, Electromagnetic Fields & Waves, and Materials Science of Semiconductors. Thanks to my students for Teaching awards.
Outreach
I enjoy sharing the joy of the history of science and mathematics.
The effort to understand the universe is one of the very few things that lifts human life a little above the level of farce and gives it some of the grace of tragedy. – Steven Weinberg