Dr. Tim LaFave Jr.

Current Member
Research Scientist
Research Project and Activities: 
My projects and activities involve THz instrumentation development including compact anisotropy spectroscopy using a variety of THz sources and detectors, use of a molecular CO2 gas laser and FTIR for optical measurements and texting. I also use Ansys HFSS to model optical systems and the current web development character of this group's website. Contact me regarding contributions and corrections to this website.
Curriculum Vitae: 

LinkedIn | ResearchGate | Google Scholar

EDUCATION

Ph.D. Electrical Engineering, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, 2006

Dissertation: "The Classical Electrostatic Periodic Table, Capacitance of Few Electron Dielectric Spheres, and a Novel Treatment of One- and Two-Electron Finite Quantum Wells"

M.S. Applied Physics, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, 2001

Thesis: "Fabrication and Modeling of Rapid, Low Temperature Silicon-On-Insulator using Solid-Metal-Mediated Epitaxy"

Physics, Kent State University, Kent, OH, Aug. 1996 – Aug. 1997

B.S. Physics, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, 1996
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2018 -         

Research Scientist, University at Buffalo, Physics
2015 - 2018

Research Professor, Southern Methodist University, Electrical Engineering
2015 - 2018

Technical Consultant, self-employed (technical patent development)
2014 - 2015

Research Scientist, University of Texas at Dallas, Electrical Engineering
2008 - 2013

Research Associate, University of Texas at Dallas, Electrical Engineering
2007 - 2008

Postdoctoral Research Scholar, University of Iowa, Department of Physics
2006 - 2007

Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, Electrical Engineering

 
THESIS COMMITTEE
May 2017

Regan Klein, MSEE, Z-Transform Techniques in the Design of Mach-Zehnder Modulators, SMU
Dec 2014

Mehdi Nouri, MSEE, Optical Orbital Angular Momentum Metrology, UT-Dallas

 
TEACHING EXPERIENCE

University at Buffalo

Department of Physics

2019 -         General Physics 2, Substitute Lecturer

 

University of Texas at Dallas, Postdoctoral Guest Lecturer
Department of Electrical Engineering

2008 - 2015

Fields and Waves, Guest Lectures, Example video: http://goo.gl/79WRgL

 

 

University of North Carolina, Charlotte, Teaching Assistant
Department of Electrical Engineering

2001 - 2003

Introduction to Engineering Practices II. I instructed undergraduates in a project-based course exposing students to common microfabrication techniques within a cleanroom. This included creation of process, tool, and other user manuals. http://coefs.uncc.edu/jahudak/fabrication-process-procedures
2000 - 2001

Instructed Systems and Electronics Laboratory

 

 

 

 

 

Department of Physics

1997 - 1999

Introductory Physics Laboratory, Instructed algebra- and calculus-based physics laboratory. (3 sections/semester each)

 

 

Kent State University, Graduate Teaching Assistant
Department of Physics

Summer 1997

General College Physics Laboratory II. Instructed physics laboratory and recitations.
Spring 1997

General College Physics Laboratory II. Instructed physics laboratories and recitations (3 sections)
Fall 1996

General College Physics Laboratory I. Instructed physics laboratories and recitations (3 sections)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Illinois Institute of Technology, Staff
Department of Humanities

1992 - 1996

Student Office Assistant. I supported academic activities of faculty and created comprehensive "Introduction to HTML" materials for the new Technical Communictations and Information Design program primarily geared toward unconventional students from industry.
1992 - 1993

Writing Tutor. Prepared graduate engineering theses and worked with international students to fulfill English requirements for engineering courses.

 
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

University at Buffalo, Department of Physics

2008 -           

Southern Methodist University, Department of Electrical Engineering

2015 - 2008 I managed the Photonics Devices and Systems Lab, a photonics lab with active investigations including:

  • interaction of twisted light with chiral systems for biomedical applications

  • structured coherent light for telecommunication applications

  • single photon integrated circuits

  • holey THz dielectric waveguide development for high speed inter-PCB data transfer

  • holey THz dielectric vortex fiber development for optical OAM applications

  • modernization of electrostatics physics teaching methodology toward physically realistic nanoscale devices and systems
2014 - 2015

Development of OAM-based GPON fiber testbed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

University of Texas at Dallas, Department of Electrical Engineering

2012 - 2013

fNIRS. I invented a reliable parallel processing method of soft polymer optical fiber buds for bundled fibers used in fNIRS research at UT-Southwestern.
2011 - 2013

EO Polymers. (Intel) I was consulted by a Chemistry group to improve processing and Teng-Man spectroscopy of newly synthesized polymer films.
2010 - 2012

Neurophotonics. (DARPA) I optimized processing of optical sensors and invented packaging for WGM sensors used to study neuronal activity.
2008 - 2010

PhASER. (DARPA) I implemented processing travelers to manage fabrication of electro-optic filters in InP, integrated nanoscale processes with microscale features, and reduced process time by 75% with improved device quality.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

University of Iowa, Department of Physics
Postdoctoral Researcher

2007 - 2008

SLEDS (US ARMY) I performed wet etch studies to define tapered mesas in GaSb-based multi-QW materials for novel LED-based IR scene simulations.

 

 

UNC, Charlotte, Department of Electrical Engineering
Graduate and Postdoctoral Researcher

2006 - 2007

Theoretical investigation of discrete charges in quantum dots.
2004 - 2006

I developed the discrete charge dielectric (DCD) model, a new capacitance expression for few-electron nanoscale systems, and discovered unprecedented correlations between the plum-pudding model and natural atomic shell-filling.
2001 - 2004

I demonstrated an epitaxial process to yield a pre-specified defect-density profile in Si thin films as studied by FTIR of H-decorated stretching bonds.
1997 - 2001

I assembled UHV-MBEs for metals and Si/Ge. I demonstrated an SOI technology with p-doped c-Si over SiO2 with Al contacts and performed TEM, SEM, LEED, RHEED, as well as TEM sample preparation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kent State University, Department of Physics
Graduate Research Assistant

Summer 1997

I developed a LabView VI for 2D infrared spectroscopy of liquid crystals.

 

 

Illinois Institute of Technology, Department of Physics
Undergraduate Researcher

1995 - 1996

I fabricated and tested Schottky barrier diode solar cells (SPS, Motorola).

 
PATENTS
  1. PDF | Systems and Methods for Quantum Coherence Preservation of Qubits, W. V. Oxford, M. A. Thornton, D. L. MacFarlane, T.P. LaFave, US Patent 11,080,614
  2. PDF | Systems and methods for preservation of qubits, M. A. Thornton, D. L. MacFarlane, T. P. LaFave, W. V. Oxford, US Patent 10,878,333
PUBLICATIONS

Book Chapters

  1. R. Tsu & T. LaFave, Jr “Role of Symmetry in Conductance, Capacitance, and Doping of Quantum Dots” Ch. 1 in The Wonder of Nanotechnology: Quantum Optoelectronic Devices and Applications M. Razeghi, L. Esaki, and K. von Klitzing, Eds., SPIE Press, Bellingham, WA, pp. 3-38 (2013).

Refereed Articles

  1. S. Sakpal, G. Milione, M.-J. Li, M. Nouri, H. Shahoei, T. LaFave Jr., S. Ashrafi, and D. MacFarlane, "Stability of Ince-Gaussian beams in elliptical core few-mode fibers" Opt. Lett. 43(11) 2657-2659 (2018).
  2. N. Aflakian, N. Yang, T. LaFave Jr., K. 0, and D. MacFarlane “Square Dielectric THz Waveguides” Opt. Exp. 24(13) (2016). DOI: 10.1364/OE.24.014951
  3. T. LaFave Jr. “Discrete Transformations in the Thomson Problem” J. Electrostatics (2014). DOI: 10.1016/j.elstat.2013.11.007
  4. T. LaFave Jr. “Correspondence between the Classical Electrostatic Thomson Problem and Atomic Electronic Structure” J. Electrostatics 71 1029 (2013). DOI: 10.1016/j.elstat.2013.10.001
  5. B. Cheek, M. Dabkowski, A. El Nagdi, L. R. Hunt, T. P. LaFave Jr, K. Liu, D. L. MacFarlane, & V. Ramakrishna "Analysis of a Polynomial System Arising in the Design of an Optical Lattice Filter Useful in Channelization" Acta Applicandae Mathematicae 118(1) 107-123 (2012). DOI: 10.1007/s10440-012-9680-8
  6. D.L. MacFarlane, M.P. Christensen, K. Liu, T. LaFave Jr, G.A. Evans, N. Sultana, T.W. Kim, J. Kim, J. B. Kirk, N. Huntoon, M. Dabkowski, L.R. Hunt, & V. Ramakrishna “Four-Port Nanophotonic Frustrated Total Internal Reflection Coupler” IEEE Photon Technol Lett 24(1) 58-60 (2012). DOI: 10.1109/LPT.2011.2172204
  7. D. L. MacFarlane, M. P. Christensen, A. E. Nagdi, G. A. Evans, L. R. Hunt, N. Huntoon, J. Kim, T. W. Kim, J. Kirk, T. LaFave Jr, K. Liu, V. Ramakrishna, M. Dabkowski, & N. Sultana “Experiment and Theory of an Active Optical Filter” J. Quant Electronics 48(3) 307-317 (2012). DOI: 10.1109/JQE.2011.2174615
  8. T. LaFave Jr. “Discrete Charge Dielectric Model of Electrostatic Energy” J. Electrostatics 69 414-418 (2011). DOI: 10.1016/j.elstat.2011.06.006
  9. A. El Nagdi, K. Liu, T. P. LaFave Jr, L. R. Hunt, V. Ramakrishna, M. Dabkowski, D. L. MacFarlane & M. P. Christensen “Active integrated filters for RF-photonic channelizers” Sensors 11(2) 1297-1320 (2011). DOI: 10.3390/s110201297
  10. N. Sultana, W. Zhou, T. LaFave Jr & D. L. MacFarlane “HBr based inductively coupled plasma etching of high aspect ratio nanoscale trenches in InP: Considerations for photonic applications” J Vac Sci B 27(6) 2351-2356 (2009). DOI: 10.1116/1.3250263
  11. T. LaFave Jr & R. Tsu “The value of monophasic capacitance of few-electron systems” Microelectron J 40 791-795 (2009). DOI: 10.1016/j.mejo.2008.11.035
  12. T. LaFave Jr & R. Tsu “Capacitance: A property of nanoscale materials based on spatial symmetry of discrete electrons” Microelectron J 39(3-4) 617-623 (2008). DOI: 10.1016/j.mejo.2007.07.105
  13. J. Zhu, T. LaFave Jr & R. Tsu "Capacitance of Few Electron Dielectric Spheres" Microelectron J 37 1293-1296 (2006). DOI: 10.1016/j.mejo.2006.07.013

Conference Proceedings

  1. D. K. George, T. J. LaFave, A. G. Markelz, I. McNee, P. Tekavec, V. Kozlov, and P. Schunemann, "Tunable compact narrow band THz sources for frequency domain THz anisotropic spectroscopy," Proc. SPIE 10983, Next-Generation Spectroscopic Technologies XII, 1098311 2019. DOI: 10.1117/12.2519878
  2. H. Kumar, H. Yao, T. Ei, N. Ashrafi, T. LaFave Jr., S. Ashrafi, D.L. MacFarlane, and R. Henderson, “Physical Phaseplate for the Generation of a Millimeter-Wave Hermite-Gaussian Beam” 2016 IEEE Radio and Wireless Symposium (RWS) 234-237 (2016).
  3. D. L. MacFarlane, M. P. Christensen, A. E. Nagdi, G. A. Evans, L. R. Hunt, N. Huntoon, J. Kim, T. W. Kim, J. Kirk, T. P. LaFave, K. Liu, V. Ramakrishna, M. Dabkowski, & N. Sultana “Two dimensional optical lattice filters with gain: Fabrication and experimental results” Quant. Electronics Conf. & Lasers and Electro-optic (CLEO/IQEC/PACIFIC RIM) 1018-1020 (2011).
  4. D. L. MacFarlane, M. P. Christensen, L. R. Hunt, J. Kim, T. W. Kim, T. P. LaFave, K. Liu, A. E. Nagdi, N. Sultana, V. Ramakrishna & M. Dabkowski “Active Optical Lattice Filters with Nanophotonics Four-Port Couplers” 15th OptoElectronics and Communications Conference (OECC2010) Technical Digest July 2010 7D3-4 (2010).
  5. M. P. Christensen, D. L. MacFarlane, L. R. Hunt, J. Kim, T. W. Kim, T. P. LaFave, K. Liu, A. El Nagdi, N. Sultana, V. Ramakrishna, N. Huntoon, & M. Dabkowski “Active lattice filter with nanophotonic FTIR-couplers for integrated photonic channelizer” Photonics Global Conference (PGC) 1-4 (2010).
  6. D. L. MacFarlane, L. R. Hunt, V. Ramakrishna, W. Zhou, N. Sultana, & A. Stark “Chip-Scale Analog Optical Signal Processing” Conf. Proc. - LEOS Ann. Meeting, 437-438 (2008).
  7. “A New Definition of Capacitance of Few Electron Systems” PIERS Proceedings, Hanzhou, China, March 24-28, 1269-1274 (2008) with R. Tsu.

Pending Publications

  1. T. LaFave Jr, "Modernizing Electrostatics” Series, in preparation
  2. I. Energy Stored in Nanoscale Systems of Discrete Charges
  3. II. Discrete Charges in a Dielectric Object
  4. III. Discrete Charge Capacitance
  5. IV. Electron Shell-Filling in Quantum Dots
  6. V. Geometric Symmetry and Quantum Numbers
  7. VI. Thomson Problem Energies and the Periodic Table
INVITED TALKS
2013

“Interaction of Electrons in a Nanosphere” Superlattice Workshop, UNC, Charlotte, May 5-7
2006

“Capacitance of Dielectric Spheres in the Absence of Metal Contacts: A Classical Model of Discrete Electrons for Nanoscale Materials and Devices” NIST, Boulder, CO, Dec. 15

 
CONFERENCES
2016

“Orbital angular momentum multiplexing using low-cost VCSELs for datacenter applications” Frontiers in Optics / Laser Science (FiO/LS), Oct. 17-21, Rochester, NY.
2016

“Square holey cladding dielectric THz waveguides for chip-to-chip communication” Frontiers in Optics / Laser Science (FiO/LS) , Oct. 17-21, Rochester, NY.
2016

“Physical phaseplate for the generation of a millimeter-wave Hermite-Gaussian beam” IEEE Radio and Wireless Week Austin, TX, Jan. 24-27.
2013

“Interactions of Electrons in Nanospheres” Superlattice Workshop, May 5-7, Charlotte, NC.
2010

"Active Optical Lattice Filters with Nanophotonic Four-Port Couplers” 15th OptoElectronics and Communications Conference, July 5-9, Sapporo, Japan.
2008

“Chip-Scale Analog Optical Signal Processing” 21st Annual Meeting of the IEEE Lasers and Electro-Optics Society, LEOS 2008, Nov. 9-13, Newport Beach, CA.
2001

"Lateral Epitaxial Overgrowth of Si and SiGe on SiO2 using Buried Low-Temperature (Ts < 500&deg;C) Solid Metal Mediated Epitaxy" MRS Fall 2001 Symp. A: Mat. Issues in Novel Si-Based Tech., Nov. 26-28, Boston.
2000

"Fabrication of Buried Oxide Structures at Low Temperature (Ts < 500°C) using Solid-Metal-Mediated Molecular Beam Epitaxy” Presentation, AVS 1st Intl. Conf. on Microelectronics and Interfaces, Feb. 7-11, Santa Clara, CA.
2000

"Integrated Shallow-Junction p-Type Doping and Epitaxial Metallization of Si at Low-Temperatures (Ts < 500°C) using Solid-Metal Mediated Molecular Beam Epitaxy (SMM-MBE)" AVS 2nd International Conference on Advanced Materials and Proc. for Microelectronics, Feb. 7-11, Santa Clara, CA.
2000

"Buried Low-Temperature (Ts < 500°C) Lateral Epitaxial Overgrowth of Si on SiO2 using Solid Metal Mediated Epitaxy" AVS 47th International Symposium, Oct. 2-6, 2000, Boston.

 
DEPARTMENTAL TALKS
2015

“Classical atoms and quantum dots: when size doesn’t matter” Southern Methodist University, Oct, 22-23.
2008

“A New Classical Electrostatic Approach to Ground State Energy, Capacitance and Atomic Structure” University of Texas at Dallas, EE Seminar Series, Nov. 7.

 
SERVICE TO PROFESSION

Peer Review for: American Journal of Physics (2019-), Applied Optics (2011-), Journal of Computational Science (2014-), Optics Express (2012-), Optics Letters (2012-), Optical Materials Express (2013-), Physics Letters A (2014-)

Adopt-A-Physicist, sponsored by AIP/SPS, APS, AAPT, 2009-2015
AWARDS & HONORS
2001

Research Award Finalist, superior performance in conduct of applied research, UNC-Charlotte
1995

Clinton E. Stryker Distinguished Services Award for Leadership, Illinois Institute of Technology

 
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT)

American Physical Society (APS), Society of Physics Students (SPS)

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

Optical Society of America (OSA)

Planetary Society

Sigma Pi Sigma, National Physics Honor Society, Apr. 23, 1999