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Dr Alex Rozhin

Alex Rozhin
Phone number
+44 (0) 121 204 34 94

Email
a.rozhin@aston.ac.uk

Room number
615 NW

Profile
I joined School of Engineering and Applied Science in July 2009, having spent the previous four years as Research Associate and Senior Research Associate at the Centre for Advanced Photonics and Electronics, University of Cambridge. Prior to that, I spent 3 years at the Nanotechnology Research Institute and Photonic Research Institute at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan as JSPS postdoctoral Fellow and AIST fellow.

My research background is in advanced materials science, engineering and applied physics. I have gained a substantial work experience in nanotechnology, from engineering through to applications. I have developed optoelectronic devices and systems based on novel materials. An important feature of my research is a constant focus on practical industrial applications of the obtained results. Starting from my pioneering work presented at the Optical Fibre Communication Conference in 2003, in which we demonstrate the first ever nano-tube-based laser operating at 1.5 micron many of my results had an immediate impact on the research and industrial communities.

My major scientific achievements include:
  • Development of nanotube-polymer composites with strong nonlinear optical properties]
  • First demonstration of ultrashort pulse formation in erbium doped fiber lasers and waveguide lasers by using carbon nanotube mode lockers
  • Utilization of carbon nanotubes as a noise suppression filters in telecommunication systems
  • First identification of exciton energy transfer as the main mechanism responsible for high luminescence in small carbon nanotube bundles

Qualifications & Education
  • PhD in Solid State Physics, Institute for Semiconductor Physics, National Academy of Science of Ukraine (NASU), Kiev Ukraine, 2001
  • MSc in Physics, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kiev, 1998
  • Diploma in Radioecology, 1998, Ukrainian Radiological Training Centre, Kiev, Ukraine
  • Certificate in Innovations and Technology Management , Institute for Manufacturing, University of Cambridge, 2009

Employment
  • 2009 - present    Lecturer in Nanotechnology Science, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Aston University, Birmingham, UK
  • 2005 - 2009    Senior Research Associate (from October 2008) & Research Associate, Centre for Advanced Photonics and Electronics, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, UK
  • 2002 - 2005    JSPS & AIST Postdoctoral Fellowship, Nanotechnology Research Institute & Photonics Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
  • 2001 - 2002 Researcher, Institute for Semiconductor Physics NASU, Ukraine
Teaching activity
  • EE 7002 Electronic Sensors (MSc Sensing)
  • EE3NPD Network Product Development (BEng)
Research interests
My current research interests span nanomaterials synthesis by laser ablation and chemical routes, nanomaterials surface functionalization, development of nanocomposites for photonic applications, nonlinear optics, optoelectronics, solid-state physics and biophysics. I am designing and developing novel ultrafast lasers, polymer waveguides, optical switches, signal regenerative filters, fibre and waveguide sensors, microfluidic devices.

Recent research funding
My research was supported by:
  • IHP GmbH (Frankfurt, Germany) fellowship for Young Ukrainian scientists (1998-1999)
  • President of Ukraine Stipend for Young Scientists (1999-2001)
  • Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) postdoctoral Fellowship (2002-2004)
  • The Isaac Newton Trust, Trinity College, Cambridge (2007-2009)
  • Engineering and Physical Science Research Council
    Grant GR/S97613/01 (2005-2007)
    Grant EP/E500935/1 (2007-2008)
    Grant EP/G030480/1 (2009-2012)
  • Advantage West Midland (2010)

PhD Supervision
We are always welcome applications from  enthusiastic, hard-working candidates for PhD studentships and Postdoctoral positions. The funding could be from the School or external councils.

The available projects for training are:
  • Growth of nanomaterials by laser ablation
  • Surface functionalization of nanomaterials
  • Development of polymer nanocomposites for photonics applications
  • Optical characterization of nanomaterials (UV-NIR, Photoluminescence Excitation-Emission Spectroscopy, Nonlinear Optical Spectroscopy)
  • Development of nanomaterials based devices: ultra-short pulse lasers, bio medical  and gas sensors, micro-fluidic devices
Selected publications
I have published and submitted about 40 journal and 10 conference papers in the area of photonics and nonlinear optical materials, fibre lasers, fibre communication devices. I made 9 patent applications. I have given about 50 presentations in all the major conferences in my field, including 7 invited talks.
  1. Z. Sun, A. G. Rozhin, F. Wang, T. Hasan, D. Popa, W. O'Neill,  A. C. Ferrari “A compact, high power, ultrafast laser mode-locked by carbon nanotubes” Appl. Phys. Lett. 95, 253102 (2009).

  2. T. Hasan, Z. Sun, F. Wang, F. Bonaccorso, P. H. Tan, A. G. Rozhin, A. C. Ferrari “Nanotube–Polymer Composites for Ultrafast Photonics”, Adv. Materials 21, 3874 (2009).

  3. E.J.R. Kelleher, J.C. Travers, Z. Sun, A.G. Rozhin, A.C. Ferrari, S.V. Popov, J. R. Taylor “Nanosecond-pulse fiber lasers mode-locked with nanotubes”, Appl. Phys. Lett. 95, 111108 (2009).

  4. F. Wang, A.G. Rozhin, Z. Sun, V. Scardaci, I.H. White, W.I. Milne, A.C. Ferrari, “Widely tuneable nanotubes mode-locked fiber laser”, Nature Nanotechnology, 3, 738 (2008).

  5. O.M. Maragò, P.H. Jones, V. Scardaci, F. Bonaccorso, P. G. Gucciardi, A.G. Rozhin, A.C. Ferrari, “FemtoNewton Force Sensing with Optically Trapped Nanotubes”, Nano Lett., 8; 3211 (2008).

  6. A. Gambetta, G. Galzerano, A.G. Rozhin, A.C. Ferrari, R. Ramponi, P. Laporta, M. Marangoni, “Sub-100 fs pump-probe spectroscopy of Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes with a 100 MHz Er-fiber laser system”, Optics Express, 16, 11727 (2008).

  7. P.H. Tan, A.G. Rozhin, T. Hasan, P. Hu, V. Scardaci, W.I. Milne, A.C. Ferrari, “Photoluminescence Spectroscopy of Carbon Nanotube Bundles: Evidence for Exciton Energy Transfer”, Phys. Rev. Lett., 99, 137402 (2007).

  8. T. Hasan, V. Scardaci, P.H. Tan, A. G. Rozhin, W.I. Milne, A.C. Ferrari, “Stabilization and ‘de-bundling’ of single-wall carbon nanotube dispersions in N-Methyl-2-Pyrrolidone by polyvinylpyrrolidone ”, J. Phys. Chem. C, 111, 12594 (2007).

  9. P. Beecher, P. Servati, A. Rozhin, A. Colli, V. Scardaci, S. Pisana, F. M. Li, A. Nathan, A. J. Flewitt, J. Robertson, A. C. Ferrari, W. I. Milne, “Ink-jet printing of carbon nanotube thin film transistors”, J. Appl. Phys., 102, 043710 (2007).

  10. G. Della Valle, R. Osellame, G. Galzerano, N. Chiodo, G. Cerullo, P. Laporta, O. Svelto, U. Morgner, A.G. Rozhin, V. Scardaci, A.C. Ferrari, “Passive Mode-Locking with Carbon Nanotubes in Femtosecond Laser Written Waveguide Lasers”, Appl. Phys. Lett., 89, 231115 (2006).

  11. A.G. Rozhin, F.Wang, V. Scardaci, F. Hennrich, W. I. Milne, I.H. White, A.C. Ferrari, “Generation of ultra-fast laser pulses using nanotube mode-lockers”, Physica Status Solidi (b), 243, 3551 (2006).

  12. A.G. Rozhin, Y. Sakakibara, S. Namiki, M. Tokumoto, H. Kataura, Y. Achiba “Sub-200-fs pulsed erbium-doped fiber laser using a carbon nanotube-polyvinylalcohol mode locker”, Appl. Phys. Lett., 88, 051118 (2006).

  13. Y. Sakakibara, A.G. Rozhin, H. Kataura, Y. Achiba, M. Tokumoto, “Carbon nanotube-poly(vinylalcohol) nanocomposite film devices: applications for femtosecond fiber laser mode lockers and optical amplifier noise suppressors”, Jap. J. Appl. Phys., 44, 1621 (2005).

  14. A.G. Rozhin, Y. Sakakibara, H. Kataura, S. Matsuzaki, K. Ishida, Y. Achiba, M. Tokumoto, “ Anisotropic saturable absorption of single wall carbon nanotubes aligned in polyvinyl alcohol”, Chem. Phys. Lett., 405, 288 (2005).

  15. A.G. Rozhin, Y. Sakakibara, M. Tokumoto, H. Kataura, Y. Achiba, “Near-infrared non-linear properties of single-wall carbon nanotubes embedded in polymer film”, Thin Solid Films, 464–465, 368 (2004).

  16. Y. Sakakibara, A. Rozhin, H. Kataura, M. Tokumoto Y. Achiba, “Nanotube-polymer composite saturable absorber for ASE noise suppression in optical amplifiers”, in Proc. 29-th European conference on Optical  Communication  (ECOC’03), Rimini, Italy, 21-25 September 2003, Post-deadline Paper Th 4.2.5.

  17. S.Y. Set, H. Yaguchi, Y. Tanaka, M. Jablonski, Y. Sakakibara, A. Rozhin, M. Tokumoto, H. Kataura, Y. Achiba, K. Kikuchi, ”Mode-locked fiber lasers based on a saturable absorber incorporating carbon nanotubes”, in OSA Trends in Optics and Photonics (TOPS) Vol.86, Optical Fiber Communication Conference, Technical Digest, Post conference Edition (Optical Society of America, Washington, DC, 2003), Post-deadline Paper, pd.44.

Employable Graduates; Exploitable Research