Researchers in Dr. Jingbiao Cui's Department of Physics lab are fabricating nanowires and nanotubes for possible use in electronic and photonic devices such as light emitting diodes (LEDs), photodetectors and solar energy harvesting.

The transmission electron microscopy image of nanobarcodes with added green and red hues (below) is formed using silicon nanotubes filled with an isolated organic material. "Due to the reduced dimensions, the organic material is expected to have different functionalities as compared to the nanowires, thin layers or bulk materials," Dr. Cui says. "We're working to further the understanding of these nanowires and their potential for being applied in electronics and technologies in the future."

Dr. Cui's research has garnered more than $20 million in external grants from federal and state agencies. His current research on organic nanowires is supported by the National Science Foundation.

Read more about nanoscale research at UNT in the newest issue of The North Texan.