Henry Lee

Lee's research is focused in two areas: fiber-optics and compound semiconductor technology. In the fiber-optic area, the research is aimed at advancing an ëall-in-the-fiber' platform for telecommunication and sensor networks. In this vision, light is to be generated, modulated, filtered, and switched without ever having to leave the fiber medium itself. Such an approach would solve a fundamental bottleneck in photonic technology, namely, optical coupling from one medium to another. Currently, Lee's research is focused on all-fiber tunable grating devices, such as tunable fiber Bragg gratings, long-period gratings, and acousto-optic tunable filters in optical fibers. Recent advances in micro-engineered and structured fiber and photonic crystal fibers in both glass and polymer mediums provide unprecedented opportunities for extending the functionalities of all-fiber technology to applications in optical networking, sensors and instrumentations.

Lee is also involved in material, device, and fabrication technology for III-V compound semiconductors. The main focuses are: GaN-based solid-state lighting technology and III-V epitaxy, including sensor-based intelligent epitaxy and growth of highly mismatched semiconductors. In the solid-state lighting research, work is currently concentrated in developing transparent contact (ITO, ZnO) technology, self-assembly for LED packaging, and high-temperature characterization of GaN LEDs.