As early as 1994, Dr. Ji Wei’s research group pioneered the research into the optical limiting properties of inorganic metal clusters. These large compounds came in various new structures such as cubic cages. They discovered that the new super-molecules possess large nonlinear optical properties, which are comparable to or better than the fullerene (C₆₀). For more details, the reader is referred to the following selected papers.

1. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 116, 3615 (1994) [191 citations]
2. J. Phys. Chem. 98, 3570 (1994) [98 citations]
3. J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 12, 876 (1995) [55 citations]
 

Carbon Nanotubes for Optical Limiting

In 1998, they made the first report in the world on optical limiting with carbon nanotubes. They observed the broadband response of optical limiting in carbon nanotubes, suspended in liquids or embedded in polymers. They identified nonlinear scattering as a responsible mechanism for the optical limiting properties of carbon nanotubes. For more details, the reader is referred to their classic papers listed in the following.

1. Appl. Phys. Lett. 73,3632 (1998) [44 citations]
2. Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, 2548 (1999) [82 citations]
3. Chem. Phys. Lett. 318, 505 (2000) [60 citations]

Nanoparticles and Nanotubes for Optical Switching

More recently, A/Prof. Ji Wei and his collaborators have also been working on the nonlinear optical dynamics in semiconductor quantum dots, carbon nanotubes and transparent oxides. Their primary results show huge potentials of such materials in photonic devices. For more information, the reader is referred to the following publications:

1. Appl. Phys. Lett. 77, 3926 (2000)

2. Appl. Phys. Lett. 82, 2691 (2003)

3. Appl. Phys. Lett. 85, 1799 (2004)

Last update: 26th Jan 2005