Thomas Rocke

PhD Title: How semiconductor lasers fail – modelling defect effects

PhD Supervisors: James Kermode, Richard Beanland, Thomas Hudson

PhD Research

My work focusses on the III-V Semiconductor Indium Phosphide (InP). III-V Semiconductors are direct band-gap materials, which means they are often used in laser devices. The project aims to get a better understanding of dislocation mechanisms in InP, which would help characterise one of the key causes of degradation and failure in these laser devices.

In order to tackle this problem, I am developing Machine Learning Interatomic Potentials (MLIPs) from established codes, in order to bring Quantum Mechanical accuracy up to the scales required to properly study dislocations.