Dr. Lu has received a number of national and
international awards, including National Technology Award (Singapore, 1998),
Asean Engineering Achievement Award (Asean Engineering Association, 1999),
and Laser International Award (Germany, 2000). As a research group leader,
his research was focused on laser removal of nanoparticles from solid surfaces
(commonly known as laser cleaning) and nanoscale patterning by laser-assisted
scanning probe microscopy and optical resonance in microparticles. He was
one of the pioneers to theoretically propose a model to explain the behaviors
of nanoparticles on solid surfaces under laser irradiation, and experimentally
obtained the sub-wave length nanostructures using laser-induced optical resonance
in nanospheres.
“Our work encompasses a few important
topics including laser writing of sub-wavelength structures, applications
of laser removal of nanoparticles, behaviors of nanoparticles under laser
irradiation, theoretical modeling, influence of laser wavelength, and particle
removal with assistance of thin liquid films,” Dr. Lu said. “We
have also been working cooperatively with companies in USA, Japan and Singapore,
and developing commercial products for laser etching, laser cleaning, laser
deflash, laser cutting and laser surface texturing.”
“After joining UNL, my research efforts
focus on nanoscale laser material processing and characterization such as
laser-assisted nanoimprinting, laser-assisted scanning tunneling microscopy,
nanoparticle formation and thin film deposition, and fabrication of nanoscale
optical and electrical devices,” Dr. Lu said. One of his current research
interests is how to fabricate three-dimensional photonic bandgap crystals
by combining laser nanoimprinting and self-assembly of nanoparticles. To date,
he has received a few research grants from the National Science Foundation,
Department of Defense and industry with a total amount of more than $ 400,000.
“My long-term goal is to use lasers as basic tools to bridge nanoscale
science, nanotechnology and commercialization,” Dr. Lu said.
Dr. Lu has established a new Laser-Assisted
Nano-Engineering Laboratory (LANEL). The lab is equipped with a Lambda Physik
Compex 205 KrF excimer laser, a Burleigh scanning probe microscope system
consisting of atomic force microscope and scanning tunneling microscope, and
a Coherent Innova 306 argon ion laser. A pulsed-laser deposition system and
a laser-assisted chemical deposition system are also being built .
Starting fall 2003, Dr. Lu offers a new course “Introduction to Nanotechnology”,
which covers the scientific areas related to nanoscale science and engineering.
(Dec. 2003)
