Mool Gupta

Education

• Ph.D., Physics, Washington State University, Washington, [1973]
• Postdoctoral fellow, Cornell University [1976-1978]
• Senior Research Fellow, California Institute of Technology [1978-1979]

Work Experience

• Distinguished Langley Professor, National Institute of Aerospace, (2005-current)
• Editor-in-Chief, CRC Handbook of Photonics, (1997-current)
• Director, NSF Center for Lasers and Plasmas, (2002- current)
• Director of Applied Research Center, Old Dominion University, (1998-2005)
• Adjunct Professor of Material Science, Cornell University, (1993-2001)
• Senior Scientist & Group Leader, Eastman Kodak, (1982-1998)
• Senior Scientist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, (1979-1982]

Research Interests

• Photovoltaics
• High power laser applications
• Optical sensors and photonics devices

Current Research

Gupta’s research at NIA is primarily concerned with solar energy, high power laser applications and optical sensors and photonic devices. Currently, there are about ten graduate students in his research group who are working on laser processing technology for efficient fabrication of photovoltaic devices, applications of high power lasers for solar thermal and thermoelectrics. Students are also investigating use of quantum dots for solar concentrator applications. In the sensor area a student is investigating use of metamaterials for sensor applications.

Dr. Gupta and his students in the NSF Center for Lasers and Plasmas are conducting sponsored research in very high-power laser applications, as well as in laser-related surface processing and cladding, annealing, doping, crystallization, metal transfer etc. There is a strong industrial interaction in the center research.

Teaching at NIA

During the Fall semester, Prof. Gupta teaches a graduate, or senior undergraduate, level course on photonics, and during the Spring semester he teaches a course on a graduate, or senior undergraduate, level course on photovoltaics.

The photonics course is a one-semester course designed to provide a fundamental understanding of the subject of optics as it applies to photonics.  Topics that are covered include optics (interference, diffraction, polarization, gaussian beams), optical thin films (high reflection and anti reflection coating design and fabrication), guided wave optics, fiber optics, and photonic crystals, in addition to applications such as solar energy, optical sensors and optical data storage. The photovoltaics class is a one-semester course designed to provide a fundamental understanding of the subject of photovoltaics. Topics that will be covered include basic principles of photovoltaics, light absorption, charge generation and transport, p-n junctions, photovoltaic device design, fabrication and applications, light trapping structures, organic solar cells, nanomaterials for solar cells and future prospects of PV technology.

The photovoltaics class is a one-semester course designed to provide a fundamental understanding of the subject of photovoltaics. Topics that are covered include basic principles of photovoltaics, light absorption, charge generation and transport, p-n junctions, photovoltaic device design, fabrication and applications, light trapping structures, organic solar cells, nanomaterials for solar cells and future prospects of PV technology.

Large number of students from industry and government laboratories take photonics and photovoltaics courses. Both courses are offered through distance learning facilities.

Publications

Nayak, B.K., and Gupta, M.C., “Micro texturing of silicon pulsed N2-laser and formation mechanism,” Applied Optics, 51 (2012)

Caffrey, P.O., Nayak, B.K., and Gupta, M.C., “Ultrafast laser-induced microstructure/nanostructure replication and optical properties,” Applied Optics, 51 (2012)

Li, J., DeBerardinis, A., Pu, L, and Gupta, M.C., “Optical Properties of Solution Processable Conducting TiOx Thin Films for Solar Cell and Other Applications,” Applied Optics, 51 (2012)

Li, J., Pu, L., and Gupta, M.C., “Optical and Electrical Properties of Solution Processable TiOx Thin Films for Solar Cell and Sensor Applications,” in Proceedings of the MRS, 1352 (2012)

Pugh-Thomas, D., Walsh, B., and Gupta, M.C., “Absorption Cross Section and Temperature Dependent Optical Properties of CdSe/ZnS Quantum Dots,” Submitted to IOP J. Nanotech, February 2012

Iyengar, V., Li, J., and Gupta, M.C., “Solution Processable Tiox Thin Films as Surface Passivation and Anti-Reflection Coating for Silicon Solar Cells,” Submitted to IEEE J. Photovoltaics, February 2012

Nayak, B.K., Caffrey, P.O., Speck, C., and Gupta M.C., “Superhydrophobic Surfaces by Replication of Micro/Nano Structures Fabricated by Ultrafast Laser Microtexturing,” Submitted to Applied Surface Science

Shen, Y., Scudiero, L., and Gupta, M.C., “Temperature Dependence of Open Circuit Voltage and UPS Study for P3HT:PCBM Organic Solar Cells,” J. Photovoltaics

Duda, J.C., Hopkins, P.E., Shen, Y., and Gupta, M.C., “Exceptionally Low Thermal Conductivity of Organic Semiconducting Polymers,” Submitted to Physical Review Letters

Nayak, B.K., Sun, K., Rothenback, C., and Gupta, M.C., “Self-Organized 2-D Periodic Arrays of Nanostructures in Silicon by Nanosecond Laser Irradiation,” Applied Optics, 50 (2011)

Li, Z., Nayak, B.K., Iyengar, V., McIntosh, D., Zhou, Q., Gupta, M.C., and Campbell, J.C., “Laser-Textured Silicon Photodiode with Broadband Spectral Response,” Applied Optics, 50 (2011)

Nayak, B.K., Iyengar, V., and Gupta M.C., “Efficient Light Trapping in Silicon Solar Cells by Ultrafast-Laser-Induced Self-Assembled Micro/Nano Structures,” Progress in Photovoltaics Research and Applications, 19 (2011)

Iynegar, V., Nayak, B.K., More, K.L., Meyer, H.M., Biegalski, M.D., Li, J., and Gupta, M.C., “Properties of Ultrafast Laser Textured Silicon for Photovoltaics,” Solar Energy and Solar Cells, 95 (2011)

Compher, E.M., Gupta, M.C., Wilson, W.C., and Madaras, E.I., “Solar Cell Powered Micrometeorite Sensors Using Indoor Ambient Light for the International Space Station,” Solar Energy Journal, 85 (2011)

Li, J., Kim, S., Edington, S., Nedy, J., Cho, S., Lee, K., Heeger, A.J., Gupta, M.C., and Yates, J.T., “A Study of Stabilization of P3HT/PCBM Organic Solar cells by Photochemical Active TiOx layer,” Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 95 (2011)

Koppolu, V.R., Gupta, M.C., Scudiero, L., “Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy Study of 1,2-Dicyano-Methanofullerene C60(CN)² Thin Film for Photovoltaic Applications,” Solar Energy and Solar Cells, 95 (2011)

Pugh-Thomas, D., Walsh, B.M., and Gupta, M.C., “CdSe(ZnS) Nanocomposite Luminescent High Temperature Sesnor,” Nanotechnology, 22 (2011)

Shen, Y., Li, K., Mazumder, N., Campbell, J.C., and Gupta, M.C., “Bulk and Contact Resistance in P3HT:PCBM Heterojunction Solar Cells,” Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 95 (2011)

Bagienski, W., and Gupta, M.C., “Temperature Dependence of Polymer/Fullerene Organic Solar Cells,” Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 95 (2011)

Shreiber, D., Gupta, M.C., and Cravey, R., “Comparative Study of 1-D and 2-D Metamaterial Lens for Microwave Nondestructive Evaluation of Dielectric Materials,” Sensors and Actuators, 165 (2011)

Sun, C.N., Gupta, M.C., and Payzant, E.A., “Effect of Laser Sintering on Ti-ZrB₂ Mixtures,” J. Am. Cer. Soc., 94 (2011)

Sun, C.N., Gupta, M.C., and Porter, W.D., “Thermophysical Properties of Laser Sintered Zr-ZrB₂ Cermets,” J. Am. Cer. Soc., 94 (2011)

Bush, J.R., Nayak, B.K., Nair, L.S., Gupta, M.C., and Laurencin, C.T., “Improved Bio-Implant using Ultrafast Laser Induced Self Assembled Nanotecture,” J. Biomed. Mat. Res., 97B (2011)

Okraku, E.W., Gupta, M.C., and Wright, K.D., “Pulsed Laser Annealing of P3HT/PCBM Organic Solar Cells,” Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 94 (2010)

Iyengar, V., Nayak, B.K., and Gupta, M.C., “Silicon PV Devices Based on Single Step for Doping Anti-Reflection and Surface Passivation,” Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 94 (2010)

Iyengar, V., Nayak, B.K., and Gupta, M.C., “Optical Properties of Silicon Light Trapping Structures for Photovoltaics,” Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 94 (2010)

Li, J., Shen, Y., Mazumber, N., Hu, C., Gupta, M.C., and Campbell, J.C., “Determination of Free Polaron Lifetime in Organic Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells by Transient Time Analysis,” J. Applied Physics, 108 (2010)

Iyengar, V., Nayak, B.K., and Gupta, M.C., “Ultralow Reflectance Metal Surfaces by Ultrafast Laser Texturing,” Applied Optics, 49 (2010)

Stramel, A.A., Gupta, M.C., Lee, H.R., Yu, J., and Edwards, W.C., “Pulsed Laser Deposition of Carbon Nanotube and Polystyrene-Carbon Nanotube Composite Thin Films,” Optics in Lasers in Engineering, 48 (2010)

Sun, C.N., Gupta, M.C., and Taminger, K.M., “Electron Beam Sintering of Zirconium Diboride,” J. Am. Cer. Soc., 93 (2010)

Baldridge, T., Gupta, M.C., and Sun, C.N., “Nanostructures from Zirconium Diboride and Alumina Ceramics,” J. Am. Cer. Soc., 93 (2010)

Nayak, B.K., and Gupta, M.C., “Self-Organized Micro/Nano Structures in Metal Sufaces by Ultrafast Laser Irradiation,” Optics in Lasers in Engineering, 48 (2010)

Nayak, B.K., and Gupta, M.C., “Ultrafast Laser-Induced Self Organized Conical Micro/Nano Surface Structures and their Origin,” Optics and Lasers in Engineering, 48 (2010)

Pugh-Thomas, D., Walsh, B.M., and Gupta, M.C., “Spectroscopy of BeAI₂O₄:Cr3+ with Application to High Temperature Sensing,” Applied Optics, 49 (2010)

Fletcher, A., Gupta, M.C., Dudley, K.L., and Vedeler, E., “Elastomer Foam Nanocomposites for Electromagnetic Dissipation and Shielding Applications,” Composite Science and Technology, 70 (2010)

Kumar, A., and Gupta, M.C., “Laser Machining of Micro-Notches for Fatigue Life,” Optics and Lasers in Engineering, 48 (2010)

Gupta, M.C., Li, B., Gadag, S., and Chou, K.C., “Laser Micromachining for Fatigue and Fracture Mechanics Applications,” Optics and Lasers in Engineering, 48 (2010)

Kumar, A., Sapp, M., Vincelli, J., and Gupta, M.C., “A Study on Laser Cleaning and Pulsed Gas Tungsten Arc Welding of Ti-2AI-2.5 V Alloy Tubes,” J. Materials Processing Technology, 210 (2010)

Handbook of Photonics. Ed. M. Gupta. (Boca Raton: CRC Press 1997)

Handbook of Photonics. 2^nd Edition. Ed. M. Gupta (Boca Raton: CRC Press 1997)

Nonlinear Frequency Generation and Conversion. Proceedings of SPIE Vol. 2700, Eds. M. Gupta, W. Kozlovsky, D. MacPherson (Bellingham: SPIE 1996)