The ICSE-V Paul Drude Award winner: Tino Hofmann

Tino Hofmann, Research Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Lincoln, receives the 2010 Paul Drude Award for his unique contributions with strong focus on development of far infrared and Terahertz ellipsometry, the optical Hall effect and numerous applications on the determination of phonon and free charge carrier properties in semiconductor layer structures.

Tino Hofmann has made substantial impact onto our ellipsometry community within the last decade by pioneering ellipsometry experiments into the far infrared and Terahertz spectral regions, and by designing and building instrumentation that allow broad use of such spectral regions in desk-top style, easy-to-use laboratory experiments. He further added strong external magnetic fields to these instrumentations, developing and leading to invention of a new ellipsometry methodology – the optical Hall effect. He has demonstrated many original applications and uses of these spectral regions to numerous problems in physics, engineering and materials sciences, as documented within his extraordinarily strong and original publication record.

Examples are atomic ordering in group-III arsenides and phosphides, electron surface accumulation in indium nitride, charge and dopant profile determination in silicon homojunctions, and measurement of the effective mass in numerous contemporary semiconductor materials. Of particular importance is the extension and application of Paul Drude’s electron model to magnetic field situations, where free charge carriers undergo subtle coupling effects with phonon and other bound polariton modes, and which Tino Hofmann has described as the dominant and measurable response mechanisms within the far infrared and Terahertz regions by the optical Hall effect. In his experiments, Tino Hofmann has demonstrated the strength of the ellipsometric technique for testing validity and failure of the classic Drude electron model by measuring the response of free charge carries in both classic as well as in quantum regimes.

The implications from Hofmann’s developments are foreseeable wide and substantial. He has created diverse interest within different communities for using far infrared and Terahertz ellipsometry instrumentation for investigations of research questions in many other fields. Such are for example, investigations of magnetization dynamics in nanostructured magnetic thin films, or the investigation of fingerprints of organic thin films. He has demonstrated sound and very thoughtful understanding of the underlying physical mechanisms that govern the ellipsometric response of materials at very long wavelengths. His body of publication work will continue to serve as a solid source for both the beginning researchers as well as for the experienced colleagues. Tino Hofmann demonstrated upon his achievements his present role as a leading scientist in the development and the application of spectroscopic ellipsometry.

The Paul Drude Award is named in honor of Paul Karl Ludwig Drude (1867 – 1906), who invented and first applied ellipsometry. Reflecting Drude’s work related to the electron-conductivity model, emphasis is also placed on spectroscopically determining and understanding the interaction of light with matter. The Paul Drude Award is presented by the Selection Committee Chairman at a ceremonial session of ICSE, followed by an invited presentation by the prize winner. The Paul Drude Award is given at each International Conference of Spectroscopic Ellipsometry (ICSE) to a young scientist for exceptional contributions to the development and application of spectroscopic ellipsometry. The ICSE‑V Paul Drude Award is sponsored by the J.A. Woollam Co., Inc., and includes a monetary prize of 1000 USD.

Download Application Instructions - Application Deadline March 30, 2010

Paul Drude Award

The Paul Drude Award is named in honor of Paul Karl Ludwig Drude (1867 - ­1906), who invented and first applied ellipsometry.   In addition, Drude’s seminal contribution to the free electron - conductivity model is used widely by the community of ellipsometry researchers.   This award in general will recognize research on measuring and understanding the interaction of light with matter through spectroscopic methods and will be presented by the Chair of the Selection Committee at a ceremonial session of ICSE-V. The award presentation will be followed by an invited presentation by the prize winner. After being instituted first at ICSE-4, the Paul Drude Award will be given at ICSE-V and each of the future International Conferences on Spectroscopic Ellipsometry. The recipient will be a young scientist who has made exceptional contributions to the development and application of spectroscopic ellipsometry.

 

Paul Karl Ludwig Drude (1867 - 1906)


Paul Drude Award Nominations

1. The Paul Drude Award will be given to a young scientist for exceptional contributions to the development and application of spectroscopic ellipsometry.

2. The Award is to be given to one recipient at each International Conference of Spectroscopic Ellipsometry (ICSE).

3. The Award consists of a plaque and a monetary prize. For ICSE-V, the Organizing Committee is the sponsor.

4. The Awardee will be chosen by the Paul Drude Award Selection Committee.

5. Nominations for the ICSE-V Award should be uploaded to the ICSE-V website before the abstract deadline.

6.  Further details and nomination instructions will follow.

Previous Paul Drude Award Winner

2007 ICSE-4 Stockholm                Peter Petrik, MFA Budapest, Hungary