Optics research team earns II-IV Foundation funding

Integrated Systems Engineering Professor Allen Yi leads one of just 15 U.S. university research teams to be awarded II-VI Foundation Block-Gift Program grants this year. Yi’s team, including PhD student Lin Zhang, will receive up to $150,000 over three years to investigate and advance precision molding of chalcogenide glass optics.

II-VI Foundation’s Block-Gift Program, established in 2008, seeks to recognize colleges, universities and centers of excellence that are performing important engineering and scientific research. This invitation-only program requires substantial graduate student participation and focus on the student’s education.

In December 2015, Professor Yi was invited to submit a white paper for funding consideration.

Chalcogenide glass contains sulfur, selenium or tellurium, and exhibits numerous unusual properties not found in common glasses. The results of this research will lead to critical changes in the design of the chalcogenide glass molding process, leading to lower cost and higher quality products for U.S. companies. Yi and his team also will pursue innovative applications in industries including telecommunications and biomedicine.

First year project funding totals $47,499. Follow-on funding will be requested to focus on glass-mold interface phenomena and device fabrication and optical system demonstration.

This is the first award that Ohio State has received from the II-VI Foundation, whose mission is to encourage and enable students to pursue careers in engineering, science and mathematics.