Thomas E. Wilson,
Ph.D.
Professor of
Physics and Physical Science
Research
Breakthrough (featured on Terahertz
Technology)
I have recently found evidence for a new method of coherent terahertz acoustic wave generation, namely by degenerate acousto-optic four-wave mixing in a terahertz laser-pumped silicon multilayered structure - a “doping superlattice”. The coherent acoustic quanta or “phonons” created by this process form the acoustic analogue of an optical laser! My work may extend ultrasound imaging into the nanoscale, and allow for a diagnostic nanoscale probe of novel thermal electric devices, as well as fundamental research into condensed matter.
My laboratory in S154 is well-equipped for this research, including a custom
cavity-dumped optically-pumped molecular gas laser as stimulus, originally
funded under the DoE Strategic Defense Initiative. For fast and sensitive
phonon detectors, I use superconducting granular aluminum bolometers that I
fabricate at the West Virginia University Physics Departments Shared Research Facility.
While at Marshall, I have received numerous federal grants (in chronological
order [recent first]): NASA, the US Air Force of Scientific Research, the
National Science Foundation, and the US Army Research Office.
Education
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Ph.D.
Physics, Indiana University
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M.S.
Physics, University of Hawaii
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B.A.
Mathematics/Physics, University of Evansville
Honors and Awards
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Named organizer for the 17th International
Conference on Phonon Scattering in Condensed Matter (Phonons 2021), to be held at Marshall University in June
2021.
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John
Marshall University Scholars Award – Summer 2018
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Marshall
University Senior Science/Technology Recipient of Distinguished Artists &
Scholars Award in 2017-2018
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AAPT
Apparatus Competition Winner 2017 for “3-D Printed Kelvin Current Balance”
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Marshall University Senior Science/Technology
Recipient of Distinguished Artists & Scholars Award in 2010-2011
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Marshall
University Charles E. Hedrick Outstanding Faculty Award in 2002-2003
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Research
Fellow, Max Planck Institute au CNRS,
Grenoble, France in 2001-2002
Selected
Publications
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Thomas
E. Wilson, “Evidence for terahertz acoustic phonon parametric oscillator based
on acousto-optic degenerate four-wave mixing in a silicon doping superlattice”,
Phys. Rev. B 98, 220304(R) – Published 28 December 2018.
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Zhi
Liang, Thomas E. Wilson and Pawell Keblinski, "Phonon interference in crystalline and
amorphous confined nanoscopic films", Journal
of Applied Physics, 121(7), 075303 (2017).
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T.
Wilson, K. Korolev and N. Crowe, “Bilayer lift-off
process for aluminum metallization”, Journal of Micro/Nanolithography, MEMS,
and MOEMS (JM3), 14(1), 014501 (Jan-Mar 2015)
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Wilson
T E, Kasper E, Oehme M, Schulze J, Korolev K, "Evidence of Longitudinal Acoustic Phonon
Generation in Si Doping Superlattices by Ge Prism-Coupled THz Laser
Radiation", IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering
68 12008 (2014).
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Wilson
T E, Oehme M, Kasper E, Gossmann
H-J, “Superlattice Ultrasonic Generation”. J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. 278,
012028 (2011).
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Wilson
T E, “Evidence for the generation of coherent pulses of sub-THz longitudinal
acoustic phonons in nipi silicon doping superlattices”, Chinese J. Phys. 49 (1), 118 (2011).
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Wilson
T E, “Fabrication of Robust Superconducting Granular Aluminium/Palladium
Bilayer Microbolometers with Sub-Nanosecond Response”,
J. Low Temp. Phys., 151 (1-2), C22, April 2008. 10.1007/s10909-007-9620-6
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Wilson
T E, “Fabrication of superconducting granular aluminium/palladium
bilayer microbolometers”, J. Phys.: Conf. Series.
92, 012180 (2007).
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T.
E. Wilson, “Modeling the high-speed switching of far-infrared radiation by photoionization
in a semiconductor”, Phys. Rev. B 59 (20), 12996 (1999).
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E.R.
Mueller, T.E. Wilson and J. Waldment et. al. “Generation
of high repetition rate far-infrared laser pulses”, Appl. Phys. Lett. 64 (25),
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Download
these documents here.
Employment History
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1999-present:
Professor of Physics, Marshall University
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1996-1999:
Associate Professor of Physics, Marshall University
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1994-1996:
Assistant Professor of Physics, Marshall University
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1992-1994:
Senior Laser Scientist, UMass-Lowell Research Foundation
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1985-1991:
Assistant Professor of Physics, Connecticut University
Contact Information
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Marshall
University
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1
John Marshall Drive
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Science
Building Rm 153
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Huntington,
WV 25755
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Laboratory
(Photos)
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Science
Building Rm 154
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Phone:
(304) 696-2752
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Fax:
(304) 696-2494
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E-mail:
wilsont@marshall.edu
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URL: science.marshall.edu/wilsont