Biography
Professor Munir Nayfeh received his bachelor's and master's degrees from the American University of Beirut in 1968, and 1970, respectively. He earned a Ph.D. in physics from Stanford University in 1974. He served as a postdoctoral fellow and research physicist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory from 1974-1977, and as a lecturer at Yale University in 1977, before joining the physics faculty at the University of Illinois in 1978.
Following his arrival at the UIUC, Professor Nayfeh developed an active experimental program to study the multi-photon (nonlinear) dissociation of molecules as a means to enhance dissociation selectivity. He was the first to demonstrate isotope separation using this process. He was also the first physicist to examine the behavior of hydrogen molecules in intense laser fields, and his seminal work in this area initiated a whole new area of research in molecular Coulomb explosions.
In the past few years, Professor Nayfeh has pursued two separate lines of research: (1) a theoretical program focusing on the role of classical chaotic dynamics in hydrogen atoms rendered essentially one-dimensional in the presence of very strong dc electrical fields; and (2) an experimental program he has termed "writing with atoms," in which the spatial selectivity of the electric field in a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) is combined with the frequency (energy) selectivity of a laser to deposit fine patterns with nearly atomic resolution on a variety of substrates at room temperature. Dr. Nayfeh was solely responsible for the conception and development of this innovative technique.
Most recently, Professor Nayfeh has investigated the fabrication and the analysis of nanometer-scale structures by employing STM to study hysteresis effects in the formation of matter. This work provides physical insights on the fundamental nature and interactions of solids at nanometer/atomic scales, and it has significant implications for near-term technological applications in nanoelectronics and photonics .
Education
- Ph.D., Physics, Stanford University, 1974
Additional Campus Affiliations
Professor, Physics
Highlighted Publications
- A. Smith, Z. H. Yamani, N. Roberts, J. Turner, S. R. Habbal, S. Granick, and M. H. Nayfeh. Observation of strong direct-like oscillator strength in the photoluminescence of Si nanoparticles. Phys. Rev. B 72, 205307-1-5 (2005).
- L. H. Abuhassan, M. R. Khanlary, P. Townsend, and M. H. Nayfeh. Cathodoluminescence of small silicon nanoparticles under electron-beam excitation. J. Appl. Phys. 97, 104314-1-5 (2005).
- M. H. Nayfeh, S. Rao, O. M. Nayfeh, A. Smith, and J. Therrien. UV photodetectors with thin-film Si nanoparticle active medium. IEEE Transactions on Nanotechnology 4, 660-668 (2005).
- M. H. Nayfeh, S. R. Habbal, and S. Rao. Crystalline Si nanoparticles as carriers of the blue luminescence in the Red Rectangle Nebula. Astrophys. J. Lett. 621, L121-124 (2005).
- S. Chaieb, M. H. Nayfeh, and A. D. Smith. Assemblies of silicon nanoparticles roll up into flexible nanotubes. Appl. Phys. Lett. 87, 062104-1-3 (2005).
Recent Publications
Nayfeh, M. H., Hoang, T., Nayfeh, A., & Rezk, A. (2024). Charging and propulsion of nano siliconin external electric and magnetic fields: Impact on the interstellar dust transport. AIP Advances, 14(8), Article 085009. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0211659
Nayfeh, M., Nayfeh, A., Rezk, A., Bahceci, E., & Alnaser, W. (2024). On silicon nanobubbles in space for scattering and interception of solar radiation to ease high-temperature induced climate change. AIP Advances, 14(1), Article 015160. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0187880
Mantey, K., Rao, S., Nayfeh, A., Palleschi, S., Elhalawany, N., Abuhassan, L., Aldwayyan, A. S., Alsalhi, M., & Nayfeh, M. H. (2023). Enhancement and localization of atomistic polarity and polarizability memory in light scattering upon hydrogenation of luminescent spherical 1 nm Si nanoparticles. AIP Advances, 13(8), Article 085205. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0155056
Nayfeh, M. H., & Nayfeh, A. (2023). Integrated Silicon-Metal Systems at the Nanoscale: Applications in Photonics, Quantum Computing, Networking, and Internet. Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/C2021-0-01381-X
Mantey, K., Morgan, H., Nayfeh, A., Bahceci, E., & Nayfeh, M. H. (2022). Ionization-induced optical heterogeneity and ion-like direct emission in 1-nm silicon nanoparticle grains: Prospect for fast optical modulation. AIP Advances, 12(12), Article 125007. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0122366