Benjamin Dwir

Nationality: Swiss

Expertise

Physics of semiconductor (III-V) nanostrustures (especially quantum wires and dots). Electronic properties of DNA. Physics of superconductors. Electron-beam Lithography. Atomic force microscopy. Electron microscopy. Optical spectroscopy and cathodoluminescence

Expertise

Physics of semiconductor (III-V) nanostrustures (especially quantum wires and dots). Electronic properties of DNA. Physics of superconductors. Electron-beam Lithography. Atomic force microscopy. Electron microscopy. Optical spectroscopy and cathodoluminescence

Mission

SCIENTIFIC: My research is focused on low-dimensionality electronic ad optical systems and nanostructures: quantum wires and dots of semiconductor materials, and photonic crystals. I'm studying their fabrication, optical and electronic properties, as well as their combination (e.g. quantum dots in photonic crystals). In past years I have also worked on low-dimensional conventional and high-Tc superconductors and on electrical transport in DNA molecules. IN THE EPFL ASSEMBLY (AE): In my opinion, the AE has the dual task of making sure that all school members participate in the decision processes in the school in a democratic way, but also of being a force of improvement in the school, by putting forward suggestions, proposing improvements to shool bylaws and asking the necessary questions. As a representative of the CI, I am doing my best to defend this large, heterogenous and often ill-used group of senior researchers, post-docs and PhD students. However, I willingly give my support to any good suggestion from other members of the AE. Here are a few highlights among the many subjects, with which I have been involved during the last years of my work as a member of the AE: - Harmonization and improvements of the salaries of PhD students. - Improvemnt of the bylaws concerning professional trips and reimbursement of expenses, especially abandoning the idea of an imposed travel agency. - Supporting the position of EPFL during the budget discussions at CEPF. - Improvement of the rules concerning research contract overheads. - Improvements to the bylaws concerning internal discipline.
Academic title: Dr. Birth date: 24.10.1959 Nationality: Swiss At EPFL since: 1988

Selected publications

Evidence for Enhancement of Critical Current by Intergrain Ag in YBaCuO-Ag Ceramics

B. Dwir, M. Affronte and D. Pavuna
Published in Appl. Phys. Lett., 55, 399 (1989) in

Percolation and Electronic Properties Superconducting YBaCuO-Ag Ceramics and Thick Films

B. Dwir, D. Pavuna, M. Affronte, H. Berger and J.L. Tholence
Published in Jour. of Supercond. 2, 419 (1989) in

A Simple High-Temperature Superconducting Thin Film Optical Bolometer

B. Dwir, L. Pavesi, J.H. James, B. Kellett, D. Pavuna and F.K. Reinhart
Published in Sup. Sci. and Tech., 2, 314 (1989) in

Evidence for Improvement of Critical Current by Ag in YBCO-Ag thick films

B. Dwir, B. Kellett, L. Mièville and D. Pavuna
Published in Jour. Appl. Phys. 69, 4433 (1991) in

A sensitive YBaCuO thin film bolometer with ultrawide wavelength response

B. Dwir, D. Pavuna
Published in Jour. Appl. Phys. 72, 3855 (1992) in

Cross-Sectional Atomic Force Microscopy of Semiconductor Nanostructures

B. Dwir, F. Reinhardt and E. Kapon
Published in Jour. Appl. Phys., 78, 4939 (1995) in

Direct Observation of Localized Excitonic in Quantum Wires by Spatially Resolved Photoluminescence

F. Vouilloz, S. Wiesendanger, D.Y. Oberli, B. Dwir, F. Reinhardt and E. Kapon
Published in Physica E 2, 862 (1998) in

Conductance Quantization in V-groove Quantum Wires

D. Kaufman, Y. Berk, B. Dwir, A. Rudra, A. Palevski, E. Kapon
Published in Phys. Rev. B - Rapid Comm. 59, R10433 (1999) in

Quantized conductance and interband scattering in serially connected quantum wires

B. Dwir, D. Kaufman, E. Kapon, A. Palevski
Published in Europys. Lett. 55, 80 (2001) in

Mixed-dimensionality quantum heterostructures grown in axially-modulated V-grooves

B. Dwir, K. Leifer, E. Kapon
Published in Phys. Rev. B 67, 075302(1-9) (2003) in

Patterning of confined-state energies in site-controlled semiconductor quantum dots

S. Watanabe, E. Pelucchi, K. Leifer, A. Malko, B. Dwir, E. Kapon
Published in Appl. Phys. Lett. 86, 243105 (2005) in

Synthesis of novel poly(dG)-poly(dG)-poly(dC) triplex structure by Klenow Exo- fragment of DNA Polymerase I

A. Kotlyar, N. Borovok, T. Molotsky, D. Klinov, B. Dwir, E. Kapon
Published in Nuc. Acids Res. 33, 6515 (2005) in

Luttinger-Liquid Behavior in Weakly Disordered Quantum Wires

E. Levy, A. Tsukernik, M. Karpovski, A. Palevski, B. Dwir, E. Pelucchi, A. Rudra, E. Kapon, and Y. Oreg
Published in Phys. Rev. Lett. 97 196802 (2006) in

Narrow (≈4meV) inhomogeneous broadening and its correlation with confinement potential of pyramidal quantum dot arrays

K. Leifer, E. Pelucchi, S. Watanabe, F. Michelini, B. Dwir and E. Kapon
Published in Appl. Phys. Lett. 91, 081106 (1-3) (2007) in

High-resolution atomic force microscopy of duplex and triplex DNA molecules

D. Klinov, B. Dwir, E. Kapon, N. Borovok, T. Molotsky and A. Kotlyar
Published in Nanotech. 18, 225102 (2007) in

DNA Nanopositioning and Alignment by Means of Electron Beam Direct Writing

D. Klinov, K. Atlasov, A. Kotlyar, B. Dwir, E. Kapon
Published in Nano Lett. (2007) in

Site-controlled single quantum wire integrated into photonic crystal membrane microcavity

K. A. Atlasov, K. F. Karlsson, E. Deichsel, A. Rudra, B. Dwir and E. Kapon
Published in Appl. Phys. Lett. 90, 153107 (2007) in

Teaching & PhD

Past EPFL PhD Students as codirector

Alexey Lyasota

Courses

Introduction to Metalorganic Vapour Phase Epitaxy of III-V semiconductors

PHYS-747

This course offers an insight into the science of epitaxial growth, a chapter of surface science requiring basic understanding of thermodynamics, crystallography, electronic and optical properties of semiconductors.