Understanding the impact of inter-molecular orientation on the optical proper-ties of organic semiconductors is important for designing next-generation organic (opto)electronic and photonic devices. However, fundamental aspects of how various features of molecular packing in crystalline systems determine the nature and dynamics of excitons have been a subject of debate. Toward...
Organic semiconducting materials have emerged in the last few decades as viable alternatives to inorganics in broad applications from field effect transistors to LEDs to solar cells. Organics provide many benefits over inorganics such as flexibility, sustainability, and reduced cost. However, these materials are more susceptible to degradation in the...
We explore the interactions between charge transfer exciton states (CTEs) and an optical microcavity by testing the effects that cavity resonance has on the CTEs and if CTEs can be coupled with a photon to create quasiparticles known as polaritons. Exciton polaritonics is becoming a booming area of research mainly...
We present on the optical and electronic properties of a fungi-derived pigment xylindein for potential use in (opto)electronic applications. Optical absorption spectra in solutions of various concentrations and in film are compared and are consistent with aggregate formation in concentrated solutions and films. In order to improve film morphology obtained...
Polarization-dependent absorption spectra of two functionalized derivatives of fluorinated anthradithiophene, diF TES-ADT and diF TDMS-ADT, were studied in the crystal phase using a Holstein-like Hamiltonian. For both molecules, the primary contribution to the lowest energy absorption was found to be the S-0-S-1 excitonic transition perturbed by an intermolecular coupling of...
An Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) is an important part of a freestanding bipedal robot's state estimation system.
IMUs return translational accelerations and rotational velocities, which must be numerically integrated to obtain a robot's orientation.
This thesis documents the implementation of the IMU alignment and integration systems for the ATRIAS robot....
Freshwater rearing is a critical period in the life cycle of anadromous salmonids, known to produce carry-over effects mediating long-term growth and survival. Freshwater growth is primarily determined by food availability and temperature. While many species of salmon rear in freshwater for a full year or longer, most trophic ecology...
The umbrella species concept is a single-species conservation strategy built on the notion that indirect protections are provided for multiple species that occupy the same area as a single, or umbrella, species. The utility of the umbrella species concept relies on similar associations of abundance, distribution, life history requirements, and...
Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus: hereafter sage-grouse) abundance and distribution in North America has declined over the last century. Many factors have contributed to this decline, including habitat loss and fragmentation from human development with an associated potential for increased predation. While human development has been connected to lower sage-grouse demographic...
Climate change is a global phenomenon, but natural selection occurs within landscapes. A central tenet of landscape ecology is that mobile species depend on complementary habitats, which are insufficient in isolation, but combine to support animals through the full annual cycle. For coldwater fishes, it is widely assumed that maximum...