Rochester researchers aid Soviet scientists

In laboratories across the former Soviet Union, researchers struggle on despite immense social and political change, a lack of funding for new equipment, and tiny salaries that aren't even paid regularly, requiring them to hold down second jobs to help subsidize their scientific work. In response to this problem, the U.S. government founded CRDF in 1995.

"Scientific research in the former Soviet Union is just a shambles--there's no money left for it," says Fauchet, a professor of electrical engineering, optics, and physics and astronomy and senior scientist at the University's Laboratory for Laser Energetics. "This program is one of the few ways for Soviet scientists to support themselves with their work."

"The monthly salary of up to $350 these scientists will receive for their work seems negligible to us," adds Eberly, who is Andrew Carnegie Professor of Physics, "but it's a small fortune to them."

Fauchet will collaborate with Belarussian scientist Vitaly Bondarenko to study and produce optoelectronic devices by integrating the rare earth element erbium into porous silicon. Since erbium emits light of the same wavelength as is transmitted through optical fibers, Fauchet believes it could be an ideal light source for fiber optic communications. Fiber optic systems rely on optoelectronic devices such as light-emitting diodes and light detectors, which can be used at either end of fiber optic lines to generate and receive the light impulses that carry data.

Eberly will work with Russian scientist Mikhail Fedorov in the study of Rydberg atoms--atoms inflated to 5,000 times their normal size by a dose of energy. Applying strong radiation with a laser has a stabilizing influence on these atoms--exactly the opposite of what's expected. It's this surprising property that Eberly and Fedorov will examine.