Prof. Saw-Wai Hla

Contact : Clippinger 251 B, Physics & Astronomy Department. Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 45701, USA.

Tel: (+1) 740-593-1727 (office), (+1) 740-593-2951 (lab), Fax: (+1) 740-593-0433, Email: hla@ohio.edu, Web: http://www.phy.ohiou.edu/~hla

Professional Experience:   

* Professor, Physics & Astronomy Department, Ohio University, USA. (2011 - present) [Joint appointment with Argonne National Laboratory, Center for Nanoscale Materials]

* Associate Professor (tenured), Physics & Astronomy Department,Ohio University, USA. (2005 - 2011)

* Visiting Professor, Chemistry Department, Universite Paul Sabatier, and CEMES, Toulouse, France (2010).

* Visiting Professor, Institute of Applied Physics, University of Hamburg, Germany. (2008 - 2009) [Prof. Roland Wiesendanger Group].

* Assistant Professor, Physics & Astronomy Department, Ohio University, USA. (2001 - 2005)

Research:                               

Low temperature STM: Manipulation of single atoms/molecules on surfaces.

Molecular Spintronics:  Molecular kondo effect, magnetic molecules on metal surfaces.

Monomolecular Devices: Single molecule switches, devices and machines.

Alternative Energy: Atomistic understanding of solar energy conversion, bio-inspired solar cells.

Wide Band-Gap Semiconductors: LT-STM studies of GaN surfaces at low temperatures.

*** Representative Research and Popular Press News.***

Education: 

* Member scientist / post doc, Freie Universitaet Berlin, (K.-H. Rieder group) andPaul-Drude Institute for Solid-State Electronics, Berlin, Germany. (1998 – 2001)

* Postdoctoral fellow, TASC-INFM and ELETTRA Synchrotron Facility Trieste, (R. Rosei group) Italy.  (1997 – 1998)

* PhD (Experimental Surface and Thin Film Physics), University of Ljubljana (1997) ( Thesis Title: Nucleation and growth of noble metals on transition metal di-tellurides.)

* DICTP (Diploma in Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics), ICTP, Trieste (1993) ( Thesis Title: Electronic and structural properties of ZnSe/ZnCdSe superlattices.)

* MSc (Experimental Solid State Physics), University of  Yangon (1990) ( Thesis Title: Synthesis and analysis of Y₁Ba₂Cu₃O_7-x high temperature superconductor.)

Awards and Fellowships:               

ICTP scholarship (1992 - 1993)

ICTP-Slovenia fellowship (1994 – 1996)

ICTP TRIL fellowship (1997 - 1998)

Ohio University College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Outstanding Teacher Award (2006)

Professional Association:       

Member of APS (American Physical Society)

Member of IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)

Member of AVS (American Vacuum Society)

Member of ACS (American Chemical Society)

Service:                                  

National / International Service:

- Member: Oak Ridge National Lab and Argonne National Lab Nanoscale Science Center Program Review Committees.

- Member: American Vacuum Society (AVS) Magnetic Interfaces and Nanostructure Division (MIND) executive committee.

- Proposal reviewer: DoE, NSF, NIH, Petroleum  research fund (USA), and European funding agencies.

- Conference organizer:

Special focus section,“SIngle Molecule Nanobiology”, APS March meeting, Los Angeles, CA, (2005),

Special focus session "Methods in Nanobiotechnology", APS March Meeting, Baltimore, MD, (2006),

55th AVS International Symposium, MIND division, Boston, MA (2008),

International Conference on Nanoscale Spectroscopy and Nanotechnology (NSS-5) and Spin-Polarized STM (SP-STM 2), Athens, Ohio (2008),

56th AVS International Symposium, MIND division, San Jose, CA (2009),

27th W. E. Heraeus Seminar on 'Organic and Molecular Electronics", Bad Honaf, Germany (2009),

MRS Spring Meeting symposium on 'Molecular Electronics", San Francesco, CA (2009).

- Referee: Science, Phys. Rev. Lett, Phys. Rev. B, Nano Lett., Surf. Sci., Langmuir, Acc. Chem. Res., Chem. Review, Nanotechnology, Nature Materials. Nature Nanotechnology, Nature Physics.

- Associate Editor:

University Service: Journal of Advanced Microscopy Research

- Reviewer: OU Baker research fund.

- Member: Promotion and Tenure Review.

Departmental service:

- Chair, intermediate and graduate laboratories, Physics & Astronomy Dept., (2004 to date).

- Chair, undergraduate recruiting committee, Physics & Astronomy Dept., (2005 - 2006).

- Chair, Comprehensive exam reform committee, Physics & Astronomy Dept., (2005- 2006).

- Chair, colloquium committee, Physics & Astronomy Dept., (2004-2005).

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---------------------------------------------------Recent Invited Talks                       

Nanomex 2011, Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, Nov 2011.

AMS 2011 (Atomic Scale Manipulation and Spectroscopy of Surfaces and Nanostructures), Atsugi, Japan, Oct 2011.

National University of Taiwan, (Colloquium), Taipei, Taiwan, Oct 2011.

DOE- BES Experimental Condensed Matter Physics Principal Investigator Meeting, MD, USA, Aug 2011.

Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa (Colloquium), Pisa, Italy, Jul 2011.

University of Modena, Department of Physics (Colloquium), Modena, Italy, Jul 2011.

ELETTRA Synchrotron Laboratory (Colloquium), Trieste, Italy, July 2011.

University of Hamburg, Institute of Applied Physics, SPIRES Meeting, Germany, Jun 2011.

FM2011 (Functional Metalorganics), Uppsala, Sweden, May 2011.

Northwestern University, Department of Chemistry (Colloquium), Chicago, IL , USA, Feb 2011.

Purdue University, Department of Physics (Colloquium), IN,USA, Jan 2011.

Frontier of Condensed Matter V (FCM 2010), Buenos, Aires, Argentina, Dec 2010. [Plenary Lecture]

International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) (Colloquium), Trieste, Italy, Dec 2010.

CEMES (Colloquium), Toulouse, France, Noc 2010.

Institute of Solid State Physics (ISSP) (Colloquium), Tokyo, Japan, Nov 2010.

Keio University (Colloquium), Tokyo, Japan, Oct 2010.

Nanoscale Spectroscopy and Nanotechnology 6 (NSS-6), Kobe, Japan, Oct 2010.

University of Pittsburgh, Department of Physics (Colloquium), PA, USA, Oct 2010.

DOE, BES, Electron and Scanning Probe Contractor Meeting, Arlington, VA, USA, Oct 2010.

The Ohio State University, Department of Physics (Colloquium), OH, USA, Oct 2010.

International Conference on Global Core Research and Engineering of Advanced Materials, Osaka, Japan, May 2010.

University of Maryland, Department of Physics (Colloquium), MD, USA, April 2010.

University of North Carolina, Physics Department (Colloquium), Chapel Hill, USA, Oct 2009.

University of Zaragoza, Physics Department (Colloquium), Zaragoza, Spain, July 2009.

13th International Conference on Surface and Colloid Science, Columbia University, New York, USA, Jun 2009.

Christian-Albrechts Universitaet Kiel, Kiel, Germany, Jun 2009.

1st International Conference on Nanomedicine, Hainan, China, Jun 2009.

Technische Universitaet Aachen, (Colloquium) Aachen, Germany, Jun 2009.

University of Hamburg, Department of Chemistry, (Lecture), Hamburg, Germany, May 2009.

Nanotechnology Conference, Monterrey, Mexico, May 2009.

Freie Universitaet Berlin, Institute for Applied Physics (Colloquium), Germany, Apr 2009.

427th W.E. Heraeus seminar, Bad Honaf, Germany, Feb 2009.

PCSI 36 (36th Conference on the Physics and Chemistry of Surfaces and Interfaces), Santa Barbara, CA, USA, Jan 2009.

FCM IV (At the Frontiers of Condensed Matter IV), Buenos Aires, Argentina, Dec 2008.

AVS 55 Symposium (American Vacuum Society 55th Symposium), Boston,MA, USA, Oct 2008.

IMRC XVII 2008 (International Materials Research Congress), Cancun, Mexico, Aug 2008.    

IEEE NANO 2008 (8th International Conference on Nanotechnology), Arlington, Tx, USA, Aug 2008.

ICN+T 08 (International Coference on Nanoscience + Technology, 2008), Keystone Resort, Co, USA, Jul 2008.

Oak Ridge National Lab. (Colloquium) TN, USA, Fev 2008.

ICSPM15 Atagawa, Japan, Dec 2007.

J. Stefan Institute (Colloquium), Slovenia, Dec 2007.

CREST Workshop on Molecular Nano Electronic Devices, Kyoto, Japan, Nov 2007.

Univ. of Central Florida, (Colloquium), FL, USA, Nov 2007.

NanoTX 07, Dallas, TX, USA, Oct 2007.

Georgia Tech, MSE Dept, (Colloquium), GA, USA, Sep 2007.

Scanning Probe Microscopies, Osaka, Japan, Aug 2007.

Spring 8 Synchrotron Facilities, (Colloquium), Japan , Aug 2007.

ICMAT 2007 Conference, Singapore, Jul 2007.

PASI Workshop: Electronic States and Excitations on Nanostructures, Zacatecas,  Mexico, Jun 2007.

Single molecule switches and devices realized by STM manipulation , Materials Science Colloquium, Argonne National Lab., IL, USA, Apr 2007.  

AVS Western Pennsylvania Symposium, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA, Apr 2007.

Institute of Solid State Physics, Tokyo University, Japan, Mar 2007.

Tokyo University, Riken, Department of Chemistry, Japan, Mar 2007.

Japan Physical Society March Meeting, Kyusyu, Japan, Mar 2007.

Atom/molecule manipulation with STM’, West Virginia University (Colloquium), VA, USA, Feb 2007.                                                                

XII Symposium on Materials Sciences, CCMC-UNAM, Mexico, Feb 2007.

Single atom/molecule manipulation and its application to nanoscience & technology, Surface and Interface Science at the Atomic Scale (DoE), Warrenton, VA, USA. Oct/Nov 2006.

Single molecule switches and devices realized by STM manipulation, Trends on Novel Materials, CIAM workshop, Santa Marta, Colombia, Oct 2006.

Single molecule switches and devices realized by STM manipulation, Humboldt University (Colloquium), Berlin, Germany, Sep 2006.

AIST (Colloquium), Tsukuba, Japan, May 2006. ‘’

Molecular devices and machines: STM single molecule manipulation, , CREST workshop on physics of single molecules, Kanagawa, Japan,  May 2006.

Wright State University (Colloquium), Dayton, OH, USA, Apr 2006.

American Physical Society (APS) March Meeting, Baltimore, MD, USA, Mar 2006.

Casee Western Reserve University (Colloquium), Cleveland, OH, USA, Jan 2006.