Welcome to the Engineering Photonics Research Laboratory (EPRL)

Our Mission

Research and development of next generation photonic devices and systems to resolve future engineering challenges in information technologies, energy, environment, security, and healthcare.

About us

The Engineering Photonics Research Laboratory (EPRL) at Oregon State University (OSU) was founded in September 2011, previously named Micro- and Nano-Photonics Research Group. Our lab is the leading research laboratory in Oregon developing cutting-edge nanophotonic devices and integrated photonic devices with focus on resolving many engineering challenges that can impact our future life. The EPRL is directed by Prof. Alan X. Wang, who worked in photonics industry for more than four years before he joined Oregon State University. Our on-going research activities are sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute (ONAMI), the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) of the Department of Energy, and industrial sponsors such as Hewlett Packard, and Marine Polymer Technologies. Our lab has developed broad collaborations within the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), College of Engineering at OSU, as well as external collaborations with other U.S. universities and industries.

The EPRL is equipped with state-of-the-art commercial and custom instruments to characterize photonic materials and devices, including various lasers, photodetectors, spectrum analyzers, optical tables and waveguide coupling systems. The EPRL has full access to the Owen Cleanroom and the Electron Microscopy Facility at OSU for nanophotonic device fabrication, such as e-beam lithography, laser lithography, reactive ion etching, focused ion beam, and thin film sputtering. We are highly interested in collaborating with industry in Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) projects. To learn about our research or to partner with us, please contact Prof. Alan Wang at wang@oregonstate.edu

Research Areas

  • Nano-photonic devices: photonic crystals and surface plasmonics
  • Energy-efficient photonic devices for board-to-board and chip-to-chip optical interconnects
  • Bio-inspired and bioenabled photonic materials, devices, and optofluidic systems
  • Optical biosensors using surface-enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS), fluorescence, and infrared absorption
  • Active photonic devices integrating emerging optical materials: electro-optic polymer, third-order nonlinear polymer, and transparent conductive oxides
  • Free space optical communication system