Solar, Infrared and LED experts met to discuss advances in photonic materials and devices at the 2010 International Symposium in Chicago on July 12 and 13. The Quantum-functional Semiconductor Research Center of Dongguk University, the Microphysics Laboratory of the University of Illinois at Chicago and Sivananthan Laboratories Inc. jointly organized.

According to Yesim Anter, Project Coordinator of the Microphysics Laboratory, Ms. Anter, "The goal of this symposium was to bring together a small group of distinguished members of the optoelectronic materials society to interact with each other and listen to the exciting developments in their respective fields first hand. Furthermore, the symposium provided a great opportunity for many students and faculty to do networking with these renowned speakers."

Dr. Chris Grein, Professor of Physics and Director of Graduate Studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago, stated, "The fields of solar and infrared photovoltaics and LED have many common technical elements yet few conferences bring together experts from all three. One of the goals of the symposium was to facilitate the cross-pollination of many ideas that will benefit these technologies."

Dr. Timothy Coutts, Advisor and Senior Scientist at EPIR Technologies Inc, NREL Fellow Emeritus and founder of the Device Development Group at NREL, pointed out, "This year's International Symposium on Optoelectronic Materials and Devices brought together a wonderful group of researchers from the solar, IR, and LED industries. The symposium attendants exchanged ideas that will potentially result in creative new approaches for advancing the state of these technologies."