The institute: The Institute of Physics was founded in 1954 from the Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and the Laboratory for Experimental and Theoretical Physics of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, which were founded in 1953. In 1979, it merged with the Academy's Laboratory of Low Temperature Physics and the Institute of Solids State Physics (which was previously the Physical Research Laboratory of Skoda Works). In the field of condensed systems and material research, the institute is focused on crystalline and amorphous materials, alloys, liquid crystals, polymers, nanostructures and layers of various materials. Recently an activity in semiconductor spintronic Ga(Mg)As materials has been started. In the classical optics the institute develops new imaging and light concentrating systems, including the x-ray optics and spectrometry. Laser physics is directed to shaping and shortening of the laser pulse and improvement of beam quality. The quantum optics is aimed at studies of states with a defined number of photons and of coherent states in linear and non-linear optical systems having in view e. g. the quantum cryptography. The MOVPE laboratory (Metal-Organic Vapour Phase Epitaxy) of the Semiconductor department collaborates with high-level research organisations in the Czech republic (Charles University, Chemical Tech. University in Prague, Czech Technical University, Masaryk University in Brno, Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry of CAS) and in Europe with organisations well known in the field (Ioffe Physicotechnical Institute in St. Petersburg, WSI of TU München (in EU project: Porous Si), University of Montpellier 2 (in EU projects ADMIRAL and GLADIS), Fraunhofer Institutes, Institute of Electron Technology in Warsaw, etc).

The resources: MOVPE laboratory will be responsible for the Czech part of the project. The laboratory is composed of 9 high level researchers specialised in growth and characterisation of GaAs and GaSb based AIIIBV semiconductor materials prepared from organometallic compounds. A wide range of characterisation techniques (optical - EL, PL, MPL, reflectivity, and spectral measurement as well as electrical - Hall, DLTS, CV) have been developed during the past few years and many research organisations in the Czech Republic have started their own programmes based on MOVPE (Aixtron 200) generated structures. During last projects equipment for accelerated ageing of semiconductor lasers at elevated temperatures was developed. One PhD student and one Postdoc, currently working in the laboratory, will contribute to the characterisations that will be performed for the project.

The role in the project: The role of IOP in project is to adapt (for longer wavelengths) and to use laser degradation equipment for assessment (estimation) of VCSEL lifetime. As a coordinator of WP4-Characterisation we will coordinate all fundamental optical and electrical measurements and provide necessary test measurements. Together with subcontractor Prof. Humlicek we will be measuring reflectivity of the Bragg mirrors. Together with subcontractor Dr. Civis we will provide screening of possible application of spectroscopy and some exact and fine measurement of changes of VCSEL spectral parameters during degradation. Together with subcontractor Prof. Chobola we will be measuring noise properties of lasers during their lifetests and degradation.