#WSGCStudentSpotlight

Trenten Smith
Senior
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
Major: Physics and Mechanical Engineering

Congratulations to this week’s #WSGCStudentSpotlight, Trenten Smith! Trenten is going into his senior year at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse where he studies physics and mechanical engineering. This year, Trenten was awarded an Undergraduate Research Fellowship for his project on the properties of zinc oxide as a semiconductor.

For the past two years, Trenten has been working with Dr. Eric Gansen and other students on preliminary research. This summer, Trenten will be working full-time on his research project entitled, “Experimental Exploration of ZnO Thin Films for Electrically Controlled and Optically Controlled Modulators,” in which he will be exploring the optoelectronic properties of ZnO and ZnMgO. Due to their properties, these semiconductors are a promising material for short-wave optoelectronic devices such as electrically controlled modulators and optically controlled modulators (ECMs and OCMs). Trenten will be using the properties of the ZnO and ZnMgO material systems to design, fabricate, and test multiple-quantum-well-based ECMs and OCMs. Trenten intends to move onto a graduate program in mechanical engineering after graduation this coming year.

Congratulations Trenten, and good luck in your future studies!