Prof. Yong-Ho Ra is an Associate Professor at the Department of Advanced Materials Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Republic of Korea. His research focuses on the epitaxial growth of III-nitride materials, design of nanostructures, and development of nano-optoelectronic systems for solar-driven hydrogen production. He has extensive experience in photoelectrochemical systems and photocatalysis, aiming to enhance efficiency through advanced nanomaterials. Prior to his current position, he conducted postdoctoral research at McGill University and worked at the Korea Institute of Ceramic Engineering & Technology. His contributions span material synthesis, device fabrication, and interdisciplinary approaches for clean energy technologies.
Jeonbuk National University | South Korea
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Educational Background
Prof. Ra completed his entire higher education at Jeonbuk National University, Korea. He earned his Ph.D. in Electronic Information Materials Engineering in 2014, following his M.S. in 2010, and his B.S. in 2008, all in the same field. His academic path reflects a consistent and focused pursuit of excellence in materials science and nanotechnology.
Research Activities
Prof. Ra’s research is centered on the epitaxial growth and synthesis of III-nitride materials using MOCVD (Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition) and MBE (Molecular Beam Epitaxy) techniques. His work is instrumental in optimizing photoelectrode performance for solar-driven water splitting and hydrogen production. He focuses on designing nanowire, nanorod, and quantum dot structures that enhance charge separation in photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical (PEC) hydrogen generation systems. In addition, he is actively involved in the development of nano-optoelectronic devices integrated with redox-active systems to enable efficient and stable light-driven hydrogen production.
Professional Experience
Since 2021, Prof. Ra has held the position of Associate Professor at Jeonbuk National University. Prior to this, he worked as a Senior Researcher at the Korea Institute of Ceramic Engineering & Technology (KICET) from 2018 to 2021, where he led various advanced materials projects. Between 2014 and 2017, he was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering at McGill University, Canada, where he further developed his expertise in semiconductor materials and device engineering.
Professional Engagement
Prof. Ra plays an active role in the global scientific community. He serves as the Director of Academic Affairs for the Global Conference on Innovation Materials (GCIM) under the Korean Materials Research Society (K-MRS) and is deeply involved in China-Korea collaborative workshops. He is an Editorial Board Member for Progress in Quantum Electronics (Elsevier), and a Guest Editor for Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing. He regularly reviews for top-tier journals such as Advanced Materials, Nano Letters, ACS Nano, Nano Energy, and many others.
Technical Expertise
Prof. Ra is skilled in advanced thin film synthesis techniques such as MOCVD, MBE, DC/RF sputtering, and plasma-enhanced CVD. His expertise extends to device fabrication tools like e-beam lithography, photolithography, and dry/wet etching, along with characterization techniques including FE-SEM, TEM, XRD, Raman spectroscopy, AFM, XPS, and SIMS. His work is supported by software tools like FDTD simulation, COMSOL Multiphysics, AutoCAD, and Origin.
Research Interests
Prof. Ra’s primary areas of research include III-nitride semiconductors, nanowires and quantum dots, optoelectronic devices, solar hydrogen production via PEC and photocatalysis, and surface/interface passivation. His interdisciplinary work bridges materials science, nanotechnology, and energy engineering, contributing to sustainable solutions for future energy needs.
Professional Memberships
He is an active member of the Korean Materials Research Society (K-MRS) and the IEEE Photonics Society, contributing to the development of cutting-edge research and fostering international collaboration.
Notable Publications
Full-color single nanowire pixels for projection displays
Author(s): Yong-Ho Ra, Renjie Wang, Steffi Y. Woo, Mehrdad Djavid, Sharif Md Sadaf, Jaesoong Lee, Gianluigi A. Botton, Zetian Mi
Journal: Nano Letters
Year: 2016
An AlGaN core–shell tunnel junction nanowire light-emitting diode operating in the ultraviolet-C band
Author(s): Sharif Md Sadaf, S. Zhao, Y. Wu, Yong-Ho Ra, X. Liu, S. Vanka, Zetian Mi
Journal: Nano Letters
Year: 2017
Single nanowire light-emitting diodes using uniaxial and coaxial InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells synthesized by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition
Author(s): Yong-Ho Ra, Rangaswamy Navamathavan, Hee-Il Yoo, Cheul-Ro Lee
Journal: Nano Letters
Year: 2014
Coaxial InₓGa₁₋ₓN/GaN Multiple Quantum Well Nanowire Arrays on Si(111) Substrate for High-Performance Light-Emitting Diodes
Author(s): Yong-Ho Ra, Rangaswamy Navamathavan, Ji-Hyeon Park, Cheul-Ro Lee
Journal: Nano Letters
Year: 2013
Alternating-current InGaN/GaN tunnel junction nanowire white-light emitting diodes
Author(s): Sharif Md Sadaf, Yong-Ho Ra, H.P.T. Nguyen, Mehrdad Djavid, Zetian Mi
Journal: Nano Letters
Year: 2015
An electrically pumped surface-emitting semiconductor green laser
Author(s): Yong-Ho Ra, Roksana Tonny Rashid, Xianhe Liu, Sharif Md Sadaf, Kishwar Mashooq, Zetian Mi
Journal: Science Advances
Year: 2020