What is Zhores Alferov known for?
I am best known for my pioneering work on semiconductor heterostructures, which earned me the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2000. A heterostructure is a sandwich of two different semiconductor materials, such as gallium arsenide and aluminum gallium arsenide, with precisely controlled interfaces. By developing the double heterostructure, I showed how to confine electrons and photons in a thin active layer, dramatically improving the efficiency of light emission. This led directly to the invention of continuous-wave laser diodes at room temperature, which are now the heart of fiber-optic communications, barcode readers, and CD players. I also contributed to the development of high-speed transistors and solar cells. My work was not just theoretical; I insisted on building practical devices in the laboratory, because in physics, the most practical thing is a good theory.
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