Daniel Dougherty

Overview

Professor Daniel Dougherty is a Professor and Director of Undergraduate Programs in the Department of Physics at North Carolina State University. He leads the Dougherty Research Group, focused on experimental condensed matter physics, specializing in surface physics, interfaces, and thin films. His work uses advanced techniques like scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and photoelectron spectroscopy to study carbon-based materials, organic semiconductors, and their interactions with metals/dielectrics.

Education

Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Maryland (College Park). Postdoctoral research at the University of Pittsburgh Surface Science Center and NIST (Gaithersburg).

Research Focus

Research emphasizes characterizing structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of surfaces/interfaces. Key areas include quantum properties of condensed matter, charge transport efficiency in organic electronics, and interface engineering for applications in solar cells, memristors, and spintronics. His group pioneered the Surface Physics Lab at NC State and contributed to the NSF Center for Molecular Spintronics and ORaCEL Lab.

Publications

Recent work includes studies on organic solar cell interfacial energetics, exciton dynamics in CrCl3, and carrier transport in conjugated polymers. Over 80 publications span topics from nanoscale materials characterization to device applications in optoelectronics.

Professional Contributions

• Directed Undergraduate Programs since [year unspecified] at NC State Physics
• Founder of Surface Physics Lab (2008)
• Key member of interdisciplinary research centers

Labs/Teams

Leads the Dougherty Research Group, collaborating with the NSF-funded Molecular Spintronics Center and ORaCEL Lab. Research integrates computational modeling with experimental surface science techniques.