Dr. Mark L. Biermann 

Professor of Physics and Chair 

Department of Physics and Astronomy,

Eastern Kentucky University,

Richmond, Kentucky

B.S. and M.S. in Optics- University of Rochester
Ph.D. in Optics - University of Rochester 

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence;
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
- Robert Frost-

Courses That I Teach at EKU:

Research Interests:


Selected Publications

Mark L. Biermann, Daniel T. Cassidy, Tran Quoc Tien and Jens W. Tomm.  Processing-induced
        strains at solder interfaces in extended semiconductor structures. Journal of
        Applied Physics, 101, #11, 114512, (2007).
J. W. Tomm, J. Jimenez, eds. Quantum-Well Laser Array Packaging. Book to be published
        by McGraw Hill Publishers; contributor to one of the chapters in the book.
        Release in October 2006.

Jens W. Tomm, Tran Quoc Tien, Myriam Oudart, Julien Nagle, and Mark L. Biermann. Strain
        Relaxation and Defect Creation in Diode Laser Bars. Materials Science in
        Semiconductor Processing, 9, #1-3, 215-219, (2006).

T. H. Stievater, W. S. Rabinovich, D. Park, Peter G. Goetz, J. B. Boos, D. S. Katzer,
        M. L. Biermann, and S. Kanakaraju. Strain Relaxation, Band Structure Deformation,
        and Optical Absorption in Micromachined Semiconductor Heterostructures. Journal
        of Applied Physics, 97, #11, 114326, (2005).

T. H. Stievater, W. S. Rabinovich, D. Park, J. B. Boos, M. L. Biermann, S. Kanakaraju,
        and L. C. Calhoun. Piezoelectricity in (100) III-V Semiconductors. CLEO/IQEC
        and PhAST Technical Digest on CD-ROM (The Optical Society of America,
        Washington, DC, 2005).

T. H. Stievater, W. S. Rabinovich, D. Park, Peter G. Goetz, J. B. Boos, D. S. Katzer,
        and M. L. Biermann. Using Local Band Structure to Image Strain in Semiconductor
        Microstructures. Applied Physics Letters, 86, 111915, (2005).
        Reprinted in the Virtual Journal of Nanoscale Science and Technology, 11, #11,
        March 21, (2005).

Tran Quoc Tien, Axel Gerhardt, Sandy Schwirzke-Schaaf, Jens W. Tomm, Jens Biesenbach,
        Holger Muntz, Myriam Oudart, Julien Nagle and Mark L. Biermann. Relaxation of
        Packaging-Induced Strains in AlGaAs-Based High-Power Diode Laser Arrays.
        Applied Physics Letters, 86, 101911, (2005).

Jens W. Tomm, Mark L. Biermann, M. O. Manasreh, B. S. Passmore, A. Gerhardt, and Tran
        Q. Tien. Spectroscopic Analysis of External Stresses in Semiconductor Quantum-
        Well Materials. Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings Series, 829,
        (2004).

Mark L. Biermann, Steven Duran, Kelsey Peterson, Axel Gerhardt, Jens W. Tomm, Artem
        Bercha and Witold Trzeciakowski. Spectroscopic Method of Strain Analysis in
        Semiconductor, Quantum-Well Devices. Journal of Applied Physics 96, 4056-4065,
        (2004).

J. W. Tomm, A. Gerhardt, Mark L. Biermann, J. P. Holland. Quantitative Spectroscopic
        Strain Analysis of AlGaAs-Based High-Power Diode Laser Devices.  Eur. Phys.
        J. Appl. Phys. 27, 461-464, (2004).
Axel Gerhardt, Fritz Weik, Tien QuocTran, Jens W. Tomm, Thomas Elsaesser,
         Jens Biesenbach, Holger Müntz, Gabriele Seibold, Mark L. Biermann,
         Martin Behriger and Johann Luft.  Device Deformation During Low-
         Frequency Pulsed Operation of High-Power Diode Bars.  Applied Physics
         Letters 84, 3525-3527, 2004.
T. H. Stievater, W. S. Rabinovich, J. B. Boos, D. S. Katzer, and Mark L. Biermann.
         Laterally Patterned Bandstructure in Micromachined Semiconductors.
         Applied Physics Letters 83, 4933-4935, 2003.
Mark L. Biermann, Matthew Walters, James Diaz-Barriga, and W. S. Rabinovich.
         Characterization of Optical Anisotropy in Quatnum Wells Under
         Compressive Anisotropic In-Plane Strain.  Journal of Physics D:  Applied
         Physics, 36, 2446-2450, 2003.
Mark L. Biermann, James Diaz-Barriga, and W. S. Rabinovich.  An Optical Method
         for Determining Strain Anisotropy in Quantum Wells.  Applied Optics
         42, 3558-3563, 2003.
Jens W. Tomm, R. Muller, D. Lorenzen, Mark L. Biermann, and Joseph P. Holland.
         Quantitative Strain Analysis in AlGaAs-Based Devices.  Applied Physics
         Letters 82, 4193-4195, 2003.
Mark L. Biermann, James Diaz-Barriga, and W. S. Rabinovich.  Enhanced Optical
         Polarization Anisotropy in Quantum Wells Under Anisotropic Tensile Strain.
         IEEE J. of Quantum Electron. 39, 401-403, 2003.
Mark L. Biermann and W. S. Rabinovich. Double Polarization Anisotropy in
          Asymmetric, Coupled Quantum Wells Under ANisotropic, In-Plane Strain.
          Opt. Express 10, 1105-1110, 2002.
Mark L. Biermann, Debora Katz, Robert Aho, James Diaz-Barriga and Jerome
          Petron. Wien's Law and The Temperature of the Sun.  The Physics Teacher,
          40, 398, 2002.
Mark L. Biermann, W. S. Rabinovich, Rita Mahon and G. C. Gilbreath. Design and
          Analysis of a Diffraction Limited Cat's-Eye Retroreflector. Optical
          Engineering, 41, 1655, (2002).
Mark L. Biermann and Nicholas A. Nelson. Using the GPS to Determine the Size
          of Earth. The Physics Teacher, 38, 360, (2000).
Lois A. A. Biermann, Rebecca J. Daws, Helen A. Schumacher,

          and Mark L. Biermann.  Accuracy of Global Positioning

          System Receivers.  The Physics Teacher, March 1998.

Mark L. Biermann and Brent L. Hild.  Image Quality and Simplicity

          In Basic Holography.  The Physics Teacher, October 1997.

Mark L. Biermann and Lois A. A. Biermann.  When the f/#

          Is Not the f/#.  The Physics Teacher, May 1996.

Mark L. Biermann  Clarity, Reality and the Art of Photography.

          Quantum, September/October, 1995.

Mark L. Biermann and C. R. Stroud, Jr.  Wave-packet theory of

           coherent carrier dynamics in a semiconductor superlattice.

           Phys. Rev. B, vol. 47, #7, 1993, 3718.

Web Sites You Might Want to Check Out

Stuff I Like To Do

Send email to Mark Biermann at mark.biermann@eku.edu.

Go to the Eastern Kentucky University homepage.

Go to the EKU Physics Department homepage.


Point of Contact:  Dr. Mark L. Biermann
Revision Date:  August 17, 2006