Richard Martel is a semiconductor specialist who has contributed to designing a unique microscope that performs not only optical but also vibrational imaging. The hyperspectral image it produces makes it possible to observe the spectrum of each pixel using photon lasers. He is now developing an equivalent device with electrons for better, quasi-atomic resolution.
This type of spectromicroscope is part of a new generation of instruments that can generate phenomenal amounts of spectroscopic data, but analyzing the data is complex and demanding. The process could be improved by artificial intelligence. There are many applications, in particular in the microelectronics industry (production of lasers and sensors) and, more generally, in the design of sensors that use the quantum properties of electrons to generate a signal.
After earning a Ph.D. in surface science at Université Laval, Richard Martel spent nearly 10 years doing research at IBM in the United States before becoming a professor of chemistry at the University of Montreal. He is the Canada Research Chair in Electrically Conductive Nanostructures and Interfaces.
