Laboratory of Infrared Materials and Devices (LIMD) is a subsidiary unit operating under the Faculty of Information Science and Engineering of Ningbo University (NBU) since 2006. This school has the authority to launch Ph. D Program of first-class disciplines in Information and Communication Engineering，Main directions include Wireless Communication and Terminal Technology, Multimedia Communication Technology, Fiber and Infrared Information Technology and so on. Meanwhile, this school is the engineering center of Ministry of Education and has been authorized to launch the most Key Subjects of the Zhejiang Province. Besides, it has been award the “International cooperation in science and technology base” by the Ministry of Science and Technology.
LIMD of Ningbo University was found in July of 2006, formerly known as Joint Research & Development Laboratory of Infrared Materials and Devices (Composed of Ningbo University, Sunny Optical Technology Group and Shanghai Institute of technology and physics of the Chinese Academy of Science). Main research fields of the LIMD is focus on the infrared transmitted Chalcogenide glass (ChG), including IR ChG and glass ceramic, ChG film and wave-guide devices, and ChG optical fibers and devices. Great effort has been made on the basic properties of the ChG, such as optical, physical, chemical, thermal and mechanical properties, and purification technique by LIMD. Much attention has been paid on the ChG bulk glass which can be used for the military/civil infrared thermal imaging. LIMD has developed a series of IR transmitted ChG bulk glass with high quality. The pilot product has been provided to many domestic and foreign customers.
In the past five years, the laboratory has more than 20 ongoing and completed awarded research projects, including a National Basic Pre-Research Program (973 pre-research program) Founded by MOST, six National Natural Science Fund (including two international cooperation program), a Zhejiang Provincial Key Technologies R&D Program, 4 Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China and so on. It has published more than 80 SCI papers, 16 China patents. LIMD has been award a second prize for Progress in Science and Technology of Zhejiang Province in 2007, a first prize for Progress in Science and Technology of Ningbo in 2007 and a first class of Scientific Research Achievement Award of Higher Education Institution of Zhejiang province in 2010.
LIMD has fine conditions for experimental education. The instruments and devices with total price of more than 20 million RMB guarantees the ChG glass preparation, pilot scale experiment, film deposition, fiber drawing, material performances tests, optical and laser experiments. The lab has many international collaborations with famous institutions, such as University of Rennes 1, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Pohang University of Science and Technology, et al. The lab successfully organized the 17th International Symposium on Non-Oxide and New Optical Glasses and the 5th China Symposium on Functional Glasses.
Currently, there are 16 faculties in the LIMD. Among them, there are 7 professors, 3 associate professors, and 6 lecturers (2 Overseas Returnees). 4 staffs have been awarded second class of the “151 Talent Project” of Zhejiang Province. 1 staff has obtained the funds for distinguished young scientists of Zhejiang province. LIMD has now 28 master candidates and 3 doctor candidates.