Associate Professor
Office: 351 Kopchick Hall
Phone: 724-357-7731
Email: John.Bradshaw@iup.edu
Education
University of Pittsburgh, PhD in Physics, 1989
Lehigh University, MS in Physics, 1984
Lehigh University, BS in Engineering Physics, 1982
Field
Engineering
Physics
Courses
PHYS 111 and 112, Introductory Physics
PHYS 121 and 122, Physics Laboratory
Research Interests
The primary focus of my research is mid-infrared materials and technologies, with an emphasis on applications to mid-infrared sources and sensors, particularly chemical sensing of hydrocarbons and air-quality measurements related to natural gas exploration and extraction. Currently, I am pursuing several projects:
- Air quality measurements in the vicinity of the natural gas extraction sites at Beaver Run Reservoir, Westmoreland County
- An external-cavity tunable diode laser for simultaneous measurements of methane, ethane, and other hydrocarbons in the 3.3-3.4 micron wavelength region
- Synthesis and measurement of the electronic properties of HgSe and HgTe nanoparticles
Accomplishments
After a National Research Council Associateship at a US Army Laboratory, Bradshaw became a staff physicist at what is now the US Army Research Laboratory in Adelphi, Maryland, and stayed in that position for 10 years. In 2001, he and four colleagues co-founded Maxion Technologies, Inc. to develop mid-infrared semiconductor lasers for commercial, government, and research applications. At Maxion, Bradshaw served as VP of Product Development from 2001 through 2009 and as a senior principal research scientist from 2009 through 2012. Maxion was acquired by Physical Sciences, Inc. in September 2009 and by Thorlabs in November 2012. Bradshaw joined the Chemistry, Biochemistry, Physics, and Engineering Department at IUP in August 2012.