Lorenzo Pavesi is Professor of experimental physics at the university of Trento (Italy). Born the 21st of november 1961, he received his master degree in physics in 1985 at the university of trento and the phd in physics in 1990 at the ecole polytechnique federale of lausanne (switzerland). in 1990 he became assistant professor, an associate professor in 1999 and full professor in 2002 at the university of trento. He founded the research activity in semiconductor optoelectronics at the university of trento and started several laboratories of optical spectroscopy, growth and advanced treatment of materials. during the last years, he concentrated on Si-based optoelectronics where he has been working on porous silicon and on silicon nanostructures. Among his most important recent achievements the fabrication of Si led in a fully CMOS compatible environment, the first evidence of optical gain and stimulated emission in Si quantum dot nanocrystals, the observation of photonic Bloch oscillations, all of these results opened the way to a Si-based optoelectronics and to the future fabrication of a Si-based laser. He organized several international conferences, workshops and schools and is a frequent invited speaker. He manages several research projects, both national and european. He is an author or co-author of more than 200 papers, author of 1 book, several reviews, editor of 6 books and holds two patents.

Gerard GUILLOT is Professor of Electronic Materials at the National Institute of Applied Sciences (INSA) of Lyon (France). Born the 13^th of March 1947, he received his engineer diploma in material sciences at INSA Lyon in 1969 and the Doctorat d'Etat in Physics at INSA in 1976. He became associate professor in 1976. He became full professor in 1991at INSA Lyon in the Department of Material Sciences. He started research on deep levels in III-V semi conductors. At present he is Head of Laboratoire de Physique de la Matière (LPM) at INSALyon. He is presently working on the areas of III-V and Si heterostructure and nanostructure materials for microoptoelectronics and related devices and on SIC material and devices. A part of his laboratory works on porous Silicon and Si based optoelectronics (SOI photonic IC). He organized several international conferences and works hops and manages several research projects both national and European. He is author or co-author of more than 350 papers in the fields of semi conductor physics and devices.