Our Group

Paloma is a Lecturer at the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Sheffield and the LUMOS group leader. She completed her PhD in Physics at Durham University in September 2018. Her postdoctoral journey includes roles at St Andrews University, the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge, and Durham University before joining Sheffield in April 2023.

Her research focuses on organic (carbon-based) semiconductors, particularly emissive materials for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Her work delves into the optoelectronic mechanisms of these materials to develop energy-efficient devices for applications ranging from advanced displays to biomedical technologies.

She fosters a dynamic, cross-disciplinary, multicultural, and supportive work environment. She serves as the School Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) lead and is an EPSRC WES ambassador, championing women in engineering.

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Stefan earned his BSc and an MSc in Chemistry from the University of Cologne. He obtained his PhD in Physics from the University of St. Andrews. During his doctoral studies, he investigated the photophysics of thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters for OLED applications under the supervision of Professor Ifor Samuel and Professor Eli Zysman-Colman. Before joining the LUMOS group at the University of Sheffield, Stefan worked as a postdoctoral researcher on III–V photovoltaics for space applications at the University of Cambridge. His current research focuses on the device physics of OLEDs at high injection currents, studied using transient electroluminescence. 

Thaisa is a Chemical Engineer from the Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil (USP). During her undergraduate studies, she conducted research on multiresponsive gels based on naphthalene diimide derivatives and completed an academic research internship at the University of Glasgow (UofG). She obtained her PhD in Chemistry through a direct-entry doctoral program (without a prior Master’s degree, awarded based on academic excellence) jointly between the École Normale Supérieure de Lyon (ENSL) and USP. Her doctoral research focused on π-conjugated systems based on naphthalene diimide and viologen derivatives, with emphasis on electrochemical, photophysical, and photoinduced processes in gels and thin films, under the supervision of Prof. Christophe Bucher (ENSL) and Prof. Grégoire J.-F. Demets (USP). At LUMOS, she studies the optical spectroscopy of  self assembly materials in a joint project between Paloma and Prof. Eduardo R. Triboni (USP). 

My project is focusing on near-infrared TADF materials, which includes exploring the photophysical mechanisms of novel materials and using them to fabricate organic LEDs (OLEDs). Additionally, the project entails the optimisation of near infrared OLEDs with biomedical applications in mind.

Since I care about research and work environment, I volunteered to be one of the student representative for PhD students in the Electrical and Electronic Engineering School.

My research project focuses on developing energy efficient and long-lasting OLEDs for various applications,  ranging from displays (RGB) to biomedical devices (NIR). In particular, my work involves OLED fabrication and testing using novel materials such as TADF and radical materials. 

I am a PhD student specialising in the study of "model" organic semiconductors, such as Rubrene (C42H28), which has one of the highest carrier mobility (holes) among this group. My research aims to uncover the molecular state dynamics, utilising a combination of photochemistry techniques and computational modelling to achieve a detailed understanding of these systems.

In addition to investigating the fundamental behaviour of Rubrene, I explore how chemical modifications influence its dynamics, enabling the formation of spin multi-exciton states. These states hold promising potential for applications in room-temperature quantum computing, offering an exciting avenue for next-generation technologies.