Research
Our groups works on multiple research projects, spanning the range from basic Materials Design to applied research across multiple energy-related applications. One energy technology that has been a dominant applied direction over the past years has been solar cells, including photovotlaic and photoelectrochemical energy conversion technologies. More recently, our work extended to other hydrogen generation technologies, Li-ion battery materials, piezoelectrics, structural materials, power electronics, quantum materials etc.
Materials Design efforts include synthesis of previously unreported materials (Materials Search), and understanding why certain prototype materials have useful properties (Design Principles)
Research on solar cells include materials research on new photovoltaic absorber and contact materials (including transparent conductors), and their integration into photovoltaic devices.
Research on battery materials involves model system studies of thin film electrodes and surface modifications of electrodes by coatings
This research area materials research for hydrogen generation and carbon dioxide reduction using photoelectrochemical (PEC) solar cells, and for hydrogen utilization in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells
Materials research in this area involves materials for hydrogen generation by high temperature electrolysis and solar thermochemical water splitting using Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell (SOEC) and Solar Thermo-Chemical Hydrogen (STCH) Cycles
Here, materials research includes both Increasing known piezoelectric materials through materials discovery experiements and increasing our understanding of current material systems through combinatorial studies.
Research efforts related to materials for microelectronics and information science include epitaxial nitrides for superconducting quantum devices, nanoscale heterogeneous chalcogenides for neuromorphic computing, and related topics.
We study wide band gap (WBG) and ultra wide band gap (UWBG) semiconductors for their applications in electronic devices that can operate in harsh environments, such as high-temperature- and power electronics
Other topics of research are structural materials, materials data, combinatorial methods, etc