EoI MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship - Emerging photovoltaics and optoelectronic devices

Hosting description

The MSCA fellow will develop his/her research at the NFP group facilities (NFP – Nanostructured films and particles, a DGA consolidated group included in Ciber-BBN network).

The activities of the NFP group focus on four research areas:

1) Nanomaterials synthesis,

2) Nanomaterials for energy, environment and security,

3) Novel catalysts and contactors, and

4) Nanomedicine.

The NFP group belongs to the Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragon (INMA), CSIC - Universidad de Zaragoza. INMA is an interdisciplinary research institute devoted to R+D in Nanoscience, Nanotechnology and the study of Materials with readily access to the Laboratory of Advanced Microscopies (LMA) at the University of Zaragoza. The fellow will have access to laboratory space, standard laboratory facilities, advanced nanomaterial synthesis facilities and PV characterization techniques.

The supervisors are ascribed to the Nanomaterials for energy, environment and security area, more precisely in solar energy harvesting technologies. At present, they are working together in a national project EASI (https://easi.unizar.es/) that proposes the assembly of a solar cell device containing simultaneously two types of light harvester materials forming a heterojunction. Specifically, EASI proposes to use hybrid halide perovskite and AgBiS2 nanocrystals. The goal is to extend absorption and improve performance compared to devices including solely one type of these light harvesters. It is expected that the better absorptivity coefficient of AgBiS2 nanocrystals compared to perovskite and its extended to infrared radiation absorption would lead to obtain devices with increased external quantum efficiency beyond 800 nm wavelength also taking advantage of the optimum energy band matching between both materials.

SUPERVISORS

Dr. María Bernechea is permanent senior researcher (ARAID) at INMA. Her research interests focus on the development of nanomaterials for clean energies and processes (solar cells, electrochemical storage systems, and photocatalysis). Since 2017, she is principal investigator of 3 national projects, one in collaboration with a company, and 1 European project (also coordinator). Her work has given rise to several presentations in conferences (3 plenary), the publication of more than 35 articles in Q1 international journals (among them 3 Nature family papers), and 2 patents (US9349888-B2, EP2837038-B1). https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2800-6845

Dr. Emilio J. Juarez-Perez is permanent senior researcher (ARAID) at INMA. His research focuses on the exploration of hybrid perovskite materials for optoelectronic applications since 2013. Coeditor of the book "Hybrid Perovskite Solar Cells. The Genesis and Early Developments, 2009-2014". He was awarded as Young B KAKENHI Principal Investigator fellow including competitive funds from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, and recently co-PI of the EASI-project in the framework of RETOS-2020 in Spain. https://www.emiliojuarez.es/Projects/

RESEARCH LINE TO EXPLORE

We would be interested in developing research projects focusing on state-of-the-art emerging photovoltaics and optoelectronic devices based on hybrid halide perovskite or nanocrystals, their advanced characterization including modelling of materials and/or devices.

POSTDOC PROFILE

We are looking for highly motivated and talented candidates to apply to the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship program with PhD level expertise in emerging photovoltaics (hybrid halide perovskite based or nanocrystals) and related optoelectronic devices.

Please provide a detailed CV and a motivation letter indicating the reasons to join our research group.

Explain the expertise you have reached during your PhD or previous postdoc periods, what you expect from the research activity of the group and the activities of the Institute.