Condensed Matter Physics, Department of Physics, Clarendon Laboratory Building, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PU Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Assistant with expertise in the area of new photovoltaics device architectures. The position is available for a fixed term of 12 months from time of appointment. This project is associated with an exciting new EPSRC/UKRI-funded Programme Grantentitled “Advanced Device Concepts for Next-Generation Photovoltaics.”This collaborative project between Oxford Physics, Materials and Chemistry and Liverpool Chemistry brings together expertise in photovoltaic materials synthesis and device fabrication, advanced characterisation and modelling. The ambition for this project is to carry out multidisciplinary research, via inter-linked work streams, that will explore and conceive four new photovoltaic device concepts and paradigms, enabling the next major step-change in photovoltaic efficiency. New devices architectures, concentrator PV, quantum cutting, hot-carrier collection and photon transport, will be explored and enabled by absorber materials based on metal-halide perovskites, silicon, and novel low-band-gap chalcogenide-halide semiconductors, supported by fundamental experimental characterisation and materials modelling. Addressing these future advanced concepts through a holistic approach will enable key scientific discoveries and important major technical advances enabling the next generation of PV technologies for beyond 2030. This role will focus on the development of new device architectures which will enable us to achieve the targeted stability and performance under the differing irradiance conditions. The post will include a significant fraction of thin-film deposition and materials and device fabrication and characterisation. The post holder will make use of the extensive materials and device fabrication and characterisation facilities in Oxford Physics and make use of the National Thin Film Cluster for Vapour Deposition of Advanced Functional Materials. The individual will work closely with other experimentalists, theorists, chemists, materials scientists and spectroscopists working on the project. Applicants should possess or be close to obtaining a PhD in physics, materials science, chemistry or engineering. They should be highly experienced in photovoltaic device fabrication and characterisation and have expertise in using a range of material and device characterisation techniques, including XRD, SEM, PL measurements, and solar cell characterisation. Applicants should be highly motivated and have excellent skills in working collaboratively, as part of a team. A good track record of high quality publications is essential. Having the ability to direct your own research and interpret your results independently is a must. The post-holder will have the opportunity to teach.
