Drs. Baxter and May Awarded NSF Grant

Assistant Professors Jason Baxter (CBE) and Steven May (MSE) have been awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation for the project "Photoexcited Carrier Dynamics in Oxide Semiconductors for Photovoltaics" (ECCS-1201957). The budget for the three year project is $380,000.

Semiconductors made from transition metal oxides are earth-abundant, consist largely of non-toxic elements, and have electronic and optical properties that can be engineered. While this combination of properties makes complex oxides promising candidates for applications in photovoltaics and photocatalysis, a detailed fundamental understanding of how to optimize complex oxides for solar energy applications is lacking. Using a combined approach of advanced materials synthesis and ultrafast optical spectroscopy, Baxter and May will identify promising routes to improve the material properties that are most critical for solar-based applications. In doing so, this project will contribute critical insights needed for the development of a new generation of oxide-based solar energy conversion devices.