Dr. Steven MayAssistant professor Steven May of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Jason Baxter, affiliated faculty member of materials and assistant professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, have been awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation for "Photoexcited Carrier Dynamics in Oxide Semiconductors for Photovoltaics."
The budget for the three-year project is $380,000 (ECCS-1201957).
Jason BaxterSemiconductors 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 application is lacking. Using a combined approach of advanced materials synthesis and ultrafast optical spectroscopy, May and Baxter 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.