I am interested in the development of new materials and measurement tools for
solid-state energy conversion applications. On the materials side, I
am most interested in multicomponent materials, whether as binary nanocrystal
superlattices, incorporating quantum dots into conducting polymers, or as multilayer
thin films. By creating multicomponent materials out of well-characterized
subunits, I hope to create novel composite materials with properties not currently
existing in nature.
On the measurement side, I am currently most interested
in studying the processes of charge and heat transport
in solid-state devices. Most of the intuition
we have developed for the operation of these materials is rooted in continuum
transport models, however, what happens to heat transport when the active layers
are less than an average mean free path? How does the physics of charge
transport change in a p-n junction when the system size is smaller than
a typical depletion length?
Currently, I have active projects in the areas of thermoelectrics,
photovoltaics, and energy level alignments at nanoscale
interfaces. I will also be initiating
new projects in solid-state gas storage.
