Applied Physics and Materials Research

Centre Overview

The Applied Physics and Materials (APM) research grouping in the Department of Physics combines a newly formed effort in Sustainable Advanced Materials (the Sêr SAM Program) with Nanomaterials & Biospectroscopy and Biomimetics. The research of the APM group is predominantly experimental with additional supporting simulation and theory efforts. It is highly multidisciplinary spanning fundamental and applied research in areas such as solar energy conversion, sensing, photodetection, bioelectronics, low embodied energy semiconductors and ancillary electronic materials, nanoscale characterisation, biomimetic materials, bioimaging, biospectroscopy and cancer detection.

The APM group collaborates with colleagues from across the departments of Science, Engineering and Medicine, and has close links with regional and national industries and government organisations. APM activities are funded from a diverse range of sources including RCUK, Welsh European Funding Office, Cancer Research UK, Cancer Research Wales and Innovate UK. APM research has led to the spin-out of several start-up companies and has strong ties to the University’s Centre for Nanohealth facility which incorporates our state-of-the-art laboratories. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the research, our diverse research staff and students come not only from Physics, but also from Chemistry, Materials Science, Electrical Engineering and Biophysics.

The new Sêr SAM programme funded by the Welsh Government and European Regional Development Fund focuses on the physics of advanced materials with low embodied energy for applications in optoelectronics and bioelectronics. Particular areas of interest and expertise are next generation semiconductors, hybrid conducting electronic-ionic materials, photodetection and solar energy.

Associated Research Projects

Scaling up of solution-processed optoelectronic devices
Device Physics of Next-Generation Optoelectronic Devices
Optics and Materials of Advanced Organic Solar Cells
Performance Metrics of Organic Photodetector
Non-Linear Optical Current Spectroscopy (NLOCS)
Electro-modulated Photoluminescence Quantum Yield (EMPLQY)
Time Resolved Photoluminescence and Exciton-Exciton Annihilation
Anomalous Exciton Quenching in Organic Semiconductors in the Low-Yield Limit
Opto-Electrical Interactions in Next Generation Semiconductor Thin Films and Devices
Advanced Functional Coatings for Integrative Semiconductor Materials and Devices
Charge Generation and Recombination of Next Generation Thin Film Optoelectronic Devices
Improving the Efficiency of Transparent Conducting Electrodes for Use in Opto-Electronics by Utilisation of a Novel Grid Architecture
Charge-generating Mid-gap Trap States Define the Thermodynamic Limit of Organic Photovoltaic Devices

Affiliated Staff

Postdoctoral researchers:

Dr Gregory Burwell
Dr Sandra Bustamente-Lopez
Dr Rhys Jenkins
Dr Cerys Jenkins
Dr Wei Li
Dr Jersson Placido (Medicine)
Dr Oskar Sandberg

Collaborative / Industry Partners

The CS Connected Cluster

IQE Ltd

SPTS Ltd

Newport wafer Fab Ltd

Brisbane Materials Technology Pty Ltd

Imperial College London

Cambridge University

Oxford University

University of New South Wales

University of Queensland

Sydney University

Potsdam University

Université Grenoble Alpes

Texas A&M University

University of Missouri Columbia

NHS Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board

CanSense Ltd

CEA, INAC/SPrAM, Université Grenoble Alpes

Siemens Healthineers

Collaborative / Engagement Opportunities

Highlight how centre/group can work with or support external organisations

The APM group can support external organisations by:

The provision of bespoke R&D services
Partnership on major funding programs
Fee-for-service and consultancy for bespoke measurements and instrument design
Material characterisation for process control
Device prototyping
Electro-optics device simulations and refractive index determination

Research Centres / Groups

System and Process Engineering (Swansea University, Engineering)

Centre for Nanohealth (Swansea University)

SPECIFIC (Swansea University)

Latest Research News

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08mp2kc

http://www.rsc.org/events/detail/30931/science-and-the-assembly-gwyddoniaeth-a-r-cynulliad

Publications

Sêr SAM Publications can be found at: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9049-7414

Publications for Sêr SAM Publications can also be found here: https://www.advmaterswansea.co.uk/publications

Publications in Nanomaterials and Biospectroscopy can be found at: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4337-4307

Selected recent publications include:

1. “LED technology breaks performance barrier”, P. Meredith & A. Armin, Nature, 562, 197-198 (2018).

2. “Accurate characterization of next generation thin film photodetectors”, Y. Fang, A. Armin, P. Meredith & J. Huang, In Press, Nature Photonics, doi.org/ NPHOT-2018-06-00806B (2018).

3. “Visualizing and suppressing interfacial recombination in high efficiency large area pin-perovskite solar cells”, M. Stolterfoht, C.M. Wolff, S. Zhang, J.A. Márquez Prieto, C.J. Hages, T. Unold, S. Albrecht, P.L. Burn, P. Meredith & D.Neher, Nature Energy, doi.org/10.10.38/s41560-018-0219-8 (2018).

4. “The photo-reactive free radical in melanin”, A.B. Mostert, S.B. Rienecker, C. Noble, G.R. Hanson & P. Meredith, Science Advances, 4(3), eaaq1293 (2018).

5. "Hybrid nanowire ion-to-electron transducers for integrated bioelectronic circuitry", D.J. Carrad, A.B. Mostert, A.R. Ullah, A.M. Burke, H.J. Joyce, H.H. Tan, C. Jagadish, P. Krogstrup, J. Nygard, P. Meredith & A.P. Micolich,

Nanoletters, 17(2), 827-833 (2017).

6. "Solution-processed semiconductors for next-generation photodetectors", F.P. García de Arquer, A. Armin, P. Meredith & E.H. Sargent, Nature Reviews Materials, 2, 16100 (2017).

7. "Slower carriers limit charge generation in organic semiconductor light harvesting systems", M. Stolterfoht, A. Armin, S. Shoaee, I. Kassal, P.L. Burn & P. Meredith, Nature Communications, 7, 11944 (2016).

8. "Long-range proton conduction across free-standing serum albumin mats", N. Amdursky, X. Wang, P. Meredith, D.D.C. Bradley & M.M. Stevens, Advanced Materials, 28(14), 2692-2698 (2016).

9. “Filterless, narrowband RGB photodetectors”, Q. Lin, A. Armin, P.L. Burn & P. Meredith, Nature Photonics, 9, 687-694 (2015); also News and Views “Optoelectronics: Colour-selective photodiodes”, M.B. Johnston, Nature Photonics, 9, 634-636 (2015).

10. "Low noise, IR-blind organohalide perovskite photodiodes for visible light detection and imaging", Q. Lin, A. Armin, D.M. Lyons, P.L. Burn & P. Meredith, Advanced Materials, 27(12), 2060-2064 (2015)..

11. "Narrowband light detection via internal quantum efficiency manipulation of organic photodiodes", A. Armin, R. D. Jansen-van Vuuren, N. Kopidakis P. L. Burn & P. Meredith, Nature Communications, 6, 6343 (2015).

12. "Efficient, large area, and thick junction polymer solar cells with balanced mobilities and low defect densities." A. Armin, M. Hambsch, P. Wolfer, H. Jin, J. Li, Z. Shi, P. L. Burn, and P. Meredith, Advanced Energy Materials, 5, 1401221 (2015).

13. "Electro-optics or perovskite solar cells", Q. Lin, A. Armin, R.C.R. Nagiri, P.L. Burn & P. Meredith, Nature Photonics, 9, 106-112 (2015).

14. Jenkins, C., Lewis, P., Dunstan, P. & Harris, D. (2016). Role of Raman spectroscopy and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy in colorectal cancer. World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology 8(5), 427

https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa27130 doi:10.4251/wjgo.v8.i5.427

15. Williams, A., Flynn, K., Xia, Z. & Dunstan, P. (2016). Multivariate spectral analysis of pH SERS probes for improved sensing capabilities. Journal of Raman Spectroscopy

https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa26714 doi:10.1002/jrs.4910

16. Aldakov, D., Chappaz-Gillot, C., Salazar, R., Delaye, V., Welsby, K., Ivanova, V. & Dunstan, P. (2014). Properties of Electrodeposited CuSCN 2D Layers and Nanowires Influenced by Their Mixed Domain Structure. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 118(29), 16095-16103.

https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa20594 doi:10.1021/jp412499f

Project Contact

Enquiries should be directed to:

Professor Peter Dunstan for Nanomaterials & Biospectroscopy (p.r.dunstan@swansea.ac.uk )

Professor Ken Meissner for Biomimetics (k.meissner@swansea.ac.uk )

Professor Paul Meredith for Advanced Materials & Optoelectronics (paul.meredith@swansea.ac.uk)