Organic photovoltaics are a promising emerging renewable energy technology due to a number of attractive traits, including the possibility to broadly tune colour and transparency, light weight, insensitivity to the angle of illumination, and very high efficiency under low illumination. Moreover, their amenability for solution processing at low thermal budgets enables the roll-to-roll fabrication of OPV modules, ensuring cost-efficient production in terms of energy and economics.

Requirements

We are looking for creative and motivated PhD candidates, who enjoy being part of a team.

The fellows should hold a Bachelor degree in Chemistry, Physics, Materials Science or Nanoscience, related engineering disciplines, and hold (or be about to hold) a recognized Master degree.

Some experience in materials processing and/or optics/photonics would be an added value.

Details of the positions

1. PhD position on “Improving solar cell efficiency by spectral matching and charge mobility enhancement” (ISOSCELLES)

The candidate will work in the project Improving solar cell efficiency by spectral matching and charge mobility enhancement (ISOSCELLES) within the framework of the Spanish R&D program “Generación de Conocimiento 2021”. This project aims to fundamentally improve the efficiency of organic solar cells for different applications by unblocking the optical/electronic compromise.

Main tasks of the candidate

1. Contribute to automatizing a home build spectrum on demand rainbow light source.
2. Fabricate and characterize organic solar cells in innovative tandem geometries, centered on spectral-matching, as well as charge-mobility studies.
3. Use several techniques for the characterization of the material and photovoltaic properties of the produced materials and devices, including PCE, EQE, LBIC, SCCL, Raman, PL, ellipsometry, etc.
4. Actively collaborate with our partners across different institutions in Europe.

Contract (full time) duration: four years (FPI type contract)

Gross annual salary according to PhD fellowships from the MICINN.
Tentative starting date: flexible, from May 2023 (for candidates having already completed the master) up to September 2023.
Further information (contact person): Prof. Alejandro Goñi (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and Prof. Mariano Campoy-Quiles (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

Closing date for application: 20^th January 2023 or when a suitable candidate is found. However, in the interest of gender equality, this may be extended until the ratio between female and male applicants is reasonable.

2. PhD position on “Combinatorial study of organic solar cells for agrivoltaic applications” (SYNATRA)^a

The candidate will work on the project Synergistic architectures for next gen agrivoltaics incorporating transparent organic solar modules (SYNATRA) within the framework of the Spanish R&D program “Proyectos de I+D+I en Líneas Estratégicas 2022”. The overall objective of SYNATRA is to study, develop and integrate transparent organic photovoltaic modules with tailored light absorption into agricultural structures to stimulate a synergistic co-production of energy and plants.

Main tasks of the candidate

1. Fabrication of pre-solar cells for the prescreening of model plants.
2. Measurements of optical properties for the simulation of light management in transparent OPV modules.
3. Combinatorial screening and optimization of semitransparent cells.
4. Combinatorial study of the impact of semitransparent photovoltaics on model plant growth.
5. Actively collaborate with the project partners, such as Eurecat Technological Centre and the Institute for Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology.

Contract (full time) duration: three years

Gross annual salary in the range of other PhD fellowships from the MICINN.
Tentative starting date: April-May 2023.
Further information (contact person): Prof. Mariano Campoy-Quiles (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

Closing date for application 10^th February 2023 or when a suitable candidate is found. However, in the interest of gender equality, this may be extended until the ratio between female and male applicants is reasonable.

3. PhD position on “Bus Stop Integrated Organic Photovoltaics” (TERRA)^b

The candidate will work on the project Bus Stop Integrated Organic Photovoltaics (TERRA) within the framework of the Ajuntament de Barcelona program “Subvencions per a projectes de recerca jove i emergent 2022”. The overall objective of TERRA is the study, development and integration of stable organic solar minimodules in bus stops for powering light devices.

Main tasks of the candidate

1. Acceleration stability testing of printed organic solar cells through gradients in the parameters of interest.
2. Analysis of encapsulation process and materials.
3. Fabrication of OPV minimodules, and characterisation under different incident angles, light intensities and partially shadowed devices.
4. Study of different substrates for integration of OPV minimodules in a bus stop.

Contract (full time) duration: three years.

Gross annual salary in the range of other PhD fellowships from the MICINN.
Tentative starting date: April-May 2023.
Further information (contact person): Dr. Sergi Riera-Galindo (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and Prof. Mariano Campoy-Quiles (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

Closing date for application 10^th of February 2023 or when a suitable candidate is found. However, in the interest of gender equality, this may be extended until the ratio between female and male applicants is reasonable.

About The Nanostructured Materials for Optoelectronics and Energy Harvesting Group

The Nanostructured Materials for Optoelectronics and Energy Harvesting (NANOPTO) research group focuses on producing and characterizing advanced semiconducting structures with the main objective of understanding their fundamental behavior in order to tailor and improve their functionalities and empower different applications in the areas of optoelectronics, energy harvesting, and sensing.

The group also has a strong background on advanced spectroscopic techniques as well as a broad processing toolkit and an extensive collaboration network with researchers working at the most prestigious international centers, which we intend to nurture.

We value a diverse and inclusive working environment, where all team members would have excellent opportunities for learning and contributing. 

For more information, please visit our NANOPTO group website. 

About ICMAB

The Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC) is a multidisciplinary research center focused on cutting-edge research in functional advanced materials in the fields of ENERGY, ELECTRONICS, NANOMEDICINE and application fields yet to imagine.

The ICMAB is integrated within the Barcelona Nanocluster in Bellaterra (BNC-b), a research network that includes the UAB, the CSIC (ICMAB, IMB-CNM and ICN2) and IRTA, part of the UAB Research Park of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (PRUAB) and the ALBA Synchrotron. The BNC-b aims to share advanced scientific equipment and promote and disseminate nanoscience and nanotechnology.

The ICMAB offers a complete range of scientific services, including a 10,000 class cleanroom (the Nanoquim Platform) that are open to interested parties, whether these are academic or from industry, and it participates in all kinds of educational and promotional activities. Many ICMAB researchers teach at the UAB Master's degree in Nanotechnology and Materials Science as well as on the UAB degree on Nanoscience and Nanotechnology.

How to apply

Interested candidates should send by email to project officer Eulàlia Pujades (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) stating which of the three positions is your priority, and including the following documents:

motivation letter (where you introduce yourself, previous experience in relation to the post and future goals)
detailed CV, including the academic record, and a list of references with contact details

Please, label your documents CV-OPV-XXX.pdf and Letter-OPV-XXX.pdf, replacing XXX by your surname and mention position “PhD OPV” in the email title.

*REMEMBER: Closing date for application: the application process will be closed on

• January 20^th 2023
• February 10^th 2023
• February 10^th 2023

or when a suitable candidate is found. However, in the interest of gender equality, this may be extended until the ratio between female and male applicants is reasonable.

^a«This contract is part of the SYNATRA project (Arquitecturas sinérgicas para agrovoltaica de nueva generación integrando módulos fotovoltaicos orgánicos transparentes) (PLEC2022-009323), financed by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and the European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR» 

 ^bWith the support of Ajuntament de Barcelona