Join Us

Working with us

Upon joining the Interfaces Lab you will be part of a dynamic, interdisciplinary research group working on a variety of electronic device materials. Most prominently we work on silicon solar cells, which currently account for over 90% of all currently manufactured devices. You will be involved in the development of state-of-the-art techniques for improving the electrical performance of these cells, while collaborating closely with world-leading solar research institutions at Fraunhofer ISE, Freiburg and the University of New South Wales, Sydney. You will be part of a close-knit group of diverse scientists, with several social events throughout the year, and with a mindful attitude towards life-work balance. We encourage our team not only enjoy the thrill and intellectual stimulation of science, but also the inspiring talks in humanities and social sciences, and the exhibitions and events available throughout Oxford. 

The Lab ethos

Climate change has been identified as one of the defining challenges of the next 30 years. In order to move to a low-carbon future, and avoid the worst effects of anthropogenic climate change, continuing reductions in the cost of renewable energy and strong reductions in electricity use are required. One of the most important forms of renewable energy is photovoltaics, producing electricity from sunlight. Sunlight is freely available across the globe and can be scaled from single panels for lighting in developing countries, to rooftop installations for powering residential homes and utility-scale plants feeding megawatts of power into national electricity grids. The Interfaces Lab at Oxford Materials is working on ground-breaking methods to

(i) improve the performance of photovoltaics cells and other optoelectronic devices,

(ii) reduce the cost and improve the manufacturing processes solar panels,

(iii) exploit new materials and fabrications processes to ensure sustainable terawatt solar electricity, and

(iv) provide solutions to the development of ultra-low power computing architectures through quantum technologies and enhanced silicon microprocessors. 

Postdoctoral Vacancies

We don't have any current postdoctoral vacancies. 

If you are interested in applying to a Marie Curie or other independent fellowships, please contact Sebastian.

DPhil Projects

Please see Sebastian's Departmental page for up-to-date information on DPhil projects. A description of the current group members is given in the Team page, and the focus of our research is explained on the Research page. Funding opportunities are advertised on the University DPhil funding pages, or also on our Departmental Website.

If you wish to contact us informally, please email Sebastian. We are happy to discuss projects and applications informally before you submit a formal application for a PhD in the Oxford Materials department.  Please be advised that pre-submission discussions are not a formal application to graduate studies. If you wish to apply for a place to conduct a doctorate in the Department, you must submit a formal application through the Oxford University applications system, before we can assess it and give you a decision. 

Part II Projects

We are always interested to hear from undergraduates in Oxford Materials who would like to do a Part II project in the Electronic Interfaces Lab. Please see the Research page to obtain information on our areas of work, and feel free to contact Sebastian for enquiries.

Internships and academic visitors

Every year we have a number of summer projects that get filled in on a first come, first served basis. If you wish to be considered for these projects, please email Sebastian.