Laura Herz
Supernumerary Fellow in Physics; Professor of Physics
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Contact information
Teaching
I currently lecture Electromagnetism to first-year Physics undergraduates and part of the final-year option course in Condensed Matter Physics. I am also a co-director of the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Plastic Electronics for which I teach a module on Optical Spectroscopy.
Research
Research in the Herz group explores the fundamental science and applications of semiconducting materials and nanostructures ranging from organic molecules and solids, inorganic semiconductors & nanostructures, to hybrid systems such as dye-sensitized metal oxides and organic-inorganic perovskites. Current work focuses on common themes such as energy and charge transfer, molecular self-assembly, bio-mimetic light-harvesting, nanoscale electronic phenomena and interfacial effects. The group has leading expertize in femtosecond spectroscopic techniques, and applies this to unravel the ultrafast dynamics of excitations in a diverse range of semiconductor and nanostructures. Close collaborations exist with device physicists, theoretical researchers, synthetic chemists and materials scientists in order to advance the development of these novel materials for energy harvesting, with a particular current focus on next-generation photovoltaic cells.
Selected Publications
Photovoltaic mixed-cation lead mixed-halide perovskites: links between crystallinity, photo-stability and electronic properties,聽W.聽Rehman, D.聽P. McMeekin, J.聽B. Patel, R.聽L. Milot, M.聽B. Johnston, H.聽J. Snaith, and L.聽M. Herz,聽Energy Environ. Sci. 10, pp.聽361-369 (2017).
Electron-phonon coupling in hybrid lead halide perovskites, A.聽D. Wright, C.聽Verdi, R.聽L. Milot, G.聽E. Eperon, M.聽A. P茅rez-Osorio, H.聽J. Snaith, F.聽Giustino, M.聽B. Johnston, and L.聽M. Herz, Nature Communications 7, 11755 (2016).
A mixed-cation lead mixed-halide perovskite absorber for tandem solar cells,
D.聽P. McMeekin, G.聽Sadoughi, W.聽Rehman, G.聽E. Eperon, M.聽Saliba, M.聽T. H枚rantner, A.聽Haghighirad, N.聽Sakai, L.聽Korte, B.聽Rech, M.聽B. Johnston, L.聽M. Herz, and H.聽J. Snaith,聽Science 351, pp.聽151-155 (2016).
Ultrafast delocalization of excitations in synthetic light-harvesting nanorings, C.-K. Yong, P. Parkinson, D. V. Kondratuk, W-H. Chen, A. Stannard, A. Summerfield, J. K. Sprafke, M. C O’Sullivan, P.H. Beton, H. L. Anderson, L.M. Herz, Chemical Science 6, pp. 181-189 (2015).
High charge carrier mobilities and lifetimes in organo lead halide perovskites, C. Wehrenfennig, G. E. Eperon, M. B. Johnston, H. J. Snaith, and L. M. Herz, Adv. Mater. 26, pp. 1584-1589 (2014).
Ultrafast energy transfer in biomimetic multistrand nanorings,聽P.聽Parkinson, C.聽E.聽I. Knappke, N.聽Kamonsutthipaijit, K.聽Sirithip, J.聽D. Matichak, H.聽L. Anderson, and L.聽M. Herz,聽J. Am. Chem. Soc. 136, pp.聽8217-8220 (2014).
Strong carrier lifetime enhancement in GaAs nanowires coated with semiconducting polymer,聽C.聽K. Yong, K.聽Noori, Q.聽Gao, H.聽J. Joyce, H.聽H. Tan, C.聽Jagadish, F.聽Giustino, M.聽B. Johnston, and L.聽M. Herz,聽Nano Lett. 12, pp.聽6293-6301 (2012).
Electron mobility and injection dynamics in mesoporous ZnO, SnO2, and TiO2聽films used in dye-sensitized solar cells,
P.聽Tiwana, P.聽Docampo, M.聽B. Johnston, H.聽J. Snaith, and L.聽M. Herz,聽ACS Nano 5, pp.聽5158-5166 (2011).