Dr. Francesco Di Stasio obtained a Ph.D. in Physics at University College London (UK) in 2012. He then worked as a research Scientist at Cambridge Display Technology (Sumitomo Chemical group, UK) until he undertook postdoctoral research at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT, Italy). In 2015 he was awarded a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship at the Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO, Spain). Since 2020 he is Principal Investigator of the Photonic Nanomaterials group at IIT after being awarded an ERC Starting grant. Francesco is a materials scientist with more than 10 years of research experience in optoelectronics.

Current research interests and methodology: Nanomaterials for classical and non-classical light-sources: This research activity focuses on the investigation of synthetic routes to obtain highly luminescent semiconductor colloidal nanocrystals and exploit such material in light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Here, we study how chemical treatments of colloidal nanocrystals can promote enhanced performance in devices, and physico-chemical properties of nanocrystals (e.g. self-assembly and surface chemistry) can be exploited to fabricate optoelectronic devices with innovative architectures. Novel methods and materials for light-emitting diodes: The group applies materials science to optoelectronics by determining which fabrication parameter lead to enhanced performance in LEDs. In order to transition from classical to non-classical light-sources based on colloidal nanocrystals, the group is developing novel methods for controlling the deposition and positioning of an individual nanocrystals in the device. Both “top-down” and “bottom-up” approaches are investigated.

Maksym Kovalenko has been a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at ETH Zurich since July 2011 and Associate professor from January 2017. His group is also partially hosted by EMPA (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology) to support his highly interdisciplinary research program. He completed graduate studies at Johannes Kepler University Linz (Austria, 2004-2007, with Prof. Wolfgang Heiss), followed by postdoctoral training at the University of Chicago (USA, 2008-2011, with Prof. Dmitri Talapin). His present scientific focus is on the development of new synthesis methods for inorganic nanomaterials, their surface chemistry engineering, and assembly into macroscopically large solids. His ultimate, practical goal is to provide novel inorganic materials for optoelectronics, rechargeable Li-ion batteries, post-Li-battery materials, and catalysis. He is the recipient of an ERC Consolidator Grant 2018, ERC Starting Grant 2012, Ruzicka Preis 2013 and Werner Prize 2016. He is also a Highly Cited Researcher 2018 (by Clarivate Analytics).

Jaehoon Lim is an associated professor in the Department of Energy Science at Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea. He obtained his M.S. (2007) and Ph.D. (2013) degrees in chemical engineering from Seoul National University. Following his doctoral studies, he served as a postdoctoral researcher at the Inter-university Semiconductor Research Center at Seoul National University (2013–2014) under the supervision of Prof. Changhee Lee, and later at the Chemistry Division of Los Alamos National Laboratory (2014–2018) under the guidance of Dr. Victor I. Klimov. From 2018 to 2020, he held the position of assistant professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Ajou University. His research primarily focuses on the development of nanomaterials, spectroscopic characterization, and their applications in pioneering light-emitting diodes.

Maria Antonietta Loi studied physics at the University of Cagliari in Italy where she received the PhD in 2001. In the same year she joined the Linz Institute for Organic Solar cells, of the University of Linz, Austria as a post doctoral fellow. Later she worked as researcher at the Institute for Nanostructured Materials of the Italian National Research Council in Bologna Italy. In 2006 she became assistant professor and Rosalind Franklin Fellow at the Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials of the University of Groningen, The Netherlands. She is now full professor in the same institution and chair of the Photophysics and OptoElectronics group. She has published more than 130 peer review articles in photophysics and optoelectronics of nanomaterials. In 2012 she has received an ERC starting grant.

Bio Professional Preparation M.S. in Chemistry, with Honours, University of Bari, Italy, 1996 Ph.D. in Chemistry, University of Bari, Italy, 2001 Research interests Prof. L. Manna is an expert of synthesis and assembly of colloidal nanocrystals. His research interests span the advanced synthesis, structural characterization and assembly of inorganic nanostructures for applications in energy-related areas, in photonics, electronics and biology.

We are a multidisciplinary and collaborative research team with the overarching goal to establish structure-function relationships by understanding and advancing the fundamental knowledge rooted in the physics, chemistry and engineering of next generation materials for optoelectronics, sustainable, energy conversion, quantum computing, sensing and environmental preservation. Our philosophy is to develop creative and out-of-the-box approaches to solve fundamental scientific problems and apply this knowledge to demonstrate technologically relevant performance in devices.

Dr Alex Ramadan is a Lecturer in the Department of Physics at the University of Sheffield. Alex did her PhD research at Imperial College London exploring the structure-property relationships of molecular semiconductor thin films. Following this she moved into perovskite semiconductor research for her postdoctoral work at the University of Oxford. At Sheffield she leads the New and Emerging Semiconductor Group and their research looks to develop and understand new semiconductor materials for next generation optoelectronic and devices.

Dr. Thilo Stöferle has been a permanent Research Staff Member at the IBM Research – Zurich Laboratory since August 2007. His current research interests are quantum simulation and quantum fluids, Bose-Einstein condensates with exciton-polaritons, integrated high Q/V cavities, nanophotonic lasers and switches. Another focus is on hybrid nanocomposite quantum materials for strong-light matter interaction and opto-electronic applications.