Energy Transfer at the Nanoscale

PhD position available from October 2011 to undertake frontier research in nanotechnology of noble metal nanoparticles.

Energy transfer is one of the most fundamental processes on the molecular scale, governing light-harvesting in biological systems and energy conversion in electronic devices such as organic solar cells or light-emitting diodes. This project aims to investigate the energy transfer between fluorescence dyes and metal nanoparticles for potential applications in biosensors, solar cells and nanoscale light sources. This is a multidisciplinary project, involving state-of-the-art optical and electron spectroscopy and microscopy at the interface of nanotechnology and life science.

The student will be based in Photophysics Group in the Department of Physics, with access to outstanding laboratories and facilities, including the Centre of Molecular Nanometrology. This centre was launched jointly by the Department of Physics and the Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry with £2M investment in 2005 and has been awarded a further £5M under the EPSRC Science and Innovation Initiative. The centre has strong collaborations with other research groups, industry and biomedical practitioners.

The applicant should have, or expected to receive, a first class honours degree or an MSc in physics, chemistry, or a related subject. Outstanding applicants are encouraged to apply for SUPA studentships – fully funded prize PhD studentships that cover tuition fees and maintenance.

Informal enquires may be directed to Dr. Yu Chen ([Email Address Removed]). Formal applications can be made through online application (http://www.strath.ac.uk/studying/prospective/admissions/postgraduate/).