First-Principles Calculations of the Phonon-Assisted Optical Absorption and Non-Radiative Loss in Optoelectronic Materials<br><b>Speaker: Manos Kiopakis (UM MSE)</br></b>

Speaker: Manos Kiopakis (UM MSE)

Optoelectronic devices, such as solar cells, LEDs, and lasers, have found numerous applications in photovoltaic energy production, lighting, and optical storage. It is thus important to have a good quantitative understanding of the microscopic quantum processes that occur in these devices. First-principles calculations based on density functional theory are a powerful set of computational techniques that can elucidate and predict the properties of carriers in optoelectronic materials. In this talk, I will present the result of first-principles studies of phonon-assisted microscopic mechanisms that define the performance of optoelectronic materials. I will discuss the loss by non-radiative recombination in LED light bulbs, the internal reabsorption of light and loss in green lasers for projectors, and the phonon-assisted optical absorption that enables the operation of silicon solar cells. I will also present research opportunities in my group in the areas of novel photovoltaic and thermoelectric materials for energy applications.