Personnel
New Heisenberg professor researches innovative semiconductor materials
Prof Dr Selina Olthof // Photo Friederike von Heyden
"I was involved in the production and investigation of new types of semiconductor materials that have the potential to make technology applications such as solar cells, light-emitting diodes or transistors more cost-effective or energy-efficient," explains Selina Olthof.
The 43-year-old and her team are using special measuring methods to investigate how the surfaces of new types of semiconductor materials behave and how the composition or chemical bonds can be changed here. "We want to use this knowledge to better understand how production and processing influence the material properties," explains Olthof. Her aim is to link these findings directly to the performance of components such as solar cells or light-emitting diodes. To this end, she is working closely with experts at the BUW and with international research partners.
About the person
After studying physics at the University of Stuttgart, Selina Olthof completed her doctorate at TU Dresden and gained international research experience at Princeton University, the University of Cologne and as a visiting professor in China and Dresden. Her outstanding scientific achievements have earned her the Gaede Prize of the German Physical Society, the Heß Prize of the University of Regensburg and now the honour of Heisenberg Professor.
Background
The Heisenberg Professorship is a funding programme of the German Research Foundation (DFG). It is aimed at outstanding researchers who have already distinguished themselves through excellent research and independent scientific achievements and would like to qualify for a permanent professorship. The programme enables recipients to take up a professorship at a German university, which is initially funded by the DFG.
