Finnian Smith
Finnian's PhD research focuses on exploring the interaction between inorganic nanoparticle semiconductors and organic ligands.
Physics PhD student
School of Chemical and Physical Sciences
Profile
I am addicted to football, surfing, and skiing, but I guess I enjoy some science too. My current PhD project has centred around exploring and exploiting the interaction between inorganic and organic material. Specifically, I am focused on energy interactions between nanoparticle semiconductors and organic ligands, like the Forster Resonance Energy Transfer between quantum dots and dye chromophores. By improving our understanding of these energy interactions we hope to develop new types of hybrid nanoparticle semiconductor LEDs and lasers with improved efficiency.
The work is enjoyable and cross-disciplinary, requiring chemical synthesis, device fabrication, Ultrafast Lasing Spectroscopy, Theoretical Quantum Physics, and experimental analysis.
Qualifications
Bachelor of Science in Physics with Honours First Class, University of Otago
Master of Science in Physics with Distinction, University of Otago
Research interests
Quantum physics, materials science, luminescence, and hybrid nanomaterials.
PhD topic
Exploring the interaction between inorganic nanoparticle semiconductors and organic ligands
Supervisors
Dr Nathaniel Davis, School of Chemical and Physical Sciences
Professor Justin Hodgkiss, School of Chemical and Physical Sciences