Dr Roberto Vadrucci

Spectral downconversion of visible or UV-light, that is the transformation of high-energy light into lower energy radiation, is part of the daily life of most people and is used for a broad range of commercial products. For example, optical brighteners transform ambient UV-light into visible radiation making objects such as fabric, paper or surfaces look bright.

In contrast, efficient solid-state light upconversion materials, that is materials transforming low-energy light into higher-energy radiation, have only been investigated since less than a decade and materials efficiently working under ambient solar radiation are only emerging.

My current research focuses on upconverting materials containing ordered or disordered nanophotonic structures, which have been identified as promising candidates to increase efficiencies at solar light intensities. Furthermore, particular effects encountered in photonic structures can be exploited to create new functional materials therefore widening the scope of solid-state upconverters.

Funding: FNS/SNF Early Postdoc.Mobility Fellowship