Richard R. King

CV        Publications
Richard R. King, Professor in the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering at Arizona State University, received his Ph.D. and M.S. in electrical engineering from Stanford University, and his B.S. degree in physics, also from Stanford. His research on photovoltaics over the last 30 years has explored defects and recombination in compound semiconductors, silicon and compound semiconductor interface passivation, metamorphic III-V materials, dilute nitride GaInNAs, sublattice ordering, high-transparency tunnel junctions, and high-efficiency multijunction solar cells with 3 to 6 junctions. In 2006, this work led to the first solar cell of any type to reach over 40% efficiency. Dr. King is recipient of the 2010 William R. Cherry Award given by the IEEE for “outstanding contributions to photovoltaic science and technology.” He is an IEEE Fellow, a co-founding editor of the IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, and served as general chair for the 40th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference in Denver, CO in 2014.  

Eric Y. Chen

Research interests  •  Front and back reflectors to enable high efficiency photovoltaic converters •  External radiative efficiency measurements  •  Time-resolved spectroscopic characterization for high efficiency solar cells
Outside the lab  •  Photography (nature, people, places)  •  Swing dancing •  DJing/making mixes

Abhinav Chikhalkar

Research interests  •  Understanding the structure and properties of grain boundaries in polycrystalline thin-film compound semiconductors for solar cells  •  Defect state density and recombination at semiconductor interfaces  
Outside the lab  •  Technology to help humankind live in harmony with the ecosystem we are a tiny part of  •  New ideas/ philosophy/sustainable development  •  Hiking, chess, puzzles, cooking

Madhan Arulanandam

Research interests  •  Thermophotovoltaic cells with very high back surface reflectance •  III-V solar cell processing and growth  •  Carrier selective contacts for effective charge separation in PV  •  Low-cost tandem solar cells  •  Modeling and prediction of terawatt-scale PV generation, microgrid renewable energy solutions  •  Currently doing research internship at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
Outside the lab  • Playing the melodica  •  Dancing the tango! (ASU Tango Club)  •  Movies  •  Assembly member in graduate student government

Sean J. Babcock

Research interests  •  Thermodynamic limits of photovoltaic energy conversion  •  Reduced contact coverage back surface reflectors to enhance photon recycling in PV cells •  Novel III-V device structure processing and characterization  •  Physics and applications of laser power converters
Outside the lab  •  To maintain a healthy lifestyle, I make it a point to make time for cardio and calisthenic training either at the gym or outdoors •  I also enjoy reading (fiction and non-fiction), writing computer programs, and computer/console gaming

Chris Gregory

Research interests  •  CdTe-based solar cells and low-cost II-VI/Si tandem cells  •  Recombination, defect state density, and other carrier transport properties of interfaces and grain boundaries  •  Modeling, characterization, and analysis of heterojunctions, induced junctions, and contacts
Outside the lab  •  Teaching marching percussion  •  Cooking  •  Fitness  •  Snowboarding

Nick Irvin

(Co-advised with Prof. C. Honsberg)
Research interests  •  Physics of carrier selective contacts  •  Light trapping and angle-selective filters to bring photovoltaic cells above the Shockley-Queisser detailed balance efficiency limit  •  External quantum efficiency measurements  •  Intermediate-band solar cells
Outside the lab  •  Hiking in the Superstition Mountains  •  Practicing Chinese  •  Playing the guitar poorly  🙂

Kathryn M. Douglass

Research interests  •  I am currently interested in low-cost tandem solar cells such as II-VI/Si cells, properties of materials related to solar power, as well as digital design.
Outside the lab  •  I enjoy running, hiking, and anything else that takes me outdoors. When the weather is too cold (or too hot in the case of Arizona), you can find me curled up with a good book.  

Brandon Nigl

Research interests  •  Automation system for molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) •  Remote sensor array for hazardous environments •  Embedded programming •  Control theory •  Automation •  Robotics •  Signal processing
Outside the lab  •  Travelling  •  Hiking  •  Reading novels •  Tending to our strange menagerie of pets
Recent degrees  •  B.S.E. in Electrical Engineering, May 2019 – Congratulations Brandon!  

Aymeric Maros

Ph.D., Arizona State University
Graduated:  May 2017
Dissertation:  Modeling, Growth, and Characterization of III-V and Dilute Nitride Antimonide Materials and Solar Cells  

Chaomin Zhang

Ph.D., Arizona State University  (Co-advised with Prof. C. Honsberg)
Graduated:  Sep. 2017
Dissertation:  Gallium Phosphide Integrated with Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells  

Kevin Tyler

M.S., Arizona State University
Graduated:  May 2019