Ultrafast spectroscopy for materials science – and an experience as a female scientist in Japan

Opto-electronic devices, such as photocatalysts, photovoltatics, light emitting diodes and lasers convert light into electric current or vice versa in metals and semiconductors.  The opto-electronic conversion processes occur typically on time scales ranging from femtosecond (10^-15 s)  to nanoseconds (10^-9 s), and are often affected by collective atomic vibrations or phonons.  In the present seminar I will introduce fundamental studies on ultrafast carrier and phonon dynamics at semiconductor interfaces in lead halide perovskite solar cells and lattice-matched GaP/Si(001).  I will also talk about my personal experiences of being one of the few female physicists in Japan.