Physics - research and personnel

Research

Physics at Åbo Akademi University focuses on materials research in paper electronics, future solar cells, functional materials interfacing with biological systems, magnetism and material calculations. Research is conducted as both experimental and theoretical method development as well as using calculation methods and various aspects of modelling. The research is boundary-breaking and conducted in close collaboration with closely related sciences, such as Information Technology, Mathematics, Biology and Chemistry.

Some of the researchers work within two research groups, Organic Electronics and Mössbauer Spectroscopy.

Organic electronics

The main focus within the Organic Electronics group is to clarify electro-optical properties of solution-processable disordered semiconductors and to demonstrate novel devices using printing technologies. The group has made fundamental discoveries in the development of ion-modulated organic transistors that can be utilized as biosensors and as active electronic components in e.g. paper electronics.

A long-standing research theme within the group is also the development of extraction current transient techniques for studying charge transport and recombination, as well as optical spectroscopies and modelling used for better understanding of the device physics of thin-film solar cells.

Research Personnel

Teachers

Nicklas Anttu, Associate professor (tenure track)
Research profile and publications

Nanophotonics
Computational electromagnetic optics
Optical characterization of materials and devices

Torbjörn Björkman, Senior University Lecturer, Head of Subject
Research profile and publications

Computational condensed matter theory, with research topics covering a wide range of the uses of, and developments in, density functional theory (DFT) based methods.
Problems particularly challenging for DFT such as magnetism, strong correlation physics and van der Waals interaction
Materials informatics

Oscar Henriksson, University Lecturer
Research profile and publications

Theoretical physics, quantum field theory, gravitational physics
Holographic duality, with applications to strongly interacting quantum field theory

Johan Linden, Senior University Lecturer, Docent in material and structure physics
Research profile and publications

Mössbauer spectroscopy, Hyperfine interactions, perovskites, superconductors, magnetic systems, solid state physics

Ronald Österbacka, Professor
Research profile and publications

Flexible and Printed Large Area Electronics, Paper Electronics
Charge transport and recombination in thin film photovoltaic materials and devices
Extraction current transient techniques; Modelling