GRK 2495:  Energy Conversion Systems: From Materials to Devices

• Subject Area: Materials Science ; Systems Engineering
• Term: since 2020
• Website: Homepage
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 399073171

This IGK is focused on a challenging and internationally critical research field of understanding and engineering the photo-electro-mechanical coupling in lead-free perovskites, which is inherently interdisciplinary and multi-length scale in nature, requiring likewise a diverse team of experts spanning these areas. As such, an international group of researchers from various disciplines, including materials science, process engineering, electronics and electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and chemistry, from both Germany and Japan have come together to collaborate on this exciting research project. In addition, this interdisciplinary team brings together a unique and complementary array of methods and techniques, that both fosters innovative research as well as offers exceptional training opportunities for doctoral researchers. This is reinforced by extended research stays by FAU and NITech doctoral researchers that promote new ideas and improved cultural understanding. In addition, direct access to German and Japanese industrial partners is an important component that underscores the industrial relevance and strengthens the innovative nature, which will be expanded upon in the second phase. Continued close internal and international cross-project collaboration is ensured through both the supervision strategy and the established research connections developed during the first phase of the IGK as well as the 15-year partnership between FAU and NITech. It is also important to note that three NITech PIs and two FAU PIs are part of more than one project, which also helps ensure inter-project collaboration and networking. In order to address the research aims, the IGK is comprised of 12 research projects with a total of 24 doctoral researchers, where projects consist of FAU and NITech doctoral researchers as well as FAU and NITech co-PI team. The research program is specifically designed to foster innovation and collaborative interactions on this multi-length scale interdisciplinary project by bringing together internationally recognized scientists. Here, the PI team consists of a diverse range of people, from established senior scientists with extensive experience to advanced early career researchers, that represent complementary research fields in simulations, material synthesis, 2D and 3D structure development, multimodal device engineering, and characterization methods from the macroscopic down to the atomic scale. This makes the PI team uniquely suited to successfully address the proposed second phase of the IGK. As such, there are no changes in the FAU PI team.

• DFG Programme: International Research Training Groups
• International Connection: Japan
• Applicant Institution: Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
• IRTG-Partner Institution: Nagoya Institute of Technology
• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Kyle Grant Webber
• IRTG-Partner: Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Ken-ichi Kakimoto
• Participating Researchers: Professor Dr. Christoph J. Brabec; Dr. Maria Rita Cicconi; Privatdozent Dr.-Ing. Tobias Fey; Professor Dr.-Ing. Georg Fischer; Professor Dr. Wolfgang Heiss; Professorin Dr.-Ing. Julia Mergheim; Professor Dr. Bernd Meyer; Professor Dr.-Ing. Paul Steinmann; Professor Dr.-Ing. Peter Wellmann; Dr. Frank Wendler; Professor Dr. Michael Zaiser