The Solar Energy Institute at Technical University of Madrid (IES-UPM) is looking for a candidate willing to follow the PhD to develop thermophotovoltaic (TPV) devices. The PhD work will be aligned to national and EU funded projects where a new kind of thermal energy storage is being co-developed with several EU partners. TPV is the core of this system, as it converts radiant heat (from stored heat) directly into electricity. TPV devices are like solar cells but made of infrared semiconductors to absorb the infrared part of the spectrum. During the last few years, improvements in the TPV technology has enabled to reach a record conversion efficiency of over 40 %, thus, becoming the most efficient solid-state thermal-to-electric energy converter developed so far.

The candidate will contribute to the development of a innovative bifacial TPV cell, doubling power density compared to conventional devices. In this way, the cell could be readily integrated in a large area TPV module (array of individual cells). The PhD candidate will have full access to the IES-UPM laboratories, which include a complete set of tools for manufacturing and characterizing photovoltaic devices, including clean room facilities. The work will require intense collaboration with partners, both those that manufacture the TPV cells and the complete system. Thus, a team-work oriented personality is important.

Join us in shaping the future of solid-state thermal-to-electric conversion. Collaborate on innovative projects like TERMOBAT and SUNSON, which aim to revolutionize thermal energy storage through the integration of TPV devices. You'll be at the forefront of progress, working alongside experts from our spin-off company, Thermophoton, as they scale up solutions developed in our laboratory.

Collaboration is key in our multidisciplinary and international team, comprised of professors, postdoctoral researchers, and fellow PhD candidates. Embrace a teamwork-oriented approach as you contribute your expertise to our collective pursuit of innovation.

Links to the projects and team:

https://youtu.be/AyEmd-d-4u0

https://youtu.be/D7huVnCnK8s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpaJ8hRN3k4

https://youtu.be/hZlSMyV3KLQ?si=xG8vSwJqHna6X2c7