Dr Niraj Lal

Contacts

Visiting Fellow, ANU Centre for Sustainable Energy Systems

Dr Niraj (Nij) Lal is a Visiting Fellow with the ANU Centre of Sustainable Energy Systems. In 2012 he graduated as a a Gates Scholar with a PhD in physics from the Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge. In 2016 he was named one of the ABC's Top 5 Scientists Under 40 for his research on solar cell nanophotonics, and in 2017 got his first gig on ABC TV with Todd Sampson's Life on the Line Series, followed by shows with The Discovery Channel and ABC iView.

He has written two childrens books about science and has taught science at levels ranging from pre-school to post-graduate.  Niraj presented his first Catalyst on ABC TV in 2020 and is the current host of ABC Imagine This, Principal at AEMO, Physics Consultant to the ARC Centre of Excellence for Exciton Science, Director of First Principles and Founder of TheKnews.org. Previous jobs include being a long-line tuna fishing boat deckhand out of Coffs Harbour, a bicycle courier in Perth, and Lecturer of the Renewable Energy course at the ANU.  More info can be seen at his website www.nirajlal.org

Research interests

Nanophotonics for next-generation solar cells

Groups

  • N. Lal, Y. Dkhissi, W. Li, Q. Hou, Y-B. Cheng, U. Bach, 'Perovskite Tandem Solar Cells', Advanced Energy Materials, 2017, vol. 7, pp.18.
  • Lal, N, White, T & Catchpole, K 2014, 'Optics and light trapping for tandem solar cells on silicon', IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, vol. 4, no. 6, pp. 1380-1386.
  • Lal, N, Huang, F, Soares, B et al. 2010, 'Nanovoid plasmonic-enhanced low-cost photovoltaics', Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics, CLEO 2010, Optical Society of American (OSA), San Jose, CA.
  • Duong, T, Lal, N, Grant, D et al. 2016, 'Semitransparent Perovskite Solar Cell With Sputtered Front and Rear Electrodes for a Four-Terminal Tandem', IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 679-687.
  • Thomson, A, Wan, Y, Lal, N et al. 2015, 'Graded silicon nitride films: Optics and passivation', Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology A, vol. 33, no. 6, pp. 060610-1 to 060610-5.
  • Thomson, A, Lal, N & Wan, Y 2015, 'Interpolating the optical properties of varied composition silicon nitride', Physica Status Solidi. B: Basic Research, vol. 252, no. 10, pp. 2230-2235.
  • White, T, Lal, N & Catchpole, K 2014, 'Tandem Solar Cells Based on High-Efficiency c-Si Bottom Cells: Top Cell Requirements for > 30% Efficiency', IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 208-214.
  • Schneider, B, Lal, N, Baker-Finch, S et al 2014, 'Pyramidal surface textures for light trapping and antireflection in perovskite-on-silicon tandem solar cells', Optics Express, vol. 22, no. 21, pp. A1422-A1430.
  • Hiralal, P, Chien, C, Lal, N et al 2014, 'Nanowire-based multifunctional antireflection coatings for solar cells', Nanoscale, vol. 6, no. 23, pp. 14555-14562.
  • White, T, Lal, N & Catchpole, K 2013, 'Thin-film inorganic top cells in tandem with c-Si: Targeting 30% efficiency', Optical Nanostructures for Photovoltaics, PV 2013, Optical Society of America, Tucson, AZ.
  • Lal, N, Gershon, T, Baumberg, J et al 2012, 'Tunable mie scattering from electrodeposited cu2o nanoparticles', Journal of the Electrochemical Society, vol. 159, no. 12, pp. D747-D749.
  • Lal, N, Zhou, H, Hawkeye, M et al 2012, 'Using spacer layers to control metal and semiconductor absorption in ultrathin solar cells with plasmonic substrates', Physical Review B: Condensed Matter and Materials, vol. 85, no. 24, pp. 1-10.
  • Lal, N, Butt, H, Dai, Q et al 2012, 'Metamaterial filter for the near-visible spectrum', Applied Physics Letters, vol. 101, no. 8, pp. 1-4.
  • Lal, N, Dunbar, R, Pfadler, T et al 2012, 'Imprinting localized plasmons for enhanced solar cells', Nanotechnology, vol. 23, no. 38, pp. 1-5.
  • Lal, N, Soares, B, Sinha, J et al 2011, 'Enhancing solar cells with localized plasmons in nanovoids', Optics Express, vol. 19, no. 12, pp. 11256-11263.
  • Lal, N, Speed, J, Johnson, R et al 2011, 'SERS from molecules bridging the gap of particle-in-cavity structures', Chemical Communications, vol. 47, no. 22, pp. 6335-6337.
  • T.P. White, N.N. Lal, K.R. Catchpole “Tandem solar cells based on high-efficiency c-Si bottom cells: top cell requirements for >30% efficiency”, IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics 4 (1), 208, 2014 ;
  • H. Butt, Q. Dai, N. N. Lal, T. D. Wilkinson, J. J. Baumberg, and G. A. J. Amaratunga, "Metamaterial filter for the near-visible spectrum", Applied Physics Letters 101, 083106, 2012
  • N. N. Lal, H. Zhou, J. K. Sinha, M. Hawkeye, P. N. Bartlett, G. A. J. Amaratunga, and J. J. Baumberg, "Using spacer layers to control metal and semiconductor absorption in ultrathin solar cells with plasmonic substrates", Physical Review B 85, 245318, 2012;
  • R. B. Dunbar, T. Pfadler, N. N. Lal, J. J. Baumberg, and L. Schmidt- Mende, "Imprinting localized plasmons for enhanced solar cells", Nanotechnology 23, 385202, 2012;
  • T. S. Gershon, N. N. Lal, J. J. Baumberg, and J. L. MacManus-Driscoll, "Tuneable Mie-scattering from electrodeposited Cu2O nanoparticles", Journal of Electrochemistry 159 (12),D747, 2012;
  • J. D. Speed, R. P. Johnson, J. T. Hugall, N. N. Lal, P. N. Bartlett, J. J. Baumberg, and A. E. Russell, "SERS from molecules bridging the gap of particle-in-cavity structures", Chemical Communications 47, 6335, 2011
  • N.N. Lal, BBC Radio Naked Scientists Article online, "Catching energy from the sun", June 2010, http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/articles/article/catching-energy-...
  • N.N. Lal, British Science Association Quarterly, December 2010, "Finding the right energy level"
  • Lal, N & Blakers, A 2009, 'Sliver Cells in Thermophotovoltaic Systems', Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, vol. 93, no. 2, pp. 167-175.
  • Lal, N & Blakers, A 2009, 'Sliver cells challenge conventional silicon solar cells', SPIE Newsroom, vol. 27 April 2009, pp. 1-3.
  • Lal, N & Blakers, A 2007, 'Sliver Cells in Thermophotovoltiac Systems', Australia and New Zealand Solar Energy Society Conference (Solar 2007), ed. Howard Pullen, Australian and New Zealand Solar Energy Society (ANZSES), Australia.

Updated:  25 June 2024/Responsible Officer:  College of Science/Page Contact:  https://iceds.anu.edu.au/contact