Associate Professor Fiona Beck

Contacts

Project convenor, ANU Grand Challenge: Zero-Carbon Energy for the Asia-Pacific
FERL Fellow, ARC DECRA Fellow

Fiona J Beck joined the Research School of Electrical, Energy and Materials Engineering at The Australian National University as a research fellow and lecturer under the Future Engineering Research Leadership Fellowship in 2015.  

She is also the Convenor of the Hydrogen Project, ANU Grand Challenge: Zero-Carbon Energy for the Asia-Pacific.

She has an MSci degree in physics from The University of Glasgow, and was awarded the Eve and Ravenscroft prize for the most distinguished graduate from the Faculty of Physical Sciences.  She obtained a PhD from The ANU in 2011, with a thesis on designing plasmonic light trapping schemes for applications in solar cells.  She then spent 4 years at ICFO - The Institute of Photonic Sciences in Barcelona, Spain, working with the Solution Processed Nanophotonics Group, employing plasmonics to enhance the performance of novel optoelectronic devices.  In 2012 she was awarded a Marie Curie Fellowship (similar to a DECRA) to undertake this project. 

 

Academic History

2015-Onwards:  FERL fellow, Research School of Engineering, ANU

2011-2014: Postdoctral Researcher, Solution Processed Nanophotonics Group, The Institute of Photonic Science, Spain

2007-2010: PhD in Nanophotonics for light trapping, College of Engineering and Computer Science, The Australian National University, Australia

2002-2006: First Class MSci in Physics, University of Glasgow, Scotland

 

Grants and Academic Awards

2014       Future Engineering Research Leader Fellowship, RSE, CSES, ANU 

2012       Marie Curie FP7-People-2011-IIF grant for the PECQDPV project.

2006       Ede & Ravenscroft Prize, awarded annually to the most distinguished graduate of the Physical Sciences Faculty at the University of Glasgow

Research interests

A/Prof Fiona J Beck's research is focused on advancing the clean energy transition in two distinct ways: by developing new technologies to convert light into other forms of energy; and by collaboratively tackling big-picture, interdisciplinary problems that the energy sector is facing on its road to decarbonisation.

Her research interests include:

    • Nanophotonic approaches to photochemistry
    • Hot electron science and applications
    • Solar (photoelectrochemical) hydrogen generation
    • The hydrogen economy and the energy transition

    Udates on Fiona's research and activities can be found on LinkedIn at Fiona J Beck and on Twitter @Fiona_J_Beck, and her publications can be found on Web of Science.

      Groups

      Projects

      • Longden, T, Beck, F, Jotzo, F et al. 2022, ''Clean' hydrogen? – Comparing the emissions and costs of fossil fuel versus renewable electricity based hydrogen', Applied Energy, vol. 306, Part B, pp. 1-14.
      • Zhang, D, Li, H, Riaz, A et al. 2022, 'Unconventional direct synthesis of Ni3N/Ni with N-vacancies for efficient and stable hydrogen evolution', Energy and Environmental Science, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 185-195.
      • O'Neill, L, Beck, F, Cheng, W et al. 2022, 'Renewable hydrogen will be produced on land traditionally owned by First Nations people: will its owners benefit?', Australian Environment Review, vol. 36, no. 6, pp. 149-158.
      • Burke, P, Beck, F, Aisbett, E, Hunt J.et al. 2022, 'Contributing to regional decarbonization: Australia's potential to supply zero-carbon commodities to the Asia-Pacific', Energy, vol. 248, pp. 1-12.
      • Fazeli, R, Stocks, M, Beck, F. J., 2022, 'Recognizing the role of uncertainties in the transition to renewable hydrogen', International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, vol. 47, Issue 56, pp. 27896-27910.
      • Sharma, A, Duong, T, Liu, P et al. 2021, 'Direct solar to hydrogen conversion enabled by silicon photocathodes with carrier selective passivated contacts', Sustainable Energy & Fuels, vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 349-360.
      • Fazeli, R, Beck, F & Stocks, M 2021, 'Dynamics of the transition to renewable hydrogen', Proceeding of 2021 International System Dynamics Conference, International System Dynamics Conference, Chicago, USA.
      • Zhang, D, Liang, W, Sharma, A et al. 2021, 'Ultrathin HfO2 passivated silicon photocathodes for efficient alkaline water splitting', Applied Physics Letters, vol. 119, no. 19, pp. 1-7.
      • Wang, Y, Sharma, A, Duong, T et al. 2021, 'Direct Solar Hydrogen Generation at 20% Efficiency Using Low-Cost Materials', Advanced Energy Materials, vol. 11, no. 34, pp. 1-11.
      • White, L, Fazeli, R, Cheng, W et al. 2020, 'Towards emissions certification systems for international trade in hydrogen: the policy challenge of defining boundaries for emissions accounting', Energy, vol. 215, no. A.
      • Aisbett, E, Baldwin, K, Beck, F et al. 2020, Submission to Joint Standing Committee on Trade and Investment Growth
        .
      • Zhao, S, Yin, Y, Peng, J et al. 2020, 'The Importance of Schottky Barrier Height in Plasmonically Enhanced Hot-Electron Devices', Advanced Optical Materials, vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 1-8.
      • Karuturi*, S, Shen* (co-first author, co-corresponding author), H, Sharma, A et al. 2020, 'Over 17% Efficiency Stand-Alone Solar Water Splitting Enabled by Perovskite-Silicon Tandem Absorbers', Advanced Energy Materials, vol. 10, no. 28, pp. 1-9.
      • Beck, F 2019, 'Rational Integration of Photovoltaics for Solar Hydrogen Generation', ACS Applied Energy Materials, vol. 2, no. 9, pp. 6395-6403.
      • Baldwin, K, Aisbett, E, White, L, Dreise, T, Hunt, J, O'Neill, L, Thorburn, K, Riley, B, Bai, X, Peng, Y, Beck, F, Brahmadesham Venkataraman, M, Blakers, A, Stocks, M, Lu, B, Bridges, T, Purchase, R, Burke, P, Anjum, Z, 2019, Submission to the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation: WA Climate Change Strategy Issues Paper.
      • Jacobs, D, Shen, H, Pfeffer, F et al 2018, 'The two faces of capacitance: New interpretations for electrical impedance measurements of perovskite solar cells and their relation to hysteresis', Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 124, no. 22, pp. 1-15.
      • Sharma, A & Beck, F 2018, 'Quantifying and Comparing Fundamental Loss Mechanisms to Enable Solar-to-Hydrogen Conversion Efficiencies above 20% Using Perovskite–Silicon Tandem Absorbers', Advanced Energy & Sustainability Research, vol. 2, no. 1.
      • Baerhujin, C, Beck, F & Catchpole, K 2017, 'Diffuse reflectors for improving light management in solar cells: A review and outlook', Journal of Optics, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. -.
      • Jacobs, D, Wu, Y, Shen, H et al. 2017, 'Hysteresis phenomena in perovskite solar cells: The many and varied effects of ionic accumulation', Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, vol. 19, no. 4, pp. 3094-3103.
      • Fu, X, Jacobs, D, Beck, F et al 2016, 'Photoluminescence study of time- and spatial-dependent light induced trap de-activation in CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite films', Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, vol. 18, no. 32, pp. 22557-22564.
      • Beck, F, Stavrinadis, A, Lasanta, T et al 2016, 'Understanding light trapping by resonant coupling to guided modes and the importance of the mode profile', Optics Express, vol. 24, no. 2, pp. 759-772.
      • Jacobs, D, Catchpole, K, Beck, F et al 2016, 'A re-evaluation of transparent conductor requirements for thin-film solar cells', Journal of Materials Chemistry A, vol. 4, no. 12, pp. 4490-4496.
      • Beck, F, Lasanta, T & Konstantatos, G 2014, 'Plasmonic Schottky Nanojunctions for Tailoring the Photogeneration Profile in Thin Film Solar Cells', Advanced Optical Materials, vol. 2, no. 5, pp. 493-500.
      • Mihi, A, Beck, F, Lasanta, T et al 2014, 'Imprinted electrodes for enhanced light trapping in solution processed solar cells', Advanced Materials, vol. 26, no. 3, pp. 443-448.
      • Mokkapati, S, Beck, F, Wilson, J et al. 2014, 'Nanophotonics for Light Trapping', in Thomas Alured Faunce (ed.), Nanotechnology Toward the Sustainocene, Pan Stanford Publishing, Singapore, pp. 49-80pp.
      • Beck, F, Stavrinadis, A, Diedenhofen, S et al 2014, 'Surface plasmon polariton couplers for light trapping in thin-film absorbers and their application to colloidal quantum dot optoelectronics', ACS Photonics, vol. 1, no. 11, pp. 1197-1205.
      • Basch, A, Beck, F, Soderstrom, T et al 2012, 'Combined plasmonic and dielectric rear reflectors for enhanced photocurrent in solar cells', Applied Physics Letters, vol. 100, no. 24, pp. 1-5.
      • Basch, A, Beck, F, Soderstrom, T et al 2012, 'Enhanced light trapping in solar cells using snow globe coating', Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications, vol. 20, no. 7, pp. 837-842.
      • Beck, F, Garcia de Arquer, F, Bernechea, M et al 2012, 'Electrical effects of metal nanoparticles embedded in ultra-thin colloidal quantum dot films', Applied Physics Letters, vol. 101, no. 4, pp. 1-5.
      • Garcia de Arquer, F, Beck, F, Bernechea, M et al 2012, 'Plasmonic light trapping leads to responsivity increase in colloidal quantum dot photodetectors', Applied Physics Letters, vol. 100, no. 4, pp. 1-4.
      • Beck, F, Mokkapati, S & Catchpole, K 2011, 'Nanoplasmonics for light trapping in solar cells', in D. Kane, A. Micolich, J. Rabau (ed.), Nanotechnology in Australia: Showcase of Early Career Research, Pan Stanford Publishing, Singapore, pp. 41-80.
      • Catchpole, K, Mokkapati, S, Beck, F et al 2011, 'Plasmonics and nanophotonics for photovoltaics', MRS Bulletin, vol. 36, no. 6, pp. 461-467pp.
      • Garcia de Arquer, F, Beck, F & Konstantatos, G 2011, 'Absorption Enhancement in Solution Processed Metal-Semiconductor Nanocomposites', Optics Express, vol. 19, no. 21, pp. 21038-21049.
      • Beck, F, Verhagen, E, Mokkapati, S et al 2011, 'Resonant SPP modes supported by discrete metal nanoparticles on high-index substrates', Optics Express, vol. 19, no. 6, pp. A146-A156.
      • Beck, F, Mokkapati, S & Catchpole, K 2011, 'Light trapping with plasmonic particles: beyond the dipole model', Optics Express, vol. 19, no. 25, pp. 25230-25241.
      • Mokkapati, S, Beck, F, de Waele, R et al 2011, 'Resonant nano-antennas for light trapping in plasmonic solar cells', Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, vol. 44, no. 18, p. 9.
      • Pillai, S, Beck, F, Catchpole, K et al 2011, 'The effect of dielectric spacer thickness on surface plasmon enhanced solar cells for front and rear side depositions', Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 109, no. 7, pp. 073105-1-073105-8.
      • K.R. Catchpole, S. Mokkapati, F.J. Beck. 2011, 'Comparing nanowire, multijunction, and single junction solar cells in the presence of light trapping', Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 109, no. 8, pp. 084519.
      • S. Mokkapati, F. J. Beck and K. R. Catchpole, 'Analytical approach for design of blazed dielectric gratings for light trapping in solar cells', Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics 44, 055103, 2011
      • Ouyang, Z, Pillai, S, Beck, F et al 2010, 'Effective light trapping in polycrystalline silicon thin-film solar cells by means of rear localized surface plasmons', Applied Physics Letters, vol. 96, no. 26, pp. 1-3.
      • Beck, F, Mokkapati, S & Catchpole, K 2010, 'Plasmonic light-trapping for Si solar cells using self-assembled, Ag nanoparticles', Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications, vol. 18, no. 7, pp. 500-504.
      • Beck, F, Mokkapati, S, Polman, A et al 2010, 'Asymmetry in photocurrent enhancement by plasmonic nanoparticle arrays located on the front or on the rear of solar cells', Applied Physics Letters, vol. 96, no. 3, pp. 1-3.
      • Gibson, G, Barron, L, Beck, F et al 2007, 'Optically controlled grippers for manipulating micron-sized particles', New Journal of Physics, vol. 9, pp. -.
      • Mokkapati, S, Beck, F, Polman, A et al 2009, 'Designing periodic arrays of metal nanoparticles for light-trapping applications in solar cells', Applied Physics Letters, vol. 95, pp. 053115/1-3.
      • Ouyang, Z, Beck, F, Kunz, O et al 2009, 'Enhanced photocurrent in evaporated solid-phase-crystallised poly-SI thin-film solar cells using rear surface plasmons', European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference EUPVSEC 2009, ed. W. Sinke, H.Ossenbrink, P.Helm, WIP-Renewable Energies, Germany, p. 3.
      • Beck, F, Polman, A & Catchpole, K 2009, 'Tunable light trapping for solar cells using localized surface plasmons', Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 105, pp. 114310/1-7.
      • Beck, F, Mokkapati, S, Polman, A et al 2009, 'Light Trapping For Solar Cells Using Localised Surface Plasmons in Self-Assembled Ag Nanoparticles', European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference EUPVSEC 2009, ed. W. Sinke, H.Ossenbrink, P.Helm, WIP-Renewable Energies, Germany, p. 4.