Photonics for green energy
Esther Alarcón, NWO-I Institute AMOLF, The Netherlands
Monday 20 October 2025, 12.00 PM
ICMAB - Sala d'Actes Carles Miravitlles
and ONLINE (Register here)
Abstract
Harnessing and manipulating light at the nanoscale offers powerful routes toward sustainable energy technologies. In this talk, I will discuss how the control of light scattering and optical resonances can be used to enhance light trapping in ultrathin solar cell architectures. By engineering nanophotonic structures and metasurfaces, we can significantly increase optical absorption while minimizing material use—an essential step toward lightweight, resource-efficient photovoltaic devices.
Beyond energy harvesting, I will explore how the same photonic principles can drive advances in green chemistry. By tailoring waveguiding effects and light–matter interactions, photon energy can directly influence chemical transformations, lowering activation barriers and enabling selective, energy-efficient reactions. Together, these approaches illustrate how photonics not only underpins next-generation solar technologies but also opens new pathways for sustainable, light-driven chemical processes.
Short bio
I am an enthusiastic physicist dedicated to advancing sustainable energy solutions through innovative research. My career goal is to bridge the gap between fundamental science and practical applications to address global energy challenges, fostering collaboration and inspiring the next generation of scientists.
After earning my PhD from the University of Barcelona in 2009, I was a postdoctoral fellow in Singapore (a*STAR Institute IMRE), Berkeley (LBNL) and Lausanne (EPFL), working in the groups of Prof. S. Tripathy, Prof. J. Ager and Prof. A. Fontcuberta i Morral, respectively. In 2016, I founded the 3D Photovoltaics group at the NWO-Institute AMOLF, where I strengthened the fundamental understanding of nanophotonic phenomena for energy conversion and initiated a new research line in nano-electrochemistry.
Tenured since 2021 and appointed Professor at the Institute for Molecular Sciences (HIMS) at the University of Amsterdam since 2023, the focus of my group is to understand, visualize, and control nanoscale physical and chemical processes that have a significant impact on renewable energy generation and conversion, both of which are essential for a sustainable future. To do so, I built a state-of-the-art research lab for nanophotonic numerical modelling, nanomaterial fabrication and nano-electrochemistry.
More information: Esther Alarcón Lladó - AMOLF
Hosted by Mariano Campoy-Quiles, from the NANOPTO group (Materials for Energy Research Line)
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