Nanophotonics & Energy Lab

The Nanophotonics and Energy lab is part of the MEON group of CENIMAT-UNINOVA dedicated to advancing knowledge and technology in the frontline of Photovoltaics (PV). 
Our team has strong activity in modelling, characteri-zation and fabrication of nanostructured materials and devices in the area of solar electricity, in particular being world pioneer in thin-film solar cells integrated on flexible/curved substrates and in light management for photonic-enhanced PV.

Location: Lab 2.20 in CEMOP building

Our current main expertise is:

  • PV technologies under development: Si and Perovskite based thin-film solar cells
  • Strategies to boost their performance: Wave-optical (Photonic) coatings and front contacts, Plasmonic back-reflectors, Quantum-structured semiconductors via the multi-band PV approach, Water-repellent (superhydrophobic) surfaces
  • Target applications: Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), Flexible consumer electronics (IoT), Solar Fuels (artificial photosynthesis) 


The group counts with outstanding facilities, installed in CENIMAT-CEMOP, for pursuing the R&D activities, namely:

  • Fabrication equipment - 3 PECVDs, 2 Gloveboxes, Photolithography, Nano-imprint lithography, ALD, 3 Plasma Dry-etchers, 2 Langmuir-Blodgett, 5 Sputtering systems, 5 Metal Evaporators, Rapid Thermal Annealing, 3 3D-printers, several ovens, spin-coaters, etc.

  • Characterization tools - 4 Sun Simulators, 2 Quantum efficiency systems, 2 SEM-EDS (with FIB), AFM, Confocal Microscope, DRX, 2 Spectrophotometers, XPS, FTIR, Micro-Raman, PL, Hall effect, 4-point-probe systems, Optical microscopes, etc.

  • Modelling - Software licences of Lumerical Solutions and Silvaco, 5 dedicated computers with advanced resources for simulation.