Niraj N Lal Curriculum Vitae Dr Niraj N Lal BSc (ANU), PhD (Cambridge) ARENA Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University Early Career Academic Fellow Australian National University e: [email protected] p: +61 421 090 940 w: tinyurl.com/nirajlal Education PhD in Physics, Gates Scholar, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge 2009-12; Bachelor of Science (Hons Ia), Distinguished Scholar Program, Australian National University, 2002-07; Positions held Postdoctoral Research Fellow; Australian National University ‘Light trapping for tandem solar cells’; funded by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency AUD $325,584, 2012-16 PhD in Physics, Gates Scholarship, UK Overseas Research Studentship, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge 2009-12; Thesis: ‘Enhancing solar cells with plasmonic nanovoids’ – shortlisted for the Salje Medal 2012, GBP £88,000 Executive Director, First Principles, incorporating FunDaMentals Science Communication and Flashpoint Energy Recipient of >$12k in grants and funding for science communication, including multiple National Science Week Grants, and contracts by the Newcastle Museum to write and produce science shows for primary schools, 2009-15 Lecturer ENGN4516/6516, Australian National University ‘Renewable Energy Technologies’ – keystone 3rd year/Masters course for ANU Engineering Sustainability Major, 2015-16, achieving 4.6/5 for “Overall effectiveness of lecturing”. Author ‘Butterfly Flo and the Everything Effect’ Children’s story about chaos theory, in submission for publication. Described as: ‘a charming moral tale in the classic tradition of children’s stories’ – Sir Richard Friend, Cavendish Professor of Physics, University of Cambridge. Founding Director, Raio de Sol Canberra Community Samba Drumming Band Recipient of two ACT Community Participation Grants, having played >50 performances to date, including at TEDx Canberra 2014 and the 2015 Sydney Mardi Gras, annual gig revenue of ~ $4,000 Founding Director, Hungry Science Beast Radio Creators of bite-sized explainers of science. Featured on ABC Radio National Science Shows 2013-14, currently recording. Physics supervisor - Cambridge University, University of Western Australia, Australian National University Supervising, demonstrating and tutoring the Cambridge Natural Sciences Tripos Part Ia and Part III MPhil (physics), and 1st-3rd year physics at UWA and ANU, 2006-12. Science Outreach Officer, Scitech West Australian Science Communication Organisation Delivering hands-on high-energy shows about science to primary school kids across regional Western Australia, 2008; Awards ABC Top 5 Scientists Under 40 Shortlist 2015 Australian Academy of Science Nominee to the 2015 Nobel Laureates meeting in Lindau, Germany Australian Institute of Physics Science Meets Parliament Delegate 2014 Australian National Famelab Inaugural Finalist, Perth, 2014; Honorary Membership of University House, University Early Career Academic Fellowship, ANU, 2015-17; 2013 ACT Young Tall Poppy of the Year; Student Research Prize and honorarium, W770,000 (~AUD$650) 5th International Conference on Surface Plasmon Photonics, Busan, Korea, May, 2011; BBC Radio Naked Scientists show and online author 2010 Invited Presentation, 5th International Conference on Surface Plasmon Photonics, Busan, Korea, May, 2011; University Medal for the Young Tall Poppy of the Year, Australian National University; 2013 Invited Presentation, Optics Society of America Annual Congress, Karlsruhe, Germany, June, 2010; 1st Prize, £150, UK Institute of Engineering and Technology Present Around the World Competition, Cambridge 2010; Invited Presentation, Questacon National Science and Technology Centre, Centenary Celebration, Australia 2013; 1st place; University of Cambridge Rising Stars Presentation Competition, January 2010; ABC Radio National Science Show appearances 2013-14, UK Overseas Research Studentship, for outstanding academic merit and research potential; GBP £48,000 2009-12 ANU Angus Nicholson Honours Scholarship for passion and academic excellence in science, $5000, 2006-07 Oxford Famelab Wildcard 2012 Theoretical Physics Summer Scholarship, ANU, $2000, 2005 Australian National Science Week Seed Grants for science outreach to high-schools; $2600, 2013, 14, Fellow and Research Grant Recipient, Cambridge Philosophical Society; GBP £500 2012; Gates Cambridge Trust Research Grant, GBP £1000, 2012; Gates Cambridge Scholarship, international full-cost scholarships awarded for ‘intellectual ability, leadership capacity and the desire to use knowledge to contribute to society’, GBP £40,000, 2009-12, Total awarded grants, prizes and scholarships: AUD $547,000 Professional activities ANU University Early Career Academic Fellow 2015-16, Honorary Member University House, Australian National University 2015-16; Cavendish Graduate Student Committee 2009-2011; President, Australian National University Physics Students Society, 2003; Founder Cavendish Laboratory Purple Shin Football Competition 2009-12 Member: Australian Institute of Physics, International Solar Energy Society, Australian Science Communicators Reviewer for: Energy and Environ. Sci. (15.49)*, J. Mat Chem (6.626), Solar Energy Mat. and Solar Cells (5.030), Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. (4.198), Appl. Phys. Lett. (3.794), Opt. Exp. (3.525), J. Select Topics in Quantum Electronics (3.465), Nanoscale Res. Lett. (2.418) and J. Appl. Phys. (2.185). (Note: ()* indicates the impact factor of the journal in 2015.) Media appearances: Channel 7 News Aug 2014, ABC Melbourne Breakfast Radio Sept 2014, BBC Radio Naked Scientists guest and author, January 2011, Cambridge University Summer School Promotion Video 2010, ABC Radio National Science Show July, August 2014, Community Radio 2XX FM Science Presenter, 2013 Extra-curricular activities Outdoors Bush Firefighter, ACT Rural Fire Service, 2013-current;, Advanced PADI open-water diver 2005-current; State Emergency Services Volunteer, Rivers Brigade ACT, 2003-4; Captain of Football, Clare Hall, University of Cambridge, 2010-11; Sports: Marathon, 3h:42m 2009, 5km Swimathon 1hr:50m 2012, Olympic Triathlon 2h:46m 2011; Surfing, mountaineering, soccer, cycling, triathlons Political Australian Greens Party Member 2010-12, 2014-current, Founding National Council Member of the Australian Wikileaks Party 2013; Founder of Noise vs Signal foundation for action against bulk surveillance. Australian Labor Party Member, 2000-09; Musical Drummer, Lazy Harry’s (Aust. Folk/Bluegrass), EP release Nov 2014, Saxophonist, Valence Band (Funk, Pop, Contemporary Jazz), 2010-12 Guitarist with Garance Monfort (Folk, Jazz, French traditional), 2011-12 Founding Director and leader, Raio de Sol Canberra Community Samba Band (Contemporary Percussion) 2013-15 Drummer, Arco Iris Samba Band (Brazilian Samba Percussion), 2010-12 Children’s Books Author ‘Butterfly Flo and the Everything Effect’ – children’s story about chaos theory, in submission for publication. Described as: ‘a charming moral tale in the classic tradition of children’s stories’ – Sir Richard Friend, Cavendish Professor of Physics, University of Cambridge. Currently writing ‘Henry the Emu that could Fly’ – about an emu that learns to fly by jumping so far that the earth curves away from him – the principle of gravitational orbit. Referees A/Prof Kylie Catchpole, Prof. Jeremy Baumberg FRS, A/Prof Sumeet Mahajan, ARC Future Fellow, Director, Nanophotonics Centre, EPSRC Cross-Disciplinary Fellow, Australian National University, Cavendish Laboratory, Cavendish Laboratory Canberra, Australia. University of Cambridge, UK University of Cambridge +61 (0) 2 6125 5905 +44 (0) 1223 7 60945 +44 1223 746931 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Dr Niraj Lal, Selected Research Publications Metrics: 11 published journal articles, 4 as lead author, 149 citations to date, 7 lead author conference presentations, 2 invited international conference presentations A: Refereed Journal articles 1. N. N. Lal, T. P. White, and K. R. Catchpole, “Optics and light trapping for tandem solar cells on silicon”, IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, 4 (6), 2014; 2. B. W. Schneider, N. N. Lal, S. Baker-Finch, and T. P. White, “Pyramidal surface textures for antireflection and light trapping in perovskite-on-silicon tandem solar cells,”Optics Express 22, 6, 2014; 3. T. P. White, N. N. Lal, and 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, 208, 2014; 4. 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; 5. N. N. Lal, B. F. Soares, J. K. Sinha, F. Huang, S. Mahajan, P. N. Bartlett, N. C. Greenham, and J. J. Baumberg, “Enhancing solar cells with localized plasmons in nanovoids", Optics Express 19 (12), 3918, 2011; 6. N.N. Lal and A.W. Blakers ‘Sliver Cells in Thermophotovoltaic Systems’, Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells 93, 167, 2009; 7. T. S. Gershon, N. N. Lal, J. J. Baumberg, and J. L. MacManus-Driscoll, “Tuneable Mie-scattering from electrodeposited Cu2O nanoparticles", Journal of the Electrochemistry Society 159 (12), D747, 2012; 8. 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; 9. P. Hiralal, C. Chien, N.N. Lal, H. Butt, H. Zhou,