Harnessing excitons for optoelectronics

DIPC Seminars

Speaker

Joshua Thompson
University of Cambridge

When

2026/10/21
12:00

Place

DIPC Josebe Olarra Seminar Room

Host

Aran Garcia-Lekue

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The optical properties of low-dimensional semiconductors are dominated by the formation of Coulomb bound electron-hole pairs, called excitons, which are stable even at room temperature. Understanding and controlling the behaviour and character of excitons is therefore crucial for exploring both new fundamental physics and unlocking state-of-the-art optoelectronic technologies. In this talk, I will discuss some of my recent advances in our understanding of excitons. After introducing our theoretical framework, I will discuss how the evolution of excitons across their energy landscape in perovskites can explain the peculiar signatures of exciton emission [1]. I will explore how this is related to the octahedral tilt angle [2] and outline how magnetic fields can shine even more light on this behaviour [3]. I will then describe how the underlying properties of the excitonic wave functions themselves can tune their behaviour. I will show how topological excitons can be realised in organic polymers [4] and show that quantum geometry leads to a stark increase in exciton transport [5]. I will also touch on recent work exploring how quantum geometry can impact exciton size and as a result the magnetic response [6].

[1] J. J. P. Thompson, M. Dyksik, P. Peksa, K. Posmyk, A. Joki, R. Perea-Causin, P. Erhart, M. Baranowski, M. A. Loi, P. Plochocka, E. Malic. Advanced Energy Materials 2304343 (2024)

[2] M. Dyksik, M. Baranowski, J. J. P. Thompson, Z. Yang, M. R. Medina, M. A. Loi, E. Malic, P. Plochocka. Advanced Energy Materials 15 (9), 2404769 (2025)

[3] R. Rosati, J. K. König, S. Terres, J. J. P. Thompson, M. Baranowski, P. Płochocka, A. Chernikov, E. Malic, Nano Letters 26, 16, 5468 (2026)

[4] W. J. Jankowski, J. J.P. Thompson, B. Monserrat R. J. Slager, Nature Communications 16 (1), 4661 (2025)

[5] J. J. P. Thompson, W. J. Jankowski, B. Monserrat, R.-J. Slager, Nature Communications 16, 11448 (2025)

[6] J. H. Choi, S. H. Han, Y. K. Han, S. W. Kim, J. W. Rhim, J. J. P. Thompson. Submitted (2026) arXiv.2607.28731