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A collaborative research effort by scientists from PDI in Berlin, the Pennsylvania State University, and the New Jersey Institute of Technology has demonstrated the successful growth of high-quality indium selenide (InSe) thin films on semi-insulating gallium arsenide GaAs(111)B substrates using molecular beam epitaxy. This result addresses a very timely challenge in synthesizing InSe with controlled crystalline quality and integrating it with the compound semiconductor platform GaAs, thus opening up new possibilities for high-performance optoelectronic devices, including photodetectors and solar cells.

Dr. Alexander Kuznetsov, a scientist in the Semiconductor Spectroscopy Department at PDI and a member of the Core Research Area Control of Elementary Excitations by Acoustic Fields, has been invited to deliver talks at two internationally recognized conferences in 2025.

Dr. Markus Wagner, head of PDI’s Semiconductor Spectroscopy Department, has been invited to speak at Phononics 2025 in Seoul. The conference brings together international experts to explore cutting-edge developments in phononic materials, phonon transport, and topological phononics.

We're delighted to announce that Master’s student Adriano Notarangelo successfully completed his degree in Solid State Physics and Quantum Technologies, graduating with top honors (110/110 cum laude). Adriano conducted his thesis research at PDI from July 2024 to March 2025, working under the supervision of PDI scientist Philipp John and long-time PDI collaborator Stefano Carlo Cecchi.

We’re pleased to announce that Francisca Marín Largo has successfully completed her PhD at PDI, defending her dissertation “Charge Carrier Dynamics Under the Influence of Extreme Strain Gradients Realized in Bent Semiconductor Nanowires.”

Our researchers are regularly invited to speak at top international events. Here’s where you can catch them in April.

PDI PhD student Mikel Gómez Ruiz successfully defended his thesis on March 27 at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. His dissertation, titled "Carrier recombination in group-III-V nanowires – Investigation of defects and transport via cathodoluminescence spectroscopy," was supervised by PDI Senior Scientist Dr. Jonas Lähnemann.

Madeleine Msall, Josiah Little Professor of Natural Science at Bowdoin College and regular guest scientist at PDI, will give her inaugural lecture at Bowdoin on Tuesday, April 8, 2025. In this livestreamed public talk, Prof. Msall will explore the story of phonons—quantum vibrations that carry heat and sound through solids—and their role in the performance of modern semiconductors, including those operating at cryogenic temperatures.

Over the past three months, theatre artist Mary Kelly built trust with the PDI community, exploring materials science through an artist’s lens. Her residency may have formally ended, but our relationship continues—her journey of reflection and creation is just beginning, and we look forward to seeing how our collaboration evolves. Read more about the seminar that wrapped up this phase and what comes next.

For the past three months, theatre artist Mary Kelly has been PDI’s Artist-in-Residence (AiR), immersing herself in the world of materials science and exploring how scientific and artistic practices can inform one another. Now, as her residency comes to a close, she’s ready to share what she’s learned—through a special online presentation featuring readings from her work.