Flurin Eisner

Role: Research Associate (EPSRC Doctoral Prize fellow), Department of Physics, Imperial College London

Subject area: New materials for sustainable energy generation

Nationality: Swiss

I recently finished my PhD in the Department of Physics at Imperial and am now a Post-Doctoral Researcher developing new materials for sustainable energy generation using the power of the sun. I am originally from Switzerland but went to secondary school and then to University in the UK and by now I am so British that I like marmite and baked beans!

Hear from Flurin, who is researching new materials for making sustainable energy solar cells and why he wanted to work in this field.

Interview with Flurin

Hear from Flurin, who researches new materials for solar cells, about why he wanted to work in this area.

Education

EducationGCSE (or equivalent): Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Maths, Classics, History, Media Studies, English, Latin, French, Italian, German

A-Level (or equivalent): A-levels – Maths, Physics, Biology; AS-levels – Further Maths, Classics, French 

Degrees:
• MSci in Physics, University of Bristol
• PhD in Experimental Solid State Physics, Imperial College London

Detail about Flurin

Research

My research

I research new materials for efficiently converting sunlight into usable energy such as electricity or hydrogen fuel. Developing materials that can do this more efficiently is vital for reducing the effects of climate change.

My inspiration

My inspiration

My sixth form physics teacher who told me I should not study Physics at University because I was not very good at it. I wanted to prove them wrong!

My STEM hero

Who is your STEM hero?

Rudolph Marcus, a chemist who invented a fundamental theory of how electrons behave in chemical reactions. At 98 years old he is still doing great science research, which I find amazing.

A drawing of atoms

Most significant discovery/invention?

The discovery of atoms, which are the basis of all matter. Without discovering what atoms are made of (neutrons, protons and electrons) no physics or chemistry research in the last 100 years would have been possible.

Two people working in an office

Career options after study

  • Academic/researcher at a university
  • R&D scientist in a large company or tech start-up
  • Scientific consultant
  • Teacher
Mountains

My hobbies

I love cooking, climbing mountains and foraging for mushrooms – preferably all at the same time.

Flurin talks about new materials for converting sunlight into renewable energy.

Flurin talks about his research

Flurin talks about new materials for converting sunlight into renewable energy. 

Learn more about others working in this area