Global Cambridge Singapore - Science for the New Energy Era
Global Cambridge Singapore - Science for the New Energy Era
Join Professor Akshay Rao (Corpus Christi 2008) from the Cavendish Laboratory, as he reveals some of the ground-breaking energy science underway in Cambridge and discusses the fundamental work taking place in the physical sciences. Our expert panel will then discuss the key challenges and opportunities in this area, as we seek to deliver the fundamental scientific breakthroughs that could help deliver a new era of ultra-low-cost green energy.
The evening will include drinks and canapés, and an opportunity to network with fellow Cambridge alumni and friends.
More information on the subject:
From prehistory until the 17th century, humans used what they found locally on the surface of the earth as their primary source of energy, mostly biomass and animals. From the 17th century onwards, the advent of the era of fossil fuels massively altered the course of human history. Generation, transportation, and consumption of energy were not only decoupled but also radically transformed. Energy took centre stage in the modern economy and the story of human material progress. Unfortunately, this has also brought us to the brink of environmental disaster. Today, we must enter a third era in energy; an era where most of our energy will need to be generated from renewable sources.
Speaker
Professor Akshay Rao
Akshay is Professor of Physics at the Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge. He obtained in BSc from St Stephen’s College, University of Delhi, in 2006 and MSc from the University of Sheffield in 2007. He completed his Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge in 2011 under the supervision of Prof. Sir Richard Friend, following which he held a Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) at Corpus Christi College, before establishing his independent research group in 2014.
His research interests lie in the study of energy materials, in particular to elucidate the fundamental electronic, structural and transport dynamics of these materials and help guide the design of novel materials and devices for applications in photovoltaics, LEDs and batteries. He has pioneered a new generation of optical spectroscopy and microscopy experiments that are allowing us to understand these materials with unprecedented spatial and temporal precision.
He is co-founder of Cambridge Photon Technology (https://www.cambridgephoton.com/) and illumion (https://www.illumion.io).