ARC Research Fellow
Centre for Sustainable Energy Systems
(College of Engineering and Computer Science)

Professional Background

Dr Catchpole was previously a post-doctoral fellow at the University of New South Wales and the FOM Institute for Atomic and Molecular Physics in the Netherlands.

Research and Teaching Interests

Dr Catchpole’s interests are in improving the efficiency and reducing the cost of solar cells, and in particular, the scope of the emerging technologies of plasmonics and nanophotonics for achieving these aims.

Notable Publications

S.Pillai, K.R. Catchpole et al., Journal of Applied Physics  101, 093105 (2007).  This paper demonstrated the first surface plasmon enhanced thin film silicon solar cells, with over 30% increase in current over a planar case.  This research was featured in the news section of Science magazine (“New Solar Cells See the Light” 24 April 2007).

K.R. Catchpole and A. Polman, Optics Express 16, 21793 (2008).  This paper explained the major mechanisms behind enhanced absorption using surface plasmons.  This paper was featured in The Economist magazine (“Seeing Red”, 8 January 2009) and had the highest downloads of any Optics Express paper in January 2009. This article was also selected for inclusion in the February 2009 issue of the Virtual Journal of Nanoscale Science & Technology.

S.Pillai, K.R. Catchpole et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 88, 161102 (2006).  This paper demonstrated the first surface-plasmon enhanced silicon light-emitting diodes, with a factor of 8 times enhancement at 900nm.

K.R. Catchpole and S. Pillai, J. Appl. Phys., 100, 044504 (2006).  This paper developed a new physical understanding of how surface plasmons enhance light absorption and emission in solar cells and light-emitting diodes.