T: +31 (0)15 2786722
F: +31 (0)15 2787421
Office: 0.241

Research Interests

November 2009 onwards, started PhD-research in Delft with Professor Siebbeles on the opto-electronic properties of binary assemblies of semiconductor nanocrystals, studied by femtosecond THz spectroscopy. After having studied quantum dots by scanning tunneling and transmission electron microscopy, I became interested in the ultrafast THz technique to study the charge dynamics in the novel materials of (ordered) arrays of quantum dots. Currently I characterize systems of PbSe, CdSe of CdTe quantum dots, or combinations of those. I currently try to understand the effects of varying the length or the functional groups of the organic capping layer attached to the quantum dots. It is predicted a bigger interparticle spacing should decrease mobility of charge carriers. I hope to characterize these systems by using grazing incidence small-angle x-ray scattering.        

Biography

Autumn 2009, enrolled in the master-programme Sustainability of Utrecht University.

This short endeavour convinced me of the necessity to develop a sustainable flow of resources and energy on our planet. I decided PhD-research in fundamental physics on exotic material for solarcells would be my current contribution to this cause, and applied for my current position in Delft.

2008-2009, pre-master Humanistics, University of Humanistics Utrecht.

Intrigued by tension between individual rights and responsibility towards fellow human beings and our common interest. What does it mean to be a good person, to lead a good life? How should we humans treat each other?

2008-2009, pre-master Applied Ethics at Utrecht University.

Special interest in John Stuart Mill as a cordial utilitarian, and Christine Korsgaard as Kantian reasoning theorist, who manages to incorporate the idea of the identity of an individual as providing value in ethics.

2006-2008, MSc Chemistry and Physics, cum laude, Utrecht University.

I became interested in the behaviour of matter at the nanoscale, and did research in the group of Professor Vanmaekelbergh on the unification of PbSe nanocrystal films under mild heating. My primary instrument was an advanced Scanning Tunneling Microscope under the supervision of Karin Overgaag and Peter Liljeroth. They proved great people to work with and learn from, and I am still thankful for their teachings. We collaborated with Marijn van Huis from TUDelft, who specializes in Transmission Electron Microscopy. This resulted in a Nanoletters paper which showed nanocrystal unification at a surprisingly low temperature. (doi 10.1021/nl8024467)

MSc Thesis:Quantum Dots taking The Heat, Low Temperature Fusion of Nanocrystals

2003-2007, BSc Physics, Utrecht University.

Collaborated in research on self-assembling silica colloids with Professor Van Blaaderen at the Debye Institute. Under the supervision of the kind and talented Job Thijssen I practiced making colloidal crystals in electric AC-fields, and studying these systems with Confocal Microscopy.

BSc Thesis: Fixing Binary Colloidal Crystals for Photonic Applications.  

Publications

• Low-Temperature Nanocrystal Unification through Rotations and Relaxations Probed by in Situ Transmission Electron Microscopy,
  M.A. van Huis, L.T. Kunneman, K. Overgaag, Q. Xu, G. Pandraud, H.W. Zandbergen, D. Vanmaekelbergh, Nano Letters, 2008, 8 (11), pp 3959-3963, DOI: 10.1021/nl8024467.     pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/nl8024467