Optical excitations in organic and inorganic semiconductors

Semiconductor materials are the cornerstone of modern electronic and photonic technology and central to sustainable economic growth. So far, the functions of semiconductors are mainly defined by chemical and physical properties of their components, and organic and inorganic semiconductors are treated as separate research areas. We want to overcome the divide in material systems and tailor the optoelectronic properties by different means.

Together with the University of Melbourne and Monash University, the University of Bayreuth has established an International Research Training Group in the field of semiconductor research. The graduate school started in spring 2023 and is funded by the German Science Foundation DFG (IRTG 2818/project number 464648486).

Our Focus
How can we tailor the optoelectronic properties of semiconductors, notably the nature of their photoexcitations, by employing external stimuli such as adjusting the local environment or using local fields?
Double degree
A central element in our program is the extended research stay abroad. You spend 6 to 12 months at the partner institutions and obtain a double degree, i.e., a PhD from both universities.
Open PhD Projects
Have a look at the PhD research topics on offer in the areas of experimental and theoretical physics, synthetic, physical and computational chemistry, electrical engineering, and related areas.

Talks & Tutorials

Dr. Matt Gebert

Monash University, Australia

Talk 1st Oct 2025:
Nanostructure characterization using resonant scattering


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Prof. Dr. Margherita Maiuri

Politecnico di Milano, Italy

Talk 15th July 2025:
Harnessing light and manipulating matter with ultrafast multidimensional spectroscopy

Career talk 17th July 2025
Controlling Light an Matter with Lasers: A Journey in Ultrafast Science


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News

Summertime networking at OPTEXC headquarters
24. Juli 2025 | News

Summertime networking at OPTEXC headquarters: On July 23 and 24, 2025, we had the pleasure of hosting Prof. Smith for project and supervision meetings with our joint PhD students and alumni. It was great to catch up with him and discuss running programmes as well as future collaboration opportunities. After lab tours and research workshops […]

Australian Talks at UBT
23. Mai 2025 | News

Australian Talks at UBT: What a busy Aussie week it’s been at OPTEXC headquarters – Udo Bach from Monash University, David Jones from University of Melbourne, and Lukas Zeininger (U of Melbourne from August 2025) visited the University of Bayreuth! Udo and David gave engaging talks while Lukas met with Bayreuth peers to prep upcoming […]

IRTG Annual Meeting – Melbourne 2025
26. Februar 2025 | News

IRTG Annual Meeting – Melbourne 2025: On February 17, the OPTEXC Annual Meeting 2025 took off at the University of Melbourne in Australia. Under clear blue skies our IRTG PIs, Early Career Researchers and guests from the University of Bayreuth, the University of Melbourne and Monash University came together to connect and exchange the latest […]