Prof. Dr. Maria A. Loi

Research Priorities: Photophysics and optoelectronics of nanomaterials, metal halide perovskites, colloidal quantum dots, quantum dot superlattices

Maria A. Loi is an Italian physicist and materials scientist. She is a leading researcher in the field of optoelectronics and photonics and has made important contributions to materials physics and the development of devices. Her work on organic, hybrid, and inorganic semiconductors bridges fundamental science and transformative technological applications, particularly in the areas of charge transport, photodetectors, and solar cells.

In collaboration with her colleagues, Maria A. Loi demonstrated the first ambipolar light-emitting transistors, which are devices that combine light emission with transistor-like switching. This pioneering work opened a new research field in optoelectronics. More recently, she achieved a milestone by developing the hitherto highest-efficiency near-infrared light-emitting transistors using PbS quantum dots as the active layer.

In another area of her research, Maria A. Loi is working on replacing lead in perovskite solar cells with tin-based alternatives. In 2018, she achieved the highest power conversion efficiency for tin-based perovskite solar cells at the time. She also discovered the unusually slow carrier relaxation in tin-based perovskites, a discovery later confirmed and expanded by other research groups, and which holds potential for exceeding fundamental solar cell efficiency limits.

As a key contributor to advancing carbon nanotube electronics, Maria A. Loi developed the polymer wrapping technique for purifying semiconducting nanotubes, thus enabling high-purity solutions for devices such as field-effect transistors and inverters. She also introduced a self-assembly method for single-walled carbon nanotubes using thiol-functionalised conjugated polymers, enabling scalable production of high-performance transistors.

In the field of colloidal quantum dot electronics, Maria A. Loi advanced both the production of efficient solar cells and the understanding of their physical properties. She demonstrated tunable density of states to achieve p- or n-type transport, and developed highly stable PbS quantum dot inks for scalable short-wavelength infrared photodetectors. Her work on quantum dot superlattices with record mobilities has opened new avenues in optoelectronic metamaterials.

Maria A. Loi’s findings are applied in solar energy production, infrared sensor technology, light generations, as well as in the development of novel optoelectronic devices.