Professor Vincent Barrioz

 I have joined Northumbria University in 2015 as a Senior Lecturer within the Department of Mathematics, Physics and Electrical Engineering. I obtained my PhD funded by Thales Optics at the University of Wales, Bangor in 2002, developing a “laser-fibre system for in-situ stress monitoring of thin films”.

Over the last 20 years, I worked on photonic structures and devices, with special focus on photovoltaic devices. My research has led to the development of key layers in thin film photovoltaic structures for doped thin film CdTe solar cells achieving conversion efficiency ~15%, fabricated using an innovative patented all-MOCVD dry process. With the company partner Scanwel Ltd, the transfer of process was demonstrated, developing a patented high throughput inline chamberless design based on chemical vapour deposition. I was an active member of the Low Carbon Research Institute (LCRI), where multi-disciplinary research effort with university and industrial partners led to studying the feasibility of implementing renewable energy sources at residential and commercial scales (e.g. DC supply/storage/demand demonstration).