Molecular Photophysics (MP2) research group is based in the School of Chemistry at the University of Sydney and was established in 2015 by A/Prof Girish Lakhwani.

Girish completed his integrated masters in chemistry from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur in 2005. He received his PhD degree in 2009 from Eindhoven University of Technology and subsequently conducted postdoctoral research at University of Texas at Austin (2009-11) and University of Cambridge (2011-14) before joining the School of Chemistry in The University of Sydney, where he is currently an associate professor.

He is a chief investigator and deputy director in ARC Centre of Excellence in Exciton Science and group leader of MP2 research group. MP2 research group research is focussed on developing spectroscopic methods to study optical and electronic properties of novel nanoscale semiconductor materials for solar energy harvesting, polarisation switching and polariton lasing. 

Girish is also deputy director (academic partnerships) of The Sydney Nano Institute and director of Institute of Photonics and Optical Science.

What to join the group? Check out this link

CURRENT TEAM MEMBERS

PAST TEAM MEMBERS

Where are they now?

Patrick Conaghan (Postdoc, 2019-21) – policy advisor, Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, UK Government

Randy Sabatini (Postdoc, 2017-20) – optoelectronics designer, IMAX corporation, Toronto

Ashish Sharma (PhD, 2020) – postdoc in Dr Akshay Rao group, University of Cambridge

Caleb Stamper (Honours, 2020) – PhD at University of Wollongong, Sydney

Matthew Rahme (Honours, 2019) – PhD at School of Physics, University of Sydney

Claire Wallace (Honours with University medal, 2017) – Associate at PWC, Sydney

PhD, Masters and Honours Graduations:

Yun Li – PhD, 2023 | Thesis titled “Design of laser structures and configurations with solution processed active materials“

Julien Leoni – PhD, 2022 | Thesis titled “The multifaceted role of Perylene Diimides in Organic Solar Cells“

Asher Jintoorkar – Honours, 2022 | Thesis titled “Non-linear optical properties in chiral Metal-organic frameworks for all optical switching“

Yanchen Zhou – MPhil, 2021 | Theses titled “Study of Charge Transfer Dynamics in Organic Solar Cells via Drift-Diffusion Simulation“

Ashish Sharma – PhD, 2020 | Thesis titled “Chiroptical phenomena in conjugated systems“

Caleb Stamper – Honours, 2020 | Thesis titled “An Investigation into the Magneto-Optical Effects of Methylammonium Lead Halide Perovskites and their Potential as Faraday Rotator Materials“

Alison Campbell – Honours, 2019 | Thesis titled “One at a Time: Studying Quantum Dots Through Single Molecule Spectroscopy“

Matthew Rahme – Honours, 2019 | Thesis titled “A Electrically Conductive Material Blend for Polariton Lasing“

Yun Li – Honours, 2018 | Thesis titled “Probing Photophysical Properties of Singlet Fission Materials“

Yanchen Zhou – Graduate Diploma, 2018 | Thesis titled “Investigation of Singlet Fission by Studying Optical Properties of Pentacene Dimers“

Claire Wallace – Honours (with university medal), 2017 | Thesis titled “Magnetic Circular Dichroism in Supramolecular Systems“

Undergraduate research students:

Exchange Students: 2019 – Nicola Hensiek (University of Wuerzberg) | 2018 – Maura Appleberry (Boston University), Eleanor Forbes (University of Southampton) | 2016 – Yuxuan Wu (Nanjing University) | 2015 – Jiawei Lu (Nanjing University)

Summer Scholars: 2022 – Michael Vamiadakis | 2020 – Muhammad Afnan Sheikh | 2018 – Lauren MacRae, Evan Hockings | 2017 – Joshua Maxwell, Franco Licham, Yun Li | 2016 – Olivia McRae, Claire Wallace, Edward Phillips | 2015 – Michael Clarke, Joshua Sutton

TSP/SSP/Project Students: 2021 – Alex Frisina | 2018 – Keita Richardson | 2017 – Clare Birch, Alison Campbell, Kian Phu | 2015 – Kevin Jia, Jerry Li, Edward Philips | 2014 – Sarah Alam

Group photos and videos

Us at 2022 Centre at Annual Workshop, Lorne

Us at 2021 Centre annual workshop, Fairmont resort, Leura, NSW