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Svenja Janke

Dr. Svenja M. Janke

Ramsay Fellow (Society of Chemical Industry)

I am a Ramsay postdoctoral research fellow. I simulate new materials to advance development of more efficient LEDs, solar cells or catalysts. In your smartphone, the display consumes most of the energy, and in solar cells, a large part of the energy from the light is lost. I'm using computer simulations to understand how energy is handled in different materials. In particular, I develop a method that will allow to understand how promising materials gather or give off light. With this understanding, I hope to contribute to the development of more energy-efficient materials, so that, e.g., your smartphone can run longer without charging.

My second research interest is in understanding basic, catalytic processes that happen at metal surfaces. When a molecule like CO hits a metal surface like Au, it can exchange energy with the surface atoms. In some cases, it can also exchange energy with the electrons of the metal. I investigate how processes change if the molecule exchanges much or little energy with the surface electrons.

Academic Background

2020-2023

WIRL-COFUND Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Warwick, Warwick, UK
Group of Prof. Dr. Reinhard Maurer

2018-2020

Postdoctoral Researcher, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
Group of Prof. Dr. Volker Blum
2018-2019 Fellowship from the German Research Foundation (DFG)

2017

Postdoctoral Researcher, Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, Berlin, Germany, Theory Department of Prof. Dr. Matthias Scheffler, group of Dr. Mariana Rossi in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Volker Blum at Duke University

2016

Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
Group of Prof. Dr. Alec Wodtke

2012-2016

Doctoral Researcher, University of Göttingen and Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
Group of Prof. Dr. Alec Wodtke

2012

Master of Science, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany

2009

Bachelor of Science, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany