Photo: Thorkild Amdi Christensen

AEG Elektron Award goes to photonics researcher

Physics
This year’s Elektron Award from the AEG Elektronfonden foundation has been presented to Professor Peter Uhd Jepsen from DTU Fotonik, who—in just a few years—has succeeded in cultivating a completely new area of research and marking Denmark out as one of the leading countries in the world for Terahertz research. Professor Peter Uhd Jepsen’s work focuses on the dynamics of electrons in the very fastest time scale, research that is relevant in numerous areas, including understanding modern transistors, which work at THz speed.

On 2 September, Professor Peter Uhd Jepsen was presented with the 2014 AEG Elektron Award. DTU President Anders Bjarklev justified the decision as follows:

Peter Uhd Jepsen arrived at DTU in 2005, and, in a relatively short space of time, has succeeded in elevating the University to an international leader in Terahertz research.

His team is investigating the dynamics of electrons in the very fastest time scale—i.e. faster than a picosecond—which is relevant in numerous areas, including understanding modern transistors that operate at THz speed.

THz technologies can also be used for touch-free measurement of the electrical properties of next-generation transparent electrodes for touchscreens based on graphene, and for measuring the conductivity of modern solar cells.

Most recently, Professor Peter Uhd Jepsen’s research team has established that intense THz pulses can be used to study how electronic components degrade when they are exposed to strong, ultra-fast electrical fields (electromigration). This is of particular relevance for lifetime testing the ultra-fast electronic components of the future. The group has also developed a new and promising electron source that emits electron pulses lasting less than a picosecond—a discovery with great potential in the field of time-resolved electron microscopy.

Professor Peter Uhd Jepsen has simultaneously established several partnerships with industry and the cultural community in Denmark—centred, for example, on non-destructive testing used in fields crucial to Danish society such as the wind turbine industry, food analysis and inspecting works of art to assist conservators.