Louise Hirst

University of Cambridge

lh619@cam.ac.uk

Louise C. Hirst is Professor of Materials Physics at the University of Cambridge. She obtained her PhD from Imperial College in 2013, and was subsequently appointed National Academies Research Associate, Karles Fellow and Staff Scientists in the Optoelectronics and Radiation effects branch at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory.

She formed the Space Photovoltaics research group in Cambridge in 2018, which bridges the Department of Physics and the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy. Her current research focuses on the development of photovoltaic systems for next generation space power applications, including satellite networks, space exploration and space based solar power.

Translational research within her group looks at ultra-thin photonic integrated devices (doi.org/10.1002/pip.3463), novel III-V growth on graphene (doi.org/10.1088/1361-6528/ac8a4f) and radiation damage in space environments (doi.org/10.1063/5.0103381) and she is principal investigator on current research programmes including “Gliding epitaxy for inorganic space-power sheets” (ERC 853365), “Concentrator solar cells to deliver space based solar power” (BEIS NZIP SBSP1003) and “Radiation induced defects in space photovoltaic systems” (Royal Society, IEC\R3\193005).