Christiane Becker receives a professorship at HTW Berlin University of Applied Sciences

Prof. Dr. Christiane Becker has accepted the call to a W2 professorship for the field of “Experimental physics focusing on material sciences and photonics” at HTW Berlin University of Applied Sciences. Since October 2012, she has headed a Young Investigator Group funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, BMBF.

Together with her team, Christiane Becker is developing nano- and micro-structured silicon components for applications in photovoltaics and photonics. She is intentionally employing simple, low-cost manufacturing processes that will later be suitable for up-scaling to industrial production. “Our focus is on highly scalable fabrication methods, among others the development of nanoimprint lithography and silicon vapour deposition,” says the head of the Young Investigator Group Nano-SIPPE. The name of her group stands for “Nanostructured SIlicon for Photonic and Photovoltaic ImplEmentations”. Christiane Becker’s team is collaborating closely with industrial companies and holds several patents.

“I am very happy about the professorship, because it provides long-term prospects for my research, and I thank HZB for its support. HTW Berlin offers a stimulating environment, and I am looking forward to still being a part of the education and training of students,” the physicist says. With this joint appointment by HTW Berlin and HZB, Christiane Becker will also continue researching at HZB with her Young Investigator Group.

Christiane Becker received her doctorate in 2006 at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) with a thesis on nonlinear optics of photonic crystals. She then moved to the Institute for Silicon Photovoltaics of HZB and, in 2012, successfully applied for funding for her BMBF Young Investigator Group. In 2014, Christiane Becker was called to a limited W2 professorship at HTW Berlin, which was extended into a permanent professorship in March 2017.