The Unconventional Semiconductors and Their Applications GRS provides a unique forum for young doctoral and post-doctoral researchers to present their work, discuss new methods, cutting edge ideas, and pre-published data, as well as to build collaborative relationships with their peers. Experienced mentors and trainee moderators will facilitate active participation in scientific discussion to allow all attendees to be engaged participants rather than spectators.
Metal-halide perovskites and other emerging semiconductors exhibit diverse dimensionalities. These range from atom-thin 2D sheets and 1D chains to 3D ABX3 frameworks. They offer tunable bandgaps, defect-tolerant lattices, and strong light–matter interactions. Such properties have driven advances in solar cells, LEDs, photodetectors, and more. Their structural and compositional flexibility creates vast design spaces. However, this richness can overwhelm trial-and-error approaches.
Laboratory experiments navigate these design spaces through synthetic feasibility, such as via solution- and vapor-phase routes, additive engineering, and in-situ/ex-situ characterization. In parallel, computational/theoretical methods explore the design spaces through predictive simulations, high-throughput screening, symmetry-guided enumeration, phonon-mode analysis, and machine-learning surrogates. Frontier efforts in both respective fields are rapidly expanding our understanding of metal-halide perovskites and related semiconductors.
Yet many in silico candidates remain out of reach in the lab, and experimental campaigns often yield unexpected polymorphs or kinetic traps. This divergence underscores the value of a collaboration: one that leverages predictive modeling to narrow vast compositional spaces and experimental innovation to translate those predictions into real materials. By also focusing on general strategies across perovskites, double perovskites, vacancy-ordered frameworks, layered chalcogenides, and other unconventional semiconductors, we can accelerate the journey from theory to a tangible device.
We invite contributions from those pushing the frontiers of experimental and from those pioneering techniques in theoretical modeling; hybrid studies are welcome but not required.
Application Instructions
The seminar will feature approximately 10 talks and 2 poster sessions. All attendees are expected to actively participate in the GRS, either by giving an oral presentation or presenting a poster. Therefore, all applications must include an abstract.
The seminar chair will select speakers from abstracts submitted by April 19, 2026. Those applicants who are not chosen for talks and those who apply after the deadline to be considered for an oral presentation will be expected to present a poster. In order to participate, you must submit an application by the date indicated in the Application Information section above.
Program Format
Gordon Research Seminars are 2-day meetings which take place on the Saturday and Sunday just prior to the start of the associated GRC. The GRS opens with a 1-hour introductory session on Saturday afternoon, followed by a poster session, dinner and a 2-hour session in the evening. Sunday morning begins with breakfast and is followed by another 2-hour session, a second poster session, and lunch. A final 1-hour session takes place just after lunch, and the associated GRC begins later that evening.
