Prof. Dr. Norbert Koch
Professor for "Supramolecular Systems" at the Institut für Physik at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Norbert Koch studied Physics at the Technische Universität Graz and was also awarded his doctor’s degree there. After spending one year as scientific assistant at the Joanneum Research GmbH in Weiz, he spent two years as postdoc at Princeton University. In 2003 he joined the Institut für Physik at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, where he led the Emmy Noether Independent Junior Research Group “Supramolecular Systems with Large Energy Level Offset for Organic Electronics” from 2004 to 2009. Then he became full professor at the Humboldt-Universität.
Current research topics
Prof. Koch is active in the fields of organic electronics and molecular electronics, both of which target the realisation of opto-electronic devices (e.g., light emitting diodes, photovoltaic cells, transistors and storage elements) with organic semiconductor materials as active components. Molecular electronics is of particular interest for its huge potential for future applications, which yet need to be explored in detail. The underlying idea is that one day the function of electronic devices should be realised by means of a single or a few specifically interacting molecules. If this concept turns out to yield integrated functions, such as storage, transport, and processing of information, this would result not only in an extreme miniaturisation of devices, but also in a dramatic reduction of material and energy resources necessary for fabrication.
Today devices of organic electronics are already available on the market, e.g. light emitting diodes in displays. Also in organic electronics the construction of electronic devices is based on using organic molecules and polymers, but on an easier accessible macroscopic length scale. Norbert Koch collaborates with colleagues from synthetic chemistry to further develop materials in order to improve the efficiency and durability of opto-electronic devices.
The research on electronically active organic materials interfaces the disciplines of physics, chemistry and electrical engineering, and hence unifies working groups from the Departments of of Physics and Chemistry at the Humboldt Universität and the Helmholtz-Zentrum für Materialien und Energie in Adlershof.
Prof. Koch is particularly interested in improving the knowledge transfer between basic science and industry. To speed up this process he will create an “Open Access Laboratory for Advanced Materials” (OPAL) in Adlershof, where researchers from industry can work and study at the university’s laboratory so that new results can be quickly picked up.
Contact: Prof. Dr. Norbert Koch, e-mail, tel.: +49 (0)30 2093 7819, people.physik.hu-berlin.de/~nkoch/