Dr Carlos Garcia Nunez he/him
Engineering smart materials and photonic devices for self-powered sensing, sustainable technologies and healthcare
Senior Lecturer of Electronics and Nanoscale Engineering
James Watt School of Engineering
Research interests:
Nanomaterials, Photonics, Optoelectronics, Photodetectors, Energy Harvesting, Self-Powered Sensors, Piezoelectric Materials, Triboelectric Nanogenerators, Semiconductor Nanostructures, Optical Coatings
Research fields:
Nanotechnology, Optoelectronics, Semiconductor Devices, Photonic Sensors, Energy Harvesting, Sustainable Electronics, Advanced Manufacturing, Biomedical Sensing
Strategic Research Areas
Why do you want to join the DiveIn community?
I would like to join the DiveIn CDT community because its emphasis on interdisciplinary, mission-driven research closely aligns with the way I develop my research programme and supervise researchers. My work brings together advanced materials, electronics and photonics to address challenges in sustainable technologies, sensing and healthcare, and I see considerable value in co-creating PhD projects with researchers and supervisors from disciplines beyond my own.
I am particularly attracted by DiveIn’s focus on building diverse and inclusive research teams, positive research culture, and open and responsible research. I would welcome the opportunity to contribute my experience in doctoral supervision, international collaboration and industry-facing research, while also learning from colleagues across the wider CDT community.
I see DiveIn as an opportunity to develop ambitious interdisciplinary research, establish new collaborations across the University and with external partners, and help researchers develop into confident, independent scientists and future research leaders.
Personal profile:
My research passion is the development of smart materials and nanostructured devices that can interact with light, mechanical energy and their surrounding environment. I am particularly interested in turning fundamental materials science into functional technologies for photonics, sensing, energy harvesting and healthcare.
I lead the Smart Materials Group within the Microelectronics Laboratory (meLAB) at the University of Glasgow. Our research spans advanced thin films, semiconductor nanostructures, graphene, piezoelectric and triboelectric materials, photodetectors, optical coatings and self-powered devices. A key aspect of our work is translation: we work closely with industrial partners to move promising materials and devices towards real applications.
I am especially interested in forming collaborations that connect electronics and photonics with physics, biomedical engineering, chemistry, advanced manufacturing and sustainability. Within DiveIn, I would be excited to co-create projects around self-powered sensors, sustainable electronics, wearable or biomedical devices, broadband photodetection, piezophototronics, energy harvesting, and advanced optical materials. I particularly enjoy projects where researchers from different disciplines bring complementary perspectives to a problem that could not be solved effectively within a single field.
As a supervisor, I aim to be supportive, accessible and ambitious. I encourage researchers to develop independence and ownership of their projects, while providing regular scientific discussion, clear expectations and opportunities to publish, collaborate internationally, engage with industry and develop their own professional networks. My group includes researchers working across different career stages and disciplines, and I place considerable value on creating an environment in which people feel comfortable contributing ideas and challenging established approaches.
Equity, diversity and inclusion are central to how I approach supervision and team building. I aim to provide fair access to opportunities, adapt supervision to individual needs, maintain transparent expectations and create a respectful research culture in which different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives are valued.
Originally from Spain, I have made Glasgow my home for more than a decade. I enjoy the international character of research and the opportunity it provides to learn from people with very different perspectives. Outside the laboratory, much of my time is spent exploring Scotland with my family, which provides a useful reminder that some of the best ideas often emerge away from the desk.
