Karin Hinzer

Biography

Karin Hinzer is the Canada Research Chair in Photonic Nanostructures and Integrated Devices and Associate Professor at the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Ottawa. She has made pioneering contributions to the experimental physics of quantum dots marked by two landmark papers in Science. She gained extensive experience in the design and fabrication of group III-V semiconductor devices while at the National Research Council Canada, Nortel Networks and then Bookham (now Oclaro). Cost reduction strategies and liaison with remote fabrication facilities strongly feature in her industry experience. Professor Hinzer joined the University of Ottawa in 2007 where she founded the SUNLAB, the premier Canadian modelling and characterization laboratory for next generation multi-junction solar devices and concentrator systems. Her research involves developing new ways to harness the sun’s energy.  In 2010, she was the recipient of the Inaugural Canadian Energy Award with industry partner Morgan Solar for the development of more efficient solar panels. From 2010 to 2015, she was the inorganic photovoltaics co-theme leader within the Pan-Canadian Photovoltaic Research Network. In 2015, she received the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation Early Researcher Award for her contributions to the fields of photonic devices and photovoltaic systems. She is a member of the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists of the Royal Society of Canada and the recipient of the University of Ottawa Young Researcher Award for 2016. Professor Hinzer has published over 130 refereed papers, trained over 85 highly-qualified personnel and her laboratory has spun-off three Canadian companies in the energy sector.  

Research Interest

  Photonics, renewable energy, solar energy, semiconductor devices.