Dr Steven Hepplestone
Senior Lecturer
Physics and Astronomy
Dr. Steven Paul Hepplestone areas of research is in theoretical physics, with a principle focus on interfaces and their application to renewables.
Interfaces and material prediction
The physics behind joining two materials together and their resultant properties is highly fascinating. New materials can form, which are supported by the effects created by the two adjacent "bulk" materials. On its own, the search for and discovery of new materials is exciting, but add to this the additional factors arising from interfaces and there is a multitude of interesting things to explore.
Renewable technology and sustainability
Our planet is in crisis, and as scientists, we are in a race against time to find technologies that may help us mitigate or avoid a climate disaster. This can be rechargeable batteries, thermoelectrics, solar cells or new ways to produce clean fuels but all of these have critical role to play in our future society. As a theorist, developing new materials and technologies to tackle this is one aspect of our research. In addition, theory can help tackle how to optimise a material or device and often provide critical data to industry and experimentalists as to how to get a device optimised or working.
Our groups website is https://artemis-materials.co.uk/
A list of research topics can be found here
Career History
2020-PRESENT - SENIOR LECTURER: UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
2016-2020 LECTURER: UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
2015-2016 - SENIOR SCIENTIST: DEREGALLERA
Developed energy storage solutions in terms of rechargeable batteries and capacitors.
2011-2014 - POST-DOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOW: UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON,
Investigated the behaviour of metal/semiconductor interfaces and the arising physics.
2010- 2011 - RESEARCHER: JOINT BETWEEN ELEMENT 6 AND UNIVERSITY OF SURREY
Transport behavior of delta-doped diamond transistors.
2006-2010 - POST-DOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOW: UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
Thermal properties of thermoelectrics and phononic structures.
2003-2006 - PHD: UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
Thermal properties of semiconducting nanostructures.
Details
Steven Hepplestone's current research areas are the physics and properties of:
Energy storage Batteries Collosal permittivity materials Energy conversion Thermoelectrics Photocatalyst Solar power New material design Fundamental physics Electronic devices Physics of Nanomaterials Nanostructures Two-dimensional systems Growth and properties of nanostructures Fundamentals of transport (heat and electronic) Electronics Electrical contacts Device Development.
