Amy Kirwan

Together with sponsor Catalyst Analog Devices, Tyndall celebrates the winners and finalists of the 2019 Postgraduate Publication of the Year .

Dr. Fatima Gunning, Senior Staff Researcher & Acting Head of Graduate Studies at Tyndall, praised the entries, saying: "This was an exceptionally competitive year with outstanding articles and publications in a cross-section of high-impact journals showcasing Tyndall’s research breadth and excellence."

Mike Morrissey, Technology Manager, Analog Devices echoed this:

“The long-term and strategic partnership between Analog Devices and Tyndall provides continuity of innovative research capability as well as access to a diverse and world-class talent pipeline. We are delighted to sponsor the Postgraduate Publication of the Year as it exemplifies the excellent deep-tech research Tyndall is renowned for and is aligned with core technologies of mutual interest for communications, energy, agri-tech and advanced manufacturing”

To help inspire other postgraduate students, both in Tyndall and those around the globe, we decided to profile this generation's future research leaders.

Amy Kirwan

Finalist

What encouraged you to submit your application to Postgraduate Publication of the Year?
I submitted to this competition as it is such a nice opportunity to share my Ph.D. research with other Tyndall postgrad students and a chance to highlight the different kinds of research being undertaken throughout the institute.
What inspired you to choose the subject of your paper?
The subject of my paper was based on the ever increasing need to improve our technological advancements and improve efficiency of everyday products, this improvement starts at a ground level in theoretical research.
What’s your paper about and how did you prepare for it? What role did research excellence play in your approach?
My paper discusses the viability of a new material, Germanium carbide, for use in optoelectronic devices. In preparing my paper I gathered together all previous literature on the subject and endeavoured to further the current understanding of novel group IV materials.
The selection for Postgraduate Publication of the Year is extremely competitive. What is your advice for those aspiring for nomination next year?
My advice would be to be proud of your research and put forward your application, even if you feel it may not win. All research publications from a Ph.D. researcher are an achievement and this competition is a great way to highlight the passion and hardwork done by postgrad students within Tyndall.
What is the single most significant support Tyndall has been able to offer you in achieving your research goals?
A big asset for my research is access to our local cluster which is such a great support to have available within the institute. The most significant support would be the people and mentorship of the excellent research staff within Tyndall who are constantly striving for research excellence and have proven to be experts within their fields.

Research Publication Link

“Nature of the band gap of Ge:C alloys: insights from hybrid functional density functional theory calculations”, Amy Kirwan, Stefan Schulz and Eoin P O'Reilly, 2019 Semicond. Sci. Technol. 34 075007