Øystein Prytz

Academic Interests

My research interests are within the field of solid state/materials physics. Specifically, my interests are focused on applications of electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) in the transmission electron microscope (TEM) in the development of new thermoelectric materials. This combination of techniques allows the study of electronic structure and bonding of materials with a spatial resolution at the nanometer level. Such studies are of increasing importance in the materials physics community as more effort is being directed at creating new, nanostructured materials with specific functional properties. Using EELS in the TEM, the bonding characteristics of these materials can be investigated at an unrivalled spatial resolution. These studies become particularly interesting when combined with theoretical investigations based on e.g. density functional theory (DFT), giving insight into the origin of electronic, optical and mechanical properties.

Higher education and employment history

• Cand. scient. (M.Sc.) degree in physics from the University of Oslo, 2003
• Ph.d. degree in physics from the university of Oslo, 2007

Prytz group page: Optical and Electronic Properties at the Nanoscale