Håvard Hem Toftevaag

Hi, I'm Håvard and I was a Young Graduate Trainee in Nanophotonics.

I joined the team in September 2020, only a week after finishing my master's degree in Nanotechnology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. During my studies, I specialised in nanoelectronics and had various courses on the physics of small-scale devices - as well as on the general theory of relativity. For my thesis, I focused on ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and photodetectors made of semiconductor nanowires grown on graphene.

In the Advanced Concepts Team, I started investigating novel applications of nanophotonics and optical systems for future spaceflight, including thermophotonic cooling using LEDs and using nanostructures for more efficient optical solar reflectors. In the latter case, the proposition was to find the optimal arrangement of the metasurface through inverse design, utilising the vast knowledge of machine learning in the team.
Additionally, I joined a project on developing a package for multidimensional numerical integration in Python, called torchquad.

After-work activities I like doing include running, cycling, bouldering, meeting friends, and (as a true Norwegian) cross-country skiing.

Currently, I am in Harish Bhaskaran's group at the University of Oxford. If you have an advanced concept you want to discuss, you can reach me at ku.ca.xo.slairetam@gaavetfot.dravaah or via LinkedIn.