---

---

UNT physics assistant professor Dr. Jens Neu has received the 2026 Young Scientist Award from the International Society of Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz Waves (IRMMW-THz) for his research into novel materials for solar applications.

The IRMMW-THz is the oldest and largest society dedicated to the field of ultra-high frequency electronics and applications. The Young Scientist Award is an annual recognition of interdisciplinary, outstanding scientific contributions to the field of IRMMW-THz research by a non-tenured professor under the age of 40.

Dr. Neu's research focuses on identifying new semiconductor materials that could one day outperform silicon, improving technologies ranging from solar cells to smartphones and advanced electronics. As a member of UNT's Center for Microelectronics in Extreme Environments, Dr. Neu collaborates with an interdisciplinary team dedicated to developing next-generation semiconductors and electronic materials.

“I work very closely with chemists, chemical engineers, electrical engineers and material scientists,” says Dr. Neu. “They fabricate new material, and I figure out if that material does what they intended it to do; and then we work together to better understand the physics underlying this novel material. I'm focused mainly on emerging materials for renewable energy applications. Simply put, I get a black powder from my collaborators, and I figure out if that can be the next solar cell or if it's just black powder.”

Since coming to UNT in 2023, Dr. Neu has appreciated the institution’s emphasis on research collaboration across disciplines. He sees this award as a sign that his research career is trending in the right direction and hopes the path he’s on leads to a revolutionary discovery.

“The breakthrough would be finding the ‘next silicon’, finding a material that is cheaper and better for solar cells or for any electronics,” says Dr. Neu. “If you want to improve what we have at the moment when it comes to solar cells, your smartphone, computers — when it comes to all consumer electronics — at some point we need to be able to leave that old roadmap to find a material that outperforms silicon. The dream is that I play a role in finding that material.”

While the award recognizes Dr. Neu’s contributions, he says the achievement reflects the work of the entire research team, especially the students helping drive discovery in the lab.

“It's great to work with outstanding students,” says Dr. Neu. “I'm the one getting that award, but it's, of course, their work, too, that I'm presenting there. So, I'm very grateful for having my research students and the privilege of working with them and seeing how engaged they are and being able to help them on their trajectory to becoming scientists. That's the best part about the award — it also recognizes what my students have accomplished.”

Via UNT News