Jan Valenta is professor of quantum optics and optoelectronics in the Department of Chemical Physics and Optics, Faculty of Mathematics & Physics, Charles University, Prague. His Nanoscopy group is working on development of advanced spectroscopy methods and their applications to various materials, especially nanostructured (quantum dots, nanowires) as well as bulk semiconductors (Si, SiC, ZnO etc.). His students are growing various nanomaterials: gold nanorods and assemblies, perovskites, Si nanocrystals etc.
Jan spent his postdoctoral stays in the Group of Non-linear Optics and Optoelectronics, CNRS - U. Louis Pasteur in Strasbourg (Prof. Bernd Hönerlage) and at Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm – Kista (Prof. Jan Linnros). He worked also in the University of South Bohemia, Budweiss; Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences and he was visiting professor in the Institute of Advanced Energy, Kyoto University. He was involved in number of national and international projects, recently collaborating with Freiburg University, Kobe University or Oslo University.
Janʼs professional interests include: Micro-spectroscopy and single molecule (nano-object) spectroscopy. Photoluminescence emission and excitation spectroscopy, electroluminescence, pump-and-probe techniques, spectral hole-burning. Absolutely calibrated spectroscopy, external and internal quantum yield, absorption cross-section measurements etc. Investigation of mechanisms of photoluminescence, excitonic and multiexcitonic phenomena, dynamics of photo-created carriers and quantum confinement effects. Nanostructured materials – semiconductors, photonic structures (epitaxial layers and nanocrystals of II-VI, III-V and I-VII semiconductors and Si-based materials). Bio-interaction of nanomaterials, fluorescent probes for bio-imaging.