Helena Vieira Alberto

Helena Vieira Alberto is an Associate Professor at the University of Coimbra's Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences and Technology. She holds a PhD in Experimental Physics (1995) and has been a faculty member since 1983. Her research focuses on condensed matter physics, particularly using muon spin spectroscopy (μSR) to study semiconductor materials, solar cell interfaces, and defect dynamics. She has led numerous research projects funded by FCT and international collaborations, including studies on CIGS solar cells and hydrogen/muonium behavior in oxides and chalcogenides.

Education: PhD in Experimental Physics (University of Coimbra, 1995), MSc in Physics (University of Coimbra, 1985). Professional roles include serving as Vice-President of the International Society for MuSR Spectroscopy (2016–2023) and organizing major conferences like the 15th International MuSR Conference (2022). She has supervised over 10 graduate students in physics and engineering, with a focus on solar energy and quantum technologies.

Research interests span muon-based defect analysis in semiconductors, photovoltaic materials, and quantum technologies. Key contributions include pioneering depth-resolved μSR studies of CIGS solar cells and elucidating hydrogen-related defects in oxides like ZrO₂ and Y₂O₃. Her work bridges experimental physics with computational methods like density-functional theory.

Notable awards include a pedagogical excellence award (2016). She has authored/co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed articles in journals such as Physical Review B, Applied Materials Today, and Advanced Materials Interfaces. Her lab develops novel techniques for muon implantation analysis and applies these to energy materials and quantum systems.