Xiaojing Hao

Scientia Professor Xiaojing Hao is a full Professor (tenured) and ARC Future Fellow at the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW). She is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE), Fellow of the Australian Institute of Physics (FAIP), and Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC), reflecting her significant contributions to renewable energy research.

Professor Hao received her Bachelor of Engineering (1996-2001) and Master of Engineering (2001-2003) from the School of Materials and Metallurgy Science and Engineering at Northeastern University in Shenyang, China. She completed her PhD in 2010 from the School of Photovoltaics and Renewable Energy Engineering at UNSW, where she has remained as faculty.

• Bachelor of Engineering (1996-2001), School of Materials and Metallurgy Science and Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang, China
• Master of Engineering (2001-2003), School of Materials and Metallurgy Science and Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang, China
• PhD (2006-2010), School of Photovoltaics and Renewable Energy Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

Professor Hao's research focuses on low-cost, high-efficiency thin film solar cells and tandem solar cells, with over fifteen years of experience in the field. Her work initially centered on silicon-based solar cells before expanding to earth-abundant compound semiconductor materials such as chalcogenides for both solar photovoltaic and solar fuel applications. She leads a strong research group that has achieved numerous efficiency records on emerging thin film solar cells. Her research spans photovoltaic devices, functional materials, theory and design of materials, compound semiconductors, and nanomaterials, with particular emphasis on kesterite and perovskite solar cell technologies.

Professor Hao has published over 250 peer-reviewed journal articles, including publications in high-impact journals such as Nature Energy and Energy and Environmental Science. Her recent research has focused on perovskite solar cells, kesterite solar cells, chalcohalide solar cells, and tandem solar cell configurations. She has made significant contributions to understanding defect engineering in solar cell materials, interface engineering, and developing scalable fabrication methods for next-generation photovoltaic technologies, with particular focus on cadmium-free alternatives and stability enhancement.

Professor Hao has received numerous prestigious awards for her research excellence:

• Prime Minister's Prizes for Science: Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year (2020)
• Australian Academy of Science Pawsey Medal (2021)
• Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (2024)
• Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (2022)
• ARC Future Fellow (2019)
• Australian's Most Innovative Engineers 2019
• NSW Premier's Prizes for Science & Engineering (Energy Innovation in NSW) (2018)
• Best Poster Award, the 7th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion (2018)
• UNSW Scientia Fellowship (Inaugural) (2017)
• ARC DECRA (2015)
• Australian Renewable Energy Agency Postdoctoral Fellowship (2011)

Professor Hao has secured substantial research funding as lead or chief investigator on numerous projects totaling millions of dollars. Her current grants include an ARC Industrial Transformation Research Hub ($5M, 2024-2029), UK-Australia Renewable Hydrogen Innovation Partnerships Funding ($1,396,414), multiple ARC Linkage and Discovery Projects, and several ARENA grants for research on efficient and stable chalcogenide-Si tandem cells, Si/perovskite tandem modules, and industrial high-throughput inspection methods. She supervises students in solar cell materials and devices and solar fuel devices, and teaches Engineering Postgraduate Coursework Research Skills, Vertically Integrated Projects, and Advanced Photovoltaics.

Professor Hao leads a dynamic research group focused on advancing thin film solar cell technologies, with particular expertise in kesterite and perovskite materials. Her team works on both fundamental materials science and applied device engineering to develop next-generation photovoltaic technologies that are efficient, stable, and cost-effective, with strong industry partnerships for technology transfer and commercialization.