Dr Michael P. Nielsen is currently a Scientia Senior Lecturer in the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, and Group Leader of the Advanced Optoelectronic Spectroscopy Group.

He obtained his BEng in Engineering Physics (Nanoengineering) in 2011 from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, followed by an MSc in Electrical Engineering (Photonics and Plasmas Specialization) in 2013 where he was supervised by Professor Abdul Elezzabi, also at the Unversity of Alberta. Dr. Nielsen graduated with a PhD in Physics in 2017 from Imperial College London where he studied semiconductor nanoplasmonics under Professor Rupert Oulton and Professor Stefan Maier. After graduation, he continued at Imperial College London as a Research Associate studying nonlinear optics in plasmonic and nanophotonics systems and managing an ultrafast spectroscopy laser laboratory, before coming to UNSW as a postdoctoral fellow in May 2018. Starting January 2019, Michael was appointed a UNSW Scientia Lecturer and promoted to Senior Lecturer in July 2022.

His research is focused on the use of ultrafast spectroscopic techniques for advanced characterization and development of novel optoelectronic devices and materials, with an special focus on interfaces. Such techniques include transient absorption spectroscopy (TAS), femtosecond stimulated Raman spectroscopy (FSRS), THz time-domain spectroscopy, and surface SHG spectroscopy along others. Other interests include hot carriers for photovoltaics, photodetection, and photochemistry, hybrid molecular organic-inorganic systems focusing on singlet fission and triplet-triplet annihilation for up/down conversion for photovoltaic and light emitting applications, and thermoradiative diodes for night-time power generation.

His research has been supported by an Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA, 2023-2026), the Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery and Linkage Programs, and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).