Postdoctoral Fellow
Research group | Materials and Technologies for Sustainable Energy
Main supervisor | Sabrina Sartori
Co-supervisor | -
Affiliation | Department of Technology Systems, UIO
Contact | Insert
Short bio
Dr. Waqas Zulfiqar is a researcher in physics and materials science whose work is driven by one central question: how can advanced materials accelerate the transition toward a sustainable hydrogen economy?
His scientific journey began with a deep interest in computational physics and clean energy materials, leading him to pursue a PhD in Physics at Government College University Faisalabad under the supervision of S. M. Alay-e-Abbas. During his doctoral research, he focused on Density Functional Theory (DFT), photocatalytic materials, and sustainable hydrogen production. Seeking broader international collaboration and exposure to atomistic-scale modeling, he later joined Technical University of Denmark as a guest researcher under the supervision of Juan Maria García Lastra, where he investigated charge carrier transport for energy applications.
Following his PhD, Dr. Zulfiqar continued his research career in Belgium as a postdoctoral researcher at University of Namur and Ghent University under the guidance of Luc Henrard and Stefaan Cottenier. His research expanded into light–matter interaction, defective oxides, and hydrogen-related materials for future energy technologies. He is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at University of Oslo, where he works on sustainable hydrogen storage systems and computational materials design for clean energy applications.
Research interests and hobbies
Hydrogen is the future.
Materials discovery is the bridge.
Machine learning illuminates the path.
Together, we connect the dots toward a sustainable tomorrow.
The global transition toward clean energy requires not only new technologies, but also a deeper understanding of the materials that make those technologies possible. Hydrogen, as a carbon-free and versatile energy carrier, has the potential to transform transportation, industry, and power generation. However, realizing a hydrogen-based economy depends critically on the development of efficient and safe hydrogen production, storage, and utilization systems.
Dr. Zulfiqar’s research focuses on discovering and designing advanced hydrogen storage materials through computational approaches, particularly Density Functional Theory (DFT), atomistic simulations, and machine learning-assisted materials discovery. His work aims to understand how hydrogen interacts with metals and alloys at the atomic scale, enabling the prediction and optimization of material performance for next-generation energy systems.
A particular area of interest is hydrogen storage in metal hydrides and iron-based alloys, where understanding hydrogen penetration, diffusion, and interfacial interactions remains a major scientific challenge. By combining first-principles calculations with machine learning and multiscale modeling, his research seeks to accelerate the discovery of high-performance materials for sustainable hydrogen technologies.
Beyond research, he enjoys playing pool and bowling, exploring cafés, participating in language-exchange gatherings, and appreciating classical cinema — activities that reflect his curiosity about both science and culture.
DSTrain project
High-Entropy Alloys and TiFe Systems for Sustainable Hydrogen Storage (HEATS-H2)
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The HEATS-H2 project represents a step toward the next generation of AI-driven materials for hydrogen storage. The project aims to develop advanced multiscale computational models to understand hydrogen adsorption and absorption in metal hydrides, with a particular focus on FeTi alloys and high-entropy alloys (HEAs) for safe and efficient hydrogen storage and transportation.
By integrating Density Functional Theory (DFT), kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC), and machine learning (ML), the project investigates atomic-scale mechanisms such as phase transformations, hydrogen diffusion, and interfacial reactions. The ultimate goal is to establish structure–property relationships that can predict material behavior and guide the design of optimized hydrogen storage systems.
Through this interdisciplinary approach, the HEATS-H2 project seeks to accelerate the development of next-generation metal hydrides and contribute to the realization of a sustainable hydrogen economy.
Publications
DSTrain publications
Previous publications