Erik Garnett studied chemistry at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA, and obtained his PhD at the University of California at Berkeley. After his PhD he became a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University, where he became acquainted with photonics, photovoltaics and plasmonics.
He made the integration of nanophotonics with nanomaterials the prime goal of his research when he started his own independent academic career at AMOLF in 2012. There, he is one of the pioneers in understanding light-matter interactions in nanoscale solar cells, using well-controlled model systems and advanced nano-characterization techniques in order to answer the most pressing materials chemistry questions. His work leads to applications in solar cells, LEDs and light-driven chemical reactions, which is also underlined by a range of patents. Since 2017 he holds in addition a professor position in Nanoscale Photovoltaics at the University of Amsterdam. In 2022 he received the KNCV gold medal, given annually to the top chemist under 40 working in the Netherlands.