Main Research Directions

1. Advanced Materials for Special Applications


• New structures based on semiconductor surfaces pasivated by thiols
  
• Synthesis under pressure of highly homogeneous compounds with volatile components. (CdTe, GaP, InAs etc.)
  
• The study of native oxides structure on Si and III-V semiconductor compounds surfaces by XPS
  
• The obtaining and characterization of semiconductor sensitive structures/devices based on GaAs
  
• Optical/Spectroscopic methods for realizing and measure of changing/pollution/ damage of structure and composition of normal environment
  
• Dielectric properties of (Ba,Sr)TiO3 thin films for applications in electronics
  
• Undoped and doped Ba(Zn1/3Ta2/3)O3 –( BZT) - materials for millimetre wave and microwave applications
  
• Couplings control in dual-mode filters by using ground slots for base-station systems.
  
  2. Low Temperature Physics and Superconductivity
  
  
• Synthesis of low- and high-temperature superconductors (HTS):
  
• Non-centro-symmetric superconductors
  
• Compact MgB2 samples obtained by electric-field-assisted sintering
  
• Optimally doped and underdoped HTS
  
• Y-123 films with induced nano-pinning centers
  
• Characterization:
  
• Structural investigations
  
• Thermal analysis
  
• Resistivity measurements with rotating sample-holder facility
  
• Magnetization and AC susceptibility measurements
  
• Specific heat measurements
  
• Microwave absorption
  
• Extrinsic tunneling magnetoresistance studies
  
• Investigation of the vortex phase diagram and vortex dynamics
  
  3. Physics of Semiconductor Materials and Complex Structures
  
  
• Materials growth:
  
• Semiconductor compounds (e.g. PbS, CdS) for IR and VIS applications by chemical bath deposition (CBD);
  
• Ferroelectric thin films with perovskite structure (e.g. PZT, BST, BaTiO3, BiFeO3) and multi-layered structures using sol-gel (SG) and Pulse –Laser Deposition (PLD) methods;
  
• Composite films by inserting nano-crystals of photoconductive materials (PbS) in a porous ferroelectric matrix;
  
• Material properties:
  
• Studies of application-relevant material properties to provide the necessary feedback for the development of materials and growth technology:
  
• Electrical and photoelectrical characterization of the grown materials, thin films and structures;
  
• Detection and detailed investigation of electrically active defect (bulk and interface centers);
  
• Study of piezoelectric resonators manufactured from langasite and quartz single crystals
  
• Sensors development: UV, IR, Vis detectors and piezoelectric resonators.
  
  4. Solid State Magnetism
  
  
• Magnetic phenomena in 3D nanosized systems.
  
• Magnetic and electronic phenomena in bi-dimensional systems
  
• Molecular magnetism and local electronic phenomena in organo-metallic compounds
  
• Functional magnetic nanostructured materials (magnetostrictive, magnetocaloric, magnetorezistive, magnetic shape memory materials exchange bias and spring magnets)
  
• Strongly Correlated Electrons Systems.
  
• Optical properties investigated by spectroscopic ellipsometry.
  
• Hydrogen storage in Mg-TM intermetallics and complex hydrides.
  
  5. Low Dimensional Systems
  
  
• Transport and electronic properties in mesoscopic systems
  
• Doped oxide systems with tailored properties: photocatalysts, diluted magnetic semiconductors.
  
• Magnetic low-dimensionality systems: dots, nanoparticles, wires, surfaces for spintronics and biomedical applications.
  
• Self-assembling of low dimensional semiconductor and semi-insulators nanostructures for individual nanostructures for optoelectronic applications
  
• Nanostructured thin films obtained by chemical and sputtering deposition methods for electronic and biological applications
  
• Functional graded structures with biocompatible surfaces for biomedical applications
  
• High oriented aluminum nitride sputtered films for GHz, SAW and FBAR devices
  
• Quantum phenomena in carbon (CNT and graphene), silicon and germanium based nanostructures
  
• Radiation induced defects and phenomena related to the energy loss in crystalline semiconductors
  
• Fundamental comprehension of the role of the morphology of the metal oxides semiconductors (MOX) nanostructures on the surface reactivity, or more exactly on the gas-sensitive proprieties
  
• Charge transfer mechanism associated to surface reactions and their connection with the sensing effect.
  
• Smart memory materials
  
• Photonic crystals based on glassy chacogenides
  
  6. Optics and Spectroscopy
  
  
• Micro and nano-structured composite materials based on conducting polymers and carbon nanotubes: synthesis and characterization by vibration spectroscopy (Raman light scattering and FTIR spectroscopy ) and photoluminescence studies (including decay time measurements) under low and high density excitation
  
• Non-linear optical phenomena in nanostructured materials: stimulated Raman scattering, Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering.
  
• Liquid crystals (nematic, liotropic): liquid crystalline properties, electro-optical properties, optical transmission, contact angle, density variation with temperature, interfacial properties, alignment layers, anchoring energy, phase transitions, disperse systems based on the anisotropic fluids and micro/nanoparticles, drop shape analysis, simulation of optical properties
  
• Confinement (3D and 2D): guest-host interactions, dynamics in confinement in a large temperature interval.
  
• Synthesis and electrochemical properties of ZnO:Mn:Cu nanowire arrays
  
• Organic (molecular/polymeric) and bio-organic structures for opto-electronics and nonlinear optics: preparation and characterization
  
• Synthesis and optical properties of rare earth (RE) doped CaF2/BaF2 nano-crystals embedded in transparent oxy-fluoride glass-ceramics: SiO2-Al2O3-CaF2-REF3
  
• Nanowires and nanotubes prepared by template method
  
• Characterization of amorphous and crystalline optical materials; nanomaterials-metallic nano-size and nanorods
  
  7. Oxidic Materials
  
  
• Preparation and investigation of semiconducting ceramics based on doped barium titanate for PTC thermistors and on manganites for NTC thermistors;
  
• Preparation and studies of piezoelectric properties of bulk materials, such as, lead titanate-zirconate solid solutions and doped lead titanate;
  
• Preparation and studies of piezoelectric thin films made by RF-Sputtering from PZT piezoceramics targets;
  
• Preparation and investigation of advanced piezocomposite materials of PZT-elastomer type;
  
• Preparation and studies of hard and soft types ceramic magnetic materials for high power permanent magnets and for high termosivity magnetic- temperature transducers;
  
• Preparation and investigation of titania based and haematite based semiconductong photoelectrodes for hydrogen production by water splitting;
  
• Exploring the non Fermi states in Pauli limitted type-II superconductors.
  
  8. Structure and Dynamics of Condensed Matter
  
  
• Synthesis and characterization of new physical structures (bulk, nanopowders/films) by solid phase reaction, solvothermal and mechano-chemical synthesis:
  
• Photocatalytic materials,
  
• High frequency applications materials,
  
• Nano composites for solid electrolyt at intermediate temperatures solid oxide fuel cell (IT- SOFC);
  
• Structure characterization by X-ray diffraction methods, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Mössbauer Spectroscpy, and Conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy (CEMS) including the corresponding methodology developments.
  
  9. Microstructure of Defects in Solid Materials
  
  
• Investigations at atomic scale by microstructural (TEM/HRTEM, XRD) and spectroscopic (EDS, EPR and optical) methods, of native and induced defects in bulk and nanostructured solid materials.
  
• Synthesis of nanostructured materials.
  
• Investigations of materials properties by using paramagnetic point defects as atomic probes and of the changes induced by defects in ordered and partially disordered solids.