Physics

Research Topic Summary.

This research will fabricate ultra-thin fractal metal structures (Pd, Pt, Au, Ni, Ag) on semiconductor substrates (SiC, GaN, ZnO, MoS2) using e-beam evaporation under low-thickness, percolation-threshold conditions. Such films naturally form fractal or dendritic islands with extremely long perimeters, creating highly sensitive Schottky junctions where gas adsorption modulates the barrier height. The project will study the detection of critical industrial gases (H2, NO2, CO, NH3, O3) and trace organic vapors associated with narcotics, including methyl benzoate (cocaine marker), terpenes (cannabis), and volatile amines. Experimental work includes thin-film growth, SEM/AFM morphological analysis, I-V and C-V Schottky characterization, and gas/vapor response testing. The goal is to correlate fractal geometry, barrier modulation, and vapor sensitivity, providing a new design strategy for high-performance, low-power gas sensors.

Research Topic Summary.

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) film as an effective protective coating has been extensively studied for more than two decades, due to the outstanding properties such as low friction coefficient, high wear resistance or chemical inertness, biocompatibility and optical transparency. Doping metal elements (Zr or Cr) into diamond-like carbon (DLC) films can improve the mechanical and tribological properties, but the preparation and commercialized application of metal (Zr Cr) doped DLC films with well-defined structure and required mechanical and tribological properties are currently hindered by the non-comprehensive understanding of structural evolutions under different magnetron sputtering parameters, used metal types or concentration.

Research Topic Summary.

Many sensors, controlling devices that transform information and energy are already being successfully used. One class of such materials is inorganic complex metal oxides with so-called active dielectric properties. They are often referred to as "smart materials". It are substances which transform various physical effects (mechanical, thermal, radiative, light, electric or magnetic, etc.) into an electrical signal which can be recorded. In addition, these materials have the opposite effect - when exposed to an electric field, they change their state - ferroelectric, ferroelastic, electrostriction, pyroelectric, magnetoelectric, electro-optical, electrocaloric and other phenomena are observed. For a long time (about 20 years) in the world of science and technology, these materials have been emphasized as necessary for ferromagnetics or ferroelectrics. However, the first multiferroic material with ferroelectric and (albeit weak) ferromagnetic properties was synthesized in 2003, bismuth ferrite BiFeO3 (BFO). The combined effect of having both properties (both ferroelectric and ferromagnetic at room temperature) was discovered only in 2014. Using ferromagnetic additional layers, a team of scientists from the United States developed a multilayer superlattice structure with magnetoelectric properties. According to the literature, this is the first structure discovered with strong magnetoelectric properties at room temperature, but this effect was and is too weak to apply such layers in production. These properties make it possible to look at these materials as a completely new type of memory cell, the magnetization (and direction) of which can only be changed by an electric field. Moreover, due to the residual magnetization effect, the storage of information in these memories will not require energy support. The proposed research on this topic will be carried out by synthesizing multiferroic magnetoelectric layers by reactive magnetron sputter deposition.

Research Topic Summary.

Proton-conductive BZCY (Ceria and Yttria doped Barium Zirconate) ceramics are considered one of the most promising materials for medium-temperature energy conversion technologies, especially for proton ceramic fuel cells and electrolysis devices, as they allow for efficient proton transport and operate at lower temperatures than traditional oxide electrolytes. The advantages of these materials lie in their high proton conductivity, good structural compatibility with electrodes, and potential to reduce system energy costs, but their application is limited by high synthesis temperatures, grain boundary resistance, insufficient chemical stability in CO2 and H2O environments, and the complexity of balancing conductivity and stability by changing the Zr/Ce ratio. The novelty of future research lies in the control of advanced additives, synthesis, and microstructure to create ceramics with reduced synthesis temperatures, homogeneous microstructures, and higher proton conductivity. The aim of the research is to optimize the composition and forming conditions of BZCY ceramics using physical vacuum forming methods and to improve chemical stability and proton conductivity in energy conversion systems. To achieve this goal, the following tasks are set: to form thin layers of BZCY ceramics, allowing to reduce the synthesis temperature and obtain a dense, uniform microstructure; to determine the influence of the Zr/Ce/Y ratio and impurities on the parameters of the crystal lattice, defect concentration, and proton conductivity; to evaluate the effect of grain boundaries, porosity, and phase impurities on proton transport and electrochemical properties; to investigate the chemical stability of BZCY ceramics in CO2 and H2O environments and their interaction with electrodes.

Research Topic Summary.

Renewable energy sources such as solar and hydrogen help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The efficiency of solar cells depends on light absorption, which can be improved by developing wide-spectrum semiconductor materials, combining elements into tandem structures, and applying photonic solutions to enhance scattering and absorption. Nanostructures smaller than the wavelength of light can extend the optical path, reflect unabsorbed radiation, resonantly absorb electromagnetic waves, and inject hot carriers, thus utilizing a broader spectrum. Another promising approach is the development of photonic structures with selective interaction achieved through tailored nanogeometries. This work aims at the creation of photonic heterostructures, characterization of their interaction with light, and evaluation of potential applications for energy generation. The objectives of the work are devoted to simulating and experimentally originating light-absorbing heterojunctions of plasmonic and semiconductor materials, exploiting self-assembly and thin film deposition methods. To characterize the charge transport phenomena occurring in these nanostructures using kinetic spectroscopy and photoelectrochemical measurements. To adapt heterostructures to renewable energy applications.