A recent study, Antiferroelectric Order in Nematic Liquids: Flexoelectricity vs. Electrostatics, by Peter Medle Rupnik, Ema Hanžel, Matija Lovšin, Natan Osterman, Nerea Sebastian, and Alenka Mertelj from the Jožef Stefan Institute and University of Ljubljana, along with colleagues from the University of Leeds, published in Advanced Science, explores the origin of antiferroelectric order in nematic liquids. It identifies flexoelectric coupling—between electric polarization and splay deformation of the nematic director—as the dominant mechanism. The study sheds light on the intermediate phase between apolar and ferroelectric nematic states, characterized by a distinct antiferroelectric response to electric fields. By advancing the understanding of ferroelectric nematic liquids and their phase transitions, this work provides a refined framework for future research in the field. |
Dr Matjaž Humar, Head of the Laboratory for Biological and Soft Photonics and Quantum Optics at the Department of Condensed Matter Physics at the Jožef Stefan Institute, and Dr Andrii Tykhonov have obtained European Research Council (ERC) grants to consolidate their independent research careers. For both of them, this is their second ERC research project and an absolute confirmation of what top scientists they are. The goal of Dr. Humar’s project, SoftQuanta – Soft and biological quantum light sources, is to develop unprecedented quantum light sources in soft and biological matter based on liquid crystals. In other words, the project envisions the creation of a quantum LCD, with the potential to radically transform the field of quantum optics. Dr Andrii Tykhonov's research project PeVGALAXY - Direct PeV Detection of Galactic Cosmic Rays in Space aims to accurately detect for the first time cosmic rays in space at the highest energy levels, which will allow scientists to pinpoint the origin of the most powerful stellar explosions in our galaxy. Congratulations! |
From November 18 to 21, 2024, Mojca Otoničar, Danjela Kuščer, Barbara Malič, and Tina Ručigaj Korošec from the Department of Electronic Ceramics, with the help of all colleagues from the department, organized an international school on ferroelectrics called 'Ferroschool', which took place at JSI. The four-day event was sponsored by the international IEEE UFFC-S (Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control Society), and was aimed at educating younger colleagues from the field of ferroelectrics. The participants, who also presented their work in posters, came from numerous European countries, as well as from Japan, South Korea, India, and the United States. The school hosted fourteen foreign and Slovenian lecturers that covered a wide range of topics, from the physics of ferroelectrics, simulations of defected structures and machine learning, material synthesis, to analytical methods of detecting and evaluating the properties, and applications of ferroelectrics in electronic devices. |
In October 2024, the Sustainable Industrial Processing Summit and Exhibition (SIPS 2024) was held in Crete, Greece, featuring plenary lectures by Nobel Laureates and multidisciplinary scientific symposia. Researchers from the Department of Nanostructured Materials presented invited lectures at the SISAM (Science of Intelligent & Sustainable Advanced Ferromagnetic and Superconducting Magnets) Symposium, dedicated to Prof. Dr. Ludwig Schultz, Professor Emeritus at the Metallic Materials and Metal Physics Institute, TU Dresden. At the event, Dr. Tomaž Tomše, a member of the Department, received the prestigious "Wutrich International Young Star Award" for outstanding scientific performance in the early stages of his career, awarded yearly by the FLOGEN Sustainability Network. Dr. Tomše's work focuses on developing innovative manufacturing strategies for Nd-Fe-B permanent magnets, using rapid powder consolidation with reduced critical raw materials. |
