Coordinator Prof. Corrado DE LISIO

The research activities carried out in the Section involve all states of aggregation of matter, including isolated particles (atomic and molecular physics), aggregates of atoms or molecules of nanometric size (nano-physics and nanotechnologies), multilayers of thin films, condensed matter, soft matter, (also of biological nature), materials at temperatures close to absolute zero, plasmas, complex systems. In each of them, matter has peculiar properties that allow both to study the fundamental mechanisms that regulate Nature and to create devices with surprising performance. Among the activities that take place at our Department, we mention the creation of a superconducting quantum computer and the enormous progress in materials science and nanotechnologies applied to sensors and the development of special materials with extraordinary mechanical, optical, magnetic and transport properties. The experimental activities are carried out in close collaboration with the theoretical studies, which act both as a stimulus for the development of new experimental techniques and as a support for the latter for the correct interpretation of the phenomena studied. 

The activities of the Section are grouped into three macro-areas (as listed below), two of which are purely experimental, the other mainly theoretical, but with very close collaborations between the groups operating in them.

• Optics and light-matter interaction: Both the characterization of matter and technological applications are inextricably linked to the use of light: the interactions of photons with matter and the propagation properties in materials and devices represent a powerful tool for investigation and at the same time lend themselves to cutting-edge applications, justifying research activities in optics, spectroscopy, photonics, sensors and quantum information/communication. 

Activities:

• Physics of Structured Light and Matter (L. Marrucci)
• LIDAR (S. Amoruso)
• Ultrafast Phenomena and Quantum Photonics (C. de Lisio)
• Photophysics of 2D materials and heterostructures (F. Gesuele)
• Surface Structuration (S. Oscurato)
• Functional Photocatalytic Nanomaterials (S. Lettieri)
• Plasma Physics (R. Fedele)
• Amplified Raman Spectroscopy and optical trapping for the analysis of complex systems (A. Sasso)
• Biosensors (R. Velotta)
• Interaction of electromagnetic fields and biological materials (R. Massa)
• Laser Ablation (S. Amoruso)
• THz Science and Technology (A. Andreone)

• Physics of materials: a central role is played by the realization and characterization of low-dimensional properties of matter, such as multilayers of oxides and organic materials for electronics (for the realization of devices) and nanometric structures also of magnetic materials (used as biosensors). Of great importance are low-temperature materials for research on superconducting materials at high critical temperature, the superconducting quantum computer and single-photon detectors based on superconducting nanowires. 

Activities:

• Low dimensional Materials and Devices for Electronics and Sensors (A. Cassinese)
• Matrix Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation (G. Ausanio)
• Nanostructured and Multifunctional Magnetic Materials (V. Iannotti)
• Nanomaterials for biosensing (R. Velotta)
• Physics of functional oxides and oxide-based devices (E. Di Gennaro)
• Oxides for electronics and related interfaces (G.M. De Luca)
• Natural product based organic electronics and bioelectronics (A. Pezzella)
• HTS Superconducting Materials – Multifunctional Interfaces (R. Di Capua)
• Superconducting Nanowires as Single Photon Detectors (G.P. Pepe)
• Quantum Science, superconducting Qu-bits & experiments on quantum computation (F. Tafuri)

• Modeling and computational physics of matter: Theoretical studies mainly aim at the modelling of new materials with unexplored properties, the interpretation of the behaviours of matter in extreme conditions and the development of new quantum computing methods and algorithms. Frequently, the study of the properties of matter with low dimensionality and in extreme conditions has a stimulating effect for experimental activities with the aim of verifying the correctness of what is expected on the basis of theory.

Activities:

• Computational Material Science (D. Alfè)
• Adiabatic quantum computation (V. Cataudella)
• Quantum Computing and Artificial Intelligence (G. Acampora)
• Topological Insulator and Superconductor Nanostructures (C.A. Perroni)
• Transport and Optical Response in Quantum Materials (R. Fazio)
• Computational Modelling of Heterogeneous Functional Materials for Energy Applications (A.B. Muñoz-García)