Reference professors: Elena Garlatti, Stefano Carretta, Paolo Santini
E-mail: elena.garlatti@unipr.it; stefano.carretta@unipr.it; paolo.santini@unipr.it
Research area: Molecular magnetism
Topic: Theoretical study of the coherent and incoherent dynamics of molecular qubits and single-molecule magnets.
Collaborations: Prof. Giuseppe Allodi and Prof. Roberto De Renzi, Dip. SMFI; Prof. Massimo Solzi, Dip. SMFI; Prof. Roberta Sessoli, Dept. of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”, University of Florence; Prof. Richard Winpenny, School of Chemistry, University of Manchester (UK); Dr. Tatiana Guidi, ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, STFC-RAL (UK).
Techniques and methodologies: development of theoretical models based on the spin Hamiltonian and master equations for the simulation and interpretation of experimental data from magnetometry, inelastic neutron scattering, EPR and non-conventional NMR.
Reference professors: Alessandro Chiesa, Stefano Carretta, Paolo Santini
E-mail: alessandro.chiesa@unipr.it; stefano.carretta@unipr.it; paolo.santini@unipr.it
Research area: Simulation of the dynamics and temporal control of spin systems for the physical implementation of quantum computers.
Topic: Development and numerical simulation of schemes for quantum error correction (or for the simulation of quantum many-body models) in qubits based on Molecular Nanomagnets..
Collaborations: Prof. Pietro Bonfà, Dept. SMFI. Thesis within the framework of the European project FET FAult Tolerant MOlecular Spin processor (FATMOLS), in collaboration (among others) with the groups of Profs. Winpenny (Università di Manchester), Sessoli (Università di Firenze), Luis (Università di Saragozza), Aromí (Università di Barcellona), and IBM Zurigo.
Techniques and methodologies: Numerical simulations to study the evolution of open quantum systems (in interaction with the environment) and subjected to control pulse sequences. Inclusion of decoherence effects due to interaction with a bath and strategies to reduce them. Ab-initio calculations (DFT) for the characterisation of molecular qubits.
Simulazioni numeriche per studiare l’evoluzione di sistemi quantistici aperti (in interazione con l’ambiente) e soggetti a sequenze di impulsi di controllo. Inclusione di effetti di decoerenza dovuti ad interazione con un bagno e strategie per ridurli. Calcoli ab-initio (DFT) per la caratterizzazione di qubit molecolari.
Reference professors: Daniele Pontiroli, Mauro Riccò
E-mail: daniele.pontiroli@unipr.it, mauro.ricco@unipr.it
Research area: Innovative ionic batteries
Topic 1: Study of new electrodes for innovative graphene-based Li-sulphur ion batteries for automotive applications.
Collaborazioni: Dott. Mattia Gaboardi, Sincrotrone Trieste ELETTRA
Topic 2: Study of solid electrolytes for Li- and Na-ion batteries based on fullerene, for the realization of new solid state batteries.
Collaborations: Dott. Mattia Gaboardi, Sincrotrone Trieste ELETTRA
Techniques and methodologies: Materials synthesis, assembly of prototype cells, characterisation measurements by X-ray diffraction of powder (also in-situ and in-operando at synchrotron) and electrochemical measurements on devices (cyclovoltammetry, galvanostatic charge and discharge measurements, impedance spectroscopy).
Research area: Flexible electronics based on laser-induced graphene.
Topic1: Study of flexible micro-supercapacitors based on graphene obtained by photothermoconversion of appropriate precursors, for IoT applications.
Collaborations: Startup 1010 Srl
Topic 2: Study of electrochemical micro-sensors based on graphene obtained by laser thermoconversion. Biomedical applications.
Collaborations: Startup 1010 Srl
Techniques and methodologies: Synthesis of materials using laser techniques, electrochemical measurements on devices (cyclovoltammetry, galvanostatic charge and discharge measurements, impedance spectroscopy).
Research area: Supercapacitors for energy storage
Topic 1: Study of biocompatible and environmentally friendly supercapacitors based on vegetable carbon (biochar) obtained from biomass pyro-gasification, for applications in large-scale energy storage and biomedicine.
Collaborations: Prof. Chiara Milanese, University of Pavia; Prof. Alessio Malcevschi, Dept. of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability.
Topic 2: Study of high-performance supercapacitors based on graphene decorated with transition metal oxide nanoparticles. Automotive applications, energy harvesting.
Collaborations: Dott. Roberto Verucchi, IMEM-CNR Trento; Dott. Giovanni Bertoni, CNR-Istitute of Nanoscience, Modena.
Techniques and methodologies: Materials synthesis, assembly of prototype cells, characterisation measurements by powder X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy (SEM/TEM), XPS, electrochemical measurements on devices (cyclovoltammetry, galvanostatic charge and discharge measurements, impedance spectroscopy).
Reference Professors: Massimo Solzi, Francesco Cugini
E-mail: massimo.solzi@unipr.it, francesco.cugini@unipr.it
Research area: Multiferroic-magnetoelectric materials
Topic: Unconventional techniques for the study of new multiferroic-magnetoelectric materials.
Collaboration: Dr. Davide Delmonte (IMEM-CNR Parma Institute); Prof. Lara Righi (SCVSA UniPR Department)
Techniques and methodologies: Synthesis of materials in High Pressure and High Temperature (HP/HT syntheses); measurement of dielectric and ferroelectric properties with a ferroelectrometer; measurement of magnetic properties in an electric field and of dielectric properties in a magnetic field.
Research area: Materials for thermo-magnetic energy conversion
Topic 1: Magnetic composite materials for thermo-magnetic energy conversion.
Collaboration: Dr. Franca Albertini (IMEM-CNR Parma Institute); Prof. Lara Righi (SCVSA UNIPR Department)
Techniques and methodologies: Synthesis of materials and composite preparation; Brayton thermomagnetic cycle simulator, magnetocaloric effect measurement, magnetic and structural characterisation.
Topic 2: Synthesis and characterisation of high-entropy magneto-caloric alloys.
Collaboration: Dr. Franca Albertini (Institute IMEM-CNR Parma); Prof. Lara Righi (Department SCVSA UNIPR); Prof. Paolo Veronesi (Department of Mechanical Engineering 'E. Ferrari', University of Modena and Reggio Emilia).
Techniques and methodologies: Synthesis of materials; Brayton thermomagnetic cycle simulator, measurement of the magnetocaloric effect, magnetic and structural characterisation.
Topic 3: Development of prototype Thermomagnetic Generator.
Techniques and methodologies: Simulations using the finite element technique (Matlab), experimental prototype development, materials testing.
Topic 4: Measuring the thermal conductivity of materials in a magnetic field.
Collaboration: Prof. Daniele Pontiroli, Dept. SMFI, UNIPR.
Techniques and methodologies: design, development and testing of the experimental setup.
Reference Professors: Giuseppe Allodi, Pietro Bonfà, Roberto de Renzi
E-mail: giuseppe.allodi@unipr.it, pietro.bonfa@unipr.it, roberto.derenzi@unipr.it
Research area: High Tc superconductors and their magnetic parent compounds.
General topic: PRIN 2020 QT-FLUO. From copper oxide to silver fluoride, a new family of superconductors?
Collaboration: Josè Lorenzana (La Sapienza), Marco Salluzzo (CNR-SPIN), Giacomo Ghiringhelli (PoliMi), Daniele Di Castro (Roma III) Wojciek Grochala (Warsaw).
Topic 1: Experimental study of microscopic magnetic properties of magnetic and superconducting materials.
Techniques and methodologies: NMR spectroscopy and, where compatible with the thesis timeframe, µSR at ISIS (Harwell UK) or PSI (Villigen CH). You learn to use cryogenics with liquid N2 and He, operate complex equipment, develop data science skills.
Topic 2: Ab-initio calculations of coupling constants and linear response of the same materials.
Techniques and methodologies: High Performance Computing - Density Functional Theory, you learn how to numerically reproduce the properties of newly discovered or artificially manufactured materials.
Research area: Topological magnetic materials
Topic: Magnetic properties of Weyl semimetals: hunting for materials in which spin-orbit coupling allows the magnetic response to be selected.
Experimental and computational study of the magnetic electronic structure of compounds with particular crystal structures.
Collaborations: Vesna Mitrovich (Brown, Providence), S. Sanna (Bologna).
Techniques and methodologies: NMR spectroscopy and/or ab-initio numerical calculations, electronic properties influenced by how the bands are knotted in lattice space (topology and chirality) in newly discovered materials are addressed.
Research area: Molecular Magnetism/ Quantum Computing
Topic: Experimental study of molecular magnets for quantum gates.
Molecular magnets form the basis of several possible applications in the field of quantum computing and simulation. In particular, the nuclear spins of magnetic ions represent an important resource for quantum information processing. With nuclear magnetic resonance, experiments can be carried out to test the possibility of implementing logical operations and quantum algorithms with nuclear qubits.
Collaboration: Prof. Roberta Sessoli, Dept. of Chemistry 'Ugo Schiff', University of Florence; Prof. Richard Winpenny, School of Chemistry, University of Manchester (UK); ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, STFC-RAL (UK), ILL and ESRF (FR). Thesis within the European project FET FAult Tolerant MOlecular Spin processor (FATMOLS).
Techniques and methodologies: Experimental characterisation of molecular crystals with various possible techniques (NMR, EPR, inelastic scattering of neutrons and x-rays); carrying out demonstration experiments with NMR at low temperatures.
Reference Professors: Danilo Bersani, Laura Fornasini
E-mail: danilo.bersani@unipr.it, laura.fornasini@unipr.it
Research area: Raman spectroscopy - Structure of industrial and recycled materials with glass matrix.
Topic 1: Study by Raman spectroscopy of the structural rearrangement in tempered glasses.
The study concerns the compositional and structural changes that occur in pharmaceutical glass containers after a chemical tempering process. This technique involves the ion exchange during a chemical bath. The effect of the treatment parameters on the depth of penetration of the ions will be studied. The vibrational spectra features will be correlated to the effects produced by the tempering, the compositional profiles, the structure and the properties of the glass.
Collaboration: Bormioli Pharma; IMEM-CNR.
Techniques and methodologies: micro-Raman, SEM-EDX, LIBS.
Topic 2: Micro-Raman spectroscopy analysis of glass-ceramic products obtained from the recycling of CWD (Construction and Demolition Waste).
The products are obtained using Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) from the 2016 earthquake in Marche region and other types of waste (e.g. ceramic powders, bricks, urban waste glass, incinerator ashes, etc… ). Each product is obtained with CDW and another type of waste in different percentages and thermally treated to favour the vitrification. The crystalline and glassy phases will be characterized to evaluate the structure and characteristics of the materials obtained as a function of the initial composition.
Collaborations: University of Camerino.
Techniques and methodologies: the main technique will be micro-Raman spectroscopy, supported by analysis with microprobe, XRD, XRF.
