Projects / Programmes
Physics of soft matter, surfaces, and nanostructures
January 1, 2022
- December 31, 2027
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 1.02.00 |
Natural sciences and mathematics |
Physics |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 1.03 |
Natural Sciences |
Physical sciences |
soft matter, nanostructures, surfaces, complex fluids, colloids, liquid crystals, polymers, elastomers, active matter, biomaterials, nanotubes, resonators, waveguides, photonics, optics, topology, atomic force microscopy, microscopy, fluorescent microscopy, applications
Data for the last 5 years (citations for the last 10 years) on
June 25, 2024;
A3 for period
2018-2022
| Database |
Linked records |
Citations |
Pure citations |
Average pure citations |
| WoS |
1,248 |
34,764 |
29,524 |
23.66 |
| Scopus |
1,243 |
35,716 |
30,629 |
24.64 |
Researchers (50)
Organisations (2)
Abstract
The overall goal of this physics research programme is to explore selected cutting edge topics in the general field of soft matter, surfaces and nanostructures, focusing on complex soft materials, topology and geometry, active matter and bio-systems, soft- and bio-photonics, nanomaterials and their applications. We will develop novel micro- and nano-structured materials with distinct and often unique properties such as topological dispersions, synthetic chiral complex fluid phases, ionically charged active and passive fluids, and electrophoretically driven active colloids in anisotropic environments. We will realise intracellular lasers for the study of biological processes, novel biological light sources and optical communication between cells and edible lasers for product tracking and security. We will exploring anisotropic interactions of building blocks on curved surfaces, topological structures of chiral skrymion and synthetic phases in bulk and under confinement. We will open exciting research lines of soft matter phenomena in extreme environment, such as in fast temperature quenching, and use of data science and machine learning approaches for design and studies of topological complex matter. We will work on the synthesis of different forms of complex transition metal di- and tri-chalcogenides, from nanotubes and nanowires to plate-like crystal for electronic and antimicrobial applications, and investigate the electronic and chemical properties of artificial atom/molecular lattices on different metal, superconducting and quasi-2D surfaces. The proposed work of our programme is aimed along 6 main research themes, which will be answered by 14 specific research objectives, and will be realised by two partner institutions. The highest scientific standards of our programme group are underlain by top-level scientific publications (in journals like Science and Nature family), invited lectures at prestigious conferences, and high-impact grants (including 2x ERC). We regularly file international patents and we actively collaborate with multiple national and international high-tech companies, as of direct economic impact. We serve as university teachers of various levels and are highly successful in popularizing science and communicating our research results to the general public in Slovenia and internationally, as of direct social impact. We have a range of established collaborations with eminent foreign research institutions, which contributes to transfer of knowledge to and from Slovenia, as well as strengthens the bilateral and multilateral relations on the scientific and cultural level. Overall, our fundamental science research programme, combined with high-tech applications, collaboration with industry, patents, teaching, exploitation, and dissemination at various levels, is a direct contribution towards making Slovenia a high-tech knowledge-based society.
Significance for science
The proposed renewal of our research programme aims at the selected cutting edge themes of general physics of soft matter, surfaces and nanostructures, with significant impact on a multitude of research fields not only within the general condensed soft matter, but importantly beyond, addressing multidisciplinary topics of (bio)photonics, active matter, topology and geometry, DNA science and data science. Our previous scientific achievements - such as high-cited high-impact publications in journals including Science/Nature family, invited plenary/keynote talks at best conferences and multiple European/US patents - underlay the highest quality of scientific practice in our group. This core project of our group will use and combine our scientific expertise to develop and work on several internationally new directions of research like nematic material physics at extreme conditions, lasers embedded into living cells, and electric charged active matter. For example, bio-integrated and soft photonics can lead to a true paradigm shift in ultrasensitive sensing, spectral multiplexing, microscopy, and logical optical circuits, whereas ionically charged topological defects in active and passive nematic fluids could perform as live or biomimetically motile ionic capacitors or ionic charge carriers. The work on the extreme physics conditioned soft matter mechanisms such as the super-fast temperature quenching through the Kibble-Zurek mechanism and defect coarsening, could access unknown timescales of material mechanisms and possibly establish a novel contact with cosmology and its open questions. Our work on anisotropic interactions is going to impact the field of biological and bio-inspired materials, opening the understanding of anisotropic interactions in general geometries. Research on topological dispersions will establish a link between the mathematical field of topology and the science of emulsions, creating exciting materials like multi-hole droplets, and regular and irregular emulsion networks. Our newly synthesized low-dimensional nanomaterials will be essential in applications like in energy conversion and in catalysis, but also as electron sources, low friction and low-wear materials, and antimicrobial materials. Moreover, our studies of molecular motors will connect to the field of biophysics, the research on liquid-crystalline blue phases and synthetic larger-scale realisations of blue phase-like materials will use chirality to create short-range or longer-range order topologically protected materials. Additionally, the implementation of our research program will contribute to the development of related methodological aspects through the development of novel methods for material design, generation, characterization, control, and mesoscopic and molecular modelling, including with artificial intelligence approaches. The realization of our ambitious scientific goals is based on a smart cutting-edge combination of high-end experimental, theoretical, and modelling approaches within all these fields. The relevance of the proposed research is supported by the involvement of numerous first-class research groups and institutions in related projects within the same scientific field, including MIT, Harvard, CNRS, MPIs, Oxford, and Cambridge, with many of which, we have running collaborations. Moreover, our proposed research programme is well in-line with the material development and photonics aims of Slovenian smart specialisation strategy as well as with strategic plan of EU Horizon Europe under second pillar clusters: [i] Digital, Industry and Space (photonics, advanced materials, light), [ii] Health (protein aggregation, edible lasers, nanostructures for filtering and bioapplications) and [iii] Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (edible lasers), which further underlines the scientific importance of our programme.
Significance for the country
Our research programme has a range of social, economic and cultural impacts, both in in Slovenia and abroad. NEW KNOWLEDGE FOR SOCIETY: Our research generates new fundamental and applied knowledge that had direct and indirect impact on the general society. For example, our recently demonstrated bio-integrated lasers are emerging as a powerful tool for the study of biophysical and biochemical processes relevant in diseases, having impact on medical and in turn social level. Our low-dimensional nanomaterials strongly decrease friction and wear of materials in contact, in synergy with formulated commercial oils, while their catalytic properties are applicable for sensors, nanomotors, and conversion of CO2 to methane, exhibiting also antimicrobial activity. Determination of air pollution by nanoparticles will contribute to people's awareness of their presence and of entertainments and their adverse effects on human health. Studies of caloric effects in liquid crystal elastomers could be of significant value for the development of novel refrigeration devices whose production has had a long tradition in Slovenian industry. Our current research on nanoscale memristive and topological phenomena will be important in processing the data related to probabilistic everyday events. COLLABORATION WITH INDUSTRY: Our research group has established collaboration with several local and international companies through collaborative projects. Our work contributes to multi-way transfer of knowledge, research collaboration, use and providing access to high-tech research infrastructure and techniques, having direct economic impact in Slovenia and beyond. FACE MASK SCREENING FOR COVID-19: We are the only research group with experience and state-of-the art-level infrastructure for measuring aerosol transmission and filtration in Slovenia, which we are using and will use for Covid-19 face mask screening, of direct social and economic impact. Screening helps select masks that offer optimal protection, importers can control imported masks with dubious certificates, and manufacturers can select appropriate materials to make the masks. COHESION & EXCELLENCE & RECOGNITION: Our programme group contributes to the cohesion, excellence and international recognition of two major Slovenian research institutions - the Jožef Stefan Institute and the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics/University of Ljubljana, additionally integrating new partners from industry into the proposed activities, as well as other national research infrastructure like the HPC-RIVR supercomputing facility at IZUM/University of Maribor. EXPLOITATION&DISSEMINATION: We have strong established practices for IPR exploitation, including with involved industrial partners, and expectedly 1-2 European or US patent are awarded per year. The dissemination of our deliverables to a broader audience is performed also through media (www, journals, radio, TV, social media, etc.), as well as through various outreach activities at high schools or in public events dedicated to science. TEACHING: Members of our programme group serve as university professors or teaching assistants at University of Ljubljana and University of Maribor, teaching students at undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral level (from Slovenia and abroad), and publish university textbooks (both in Slovene and in English) with renowned publishers. All these teaching activities will continue in the renewed programme, having direct societal impact. TRANSFER OF KNOWLEDGE: Our research work is widely performed in close collaboration with a range of eminent foreign research institutions, which contributes to transfer of knowledge to and from Slovenia, as well as strengthens the bilateral and multilateral relations on the scientific and cultural level. SLOVENIAN EXCELLENCE: The impacts of our program group range from fundamental science, high-tech applications, collaboration with industry, and patents to teaching, exploitation, and dissemination at various levels, which are all actions towards making Slovenia a high-tech knowledge-based society.
