Division of Experimental and Applied Physics

The scientific activity within the Institute covers the fields of experimental and applied physics, from the physics of condensed matter to nuclear physics and environmental physics, as well as educational physics. Seven laboratories operate within the Division:

Laboratory for Elemental Microanalysis – research is focused on the development (software, analytical procedures, experimental set-up) and application of nuclear analytical techniques in the elemental analysis of samples. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) is performed in the Laboratory. Measurements using other techniques (PIXE, PESA), which require accelerator systems, are performed in the Laboratory for Ion Beam Interactions of the Ruđer Bošković Institute, with whom we have a long-standing successful cooperation. The current research focus of the Laboratory is the elemental analysis of floating particles (aerosols). For this purpose, continuous multi-year sampling is carried out.

Laboratory for Surface Science – the main part of the scientific work is related to the analysis of surfaces and the interior of materials using high-vacuum analytical techniques: X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS). Research topics include growth and examination of the chemical composition of thin oxide layers on metal surfaces using the ion implantation method, characterization of impurities and point defects in semiconductor or insulator films grown by different deposition techniques, analysis of material surfaces modified by electrochemical techniques.

Laboratory for Medical Physics and Environmental Physics – Laboratory research is focused on two areas: medical physics and environmental physics. As part of the project “Quality control of ultrasound beams using thermochromic materials”, the possibility of using thermochromic materials for quality control of ultrasound devices and for visualization of the distribution of acoustic intensity in ultrasound beams used in medicine is investigated. Research in the field of environmental physics is focused on measuring the abundance of heavy stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen (2H and 18O) in precipitation and groundwater.

Laboratory for Nonlinear and Quantum Optics – research is focused on searching for signals of physics beyond the Standard Model through precise measurements using optical techniques. The signal of new physics can be observed directly through the detection of new particles, which is also the goal of research related to the UniRi grant “Kinetic Detection of Astroparticles”, while precise measurements of the properties of known particles can indicate the existence of a hidden sector in the event of their deviation from the theoretically predicted values. One example is the precise measurement of the anomalous magnetic moment of muons. In addition to searching for new physics, the behaviour of individual photons under various conditions is also observed

Laboratory for Scanning Electron Microscopy – a JEOL JSM7800-F scanning electron microscope is used to analyze various materials at the nanometer and micrometer scales. Research includes the analysis of thin oxide films (TiO2, ZnO, Al2O3) prepared using the atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique. The surface morphology, crystal grain size, thickness of ALD films and the elemental composition of the films are determined. Part of the scientific work is related to the growth of thin oxide films on metal surfaces using electrochemical methods, for example, aluminum trioxide on the surface of aluminum, where the porous structure of the surface of such an oxide layer is analyzed using the microscope.

Laboratory for the Synthesis of Functional Materials – we develop new hybrid materials for environmental protection and advanced technology applications. As part of the HRZZ project “Preparation of Porous Thin-film Materials for Water Purification using Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD),” we are investigating synthetic routes for preparing porous photocatalytic materials. The research focuses on combining selective chemical modification of inorganic surfaces with organic molecules and vapor-phase deposition of metal oxides using the Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) technique.

Laboratory for thin films – we use the system for atomic layer deposition (ALD) for the synthesis of thin films of metal oxides and nitrides on different substrates. The ALD technique is characterized by high homogeneity of the grown films and precise control of film thickness (on the nanometer scale). The main research topics are focused on studying the chemical and physical properties (crystallinity, conductivity, photocatalytic activity, types of point defects, surface morphology) of thin semiconductor films of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.

Laboratory for Transport Measurements – we investigate the electronic transport properties of thin films of oxide semiconductors. To measure the specific resistance / conductivity of oxides, we use a two- or four-contact method of determining the current-voltage characteristics of samples. In this regard, we measure the Hall effect and thus determine the Hall constant, as well as the density and mobility of charge carriers in semiconductor materials. These measurements are particularly important for the characterization of thin ALD ZnO films that we synthesize in the Laboratory for Thin Films.

Research in the field of educational physics is carried out within the Chair of Educational Physics. The central part of scientific work is occupied by modelling school and university physics teaching and experimental study of its effects with the aim of finding new teaching methods that would acquire competencies in solving real-life problems based on physical principles. The professional activities of the Chair include the training of school and university teachers, improving the quality of school and university teaching, and popularizing physics and related scientific fields.Istraživanja iz područja edukacijske fizike vrše se unutar

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Projects