Aleš Omerzu

Aleš Omerzu is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Physics, University of Rijeka. He holds a PhD in Physics from the University of Ljubljana (1999) and a B.Sc. in Physics from the University of Zagreb (1994). His research focuses on the electronic, magnetic, and optical properties of organic crystalline and non-crystalline materials, including DNA complexes, fullerenes, and semiconductor thin films. Recent work emphasizes photocatalytic applications of ZnO and TiO2 films synthesized via atomic layer deposition (ALD).

Past Positions:

• 2004–2014: Research Associate at J. Stefan Institute
• 2000–2004: Research Assistant at J. Stefan Institute
• 2001: Postdoctoral Fellow at UCLA, USA
• 2000: Postdoctoral Fellow at Agency for Industrial Science and Technology, Japan

Research Themes:

• Organic conductors and their electronic properties
• Magnetic and optical phenomena in DNA and fullerene-based materials
• Photocatalytic activity of semiconductor thin films (ZnO, TiO₂)
• Atomic layer deposition (ALD) techniques for material synthesis

Key Findings: His work includes discoveries such as ferromagnetism in TDAE-C₆₀ fullerene compounds and strong electron correlations in Zn(II)-DNA complexes. Recent studies highlight enhanced photocatalytic efficiency via copper-doped ZnO films and structural optimization of ALD-grown materials.

Labs & Collaborations: Affiliated with research divisions at the Faculty of Physics, Rijeka, and collaborates internationally on materials science and nanotechnology projects.