Valeri Petkov

Valeri Petkov is a Professor in the Department of Physics at Central Michigan University (CMU), where he leads an active research group focused on the atomic-scale structure of materials using synchrotron x-ray diffraction and computational modeling.

Education:

• Ph.D., Physics, University of Sofia, Bulgaria (1991)
• M.S., Physics, University of Sofia, Bulgaria (1983)

His research centers on applied crystallography, particularly the use of atomic pair distribution function (PDF) analysis to study materials with limited structural coherence. His work spans glasses, liquids, nanoparticles, disordered ferro- and ferrimagnets, catalysts, and battery materials. He employs both in-house equipment and major synchrotron facilities such as NSLS II and DESY. His group investigates the 3D atomic structure of materials to understand how it governs physico-chemical properties, with recent work focusing on charge density waves, nanoalloy catalysts, and thermoelectric systems.

The publication trends over the last five years show a strong focus on in situ and operando x-ray studies of functional materials, especially nanoalloys under catalytic conditions, charge density wave phenomena in transition metal dichalcogenides, and structural phase transitions in multiferroics and magnetocaloric compounds. His work frequently appears in high-impact journals like Physical Review B, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, Nature Communications, and Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Scientific Awards:

• Recognized as one of the top 2% of most-cited scientists worldwide (2024)

Prof. Petkov actively mentors graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, including Adeel Zafar, Carlos Chavez, Ruhul Amin, and Bruno Kerber. His research is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Energy (DoE), Army Research Laboratory (ARL), and CMU. He teaches a range of undergraduate and graduate courses in physics and materials science. His lab maintains a strong presence in the field, with regular experiments at national laboratories and a consistent output of high-impact publications.

Laboratory and Research Team: The Petkov Lab at CMU includes current members such as postdoctoral researcher Dr. Jyoti Pandey and graduate students Adeel Zafar and Carlos Chavez. The lab conducts cutting-edge in situ x-ray scattering experiments and collaborates widely with researchers at institutions like Brookhaven National Lab and DESY.