Hugo Manuel Brito Águas is an Associate Professor at the Materials Science Department of NOVA School of Science and Technology (FCT-UNL), while also serving as a Photovoltaics Research Group Leader at CEMOP-UNINOVA. His academic career spans national and international projects including the EU Horizon 2020 APOLO initiative focused on flexible perovskite solar cells for building integration. PhD in Optoelectronics Engineering (2005) Coordinated 6 national research projects Holds patent for Solar Tiles technology Research Focus: Specializes in photonic materials, thin film silicon technology, and nanoscale engineering for applications in solar cells, biosensors, and microfluidics. Key areas include plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), spectroscopic ellipsometry, and SERS (surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy). Scientific Recognition: Achieved 162 ISI publications with >2300 citations and h-index 25 (WoK). Recognized with the Innovation Award at Energy Live Expo 2014 for solar tile technology. Leadership Activities: Organized the Symposium K on photonic materials at the E-MRS Fall Meeting 2016 and served as guest editor for journals including physica status solidi (a) , Materials Letters , and Materials, Sensors and Micromachines .
Sebastian Maehrlein is a Group Leader heading the THz Structural Dynamics research group within the Department of Physical Chemistry at the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society in Berlin. Since June 2020, he has led this independent research group, which received a prestigious six-year Emmy Noether grant from the German Research Foundation (DFG) in July 2022. His research group consists of five PhD students, three postdoctoral researchers, and maintains active collaborations with institutions in France, the Netherlands, and the United States. Maehrlein's research focuses on understanding and controlling structural dynamics in materials using intense terahertz and mid-infrared laser pulses. His group investigates how spatial arrangements of atoms can be modulated on ultrafast time scales to control material properties and potentially discover new material features. Key research areas include lattice trajectory control, dynamically disordered systems, molecular rotations in solids, nonlinear phononics, and lattice-driven phenomena. The group particularly studies phonon anharmonicities, molecular orientations in solids, and dynamically disordered systems, with significant work on lead halide perovskites and 2D materials. The group's recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on coherent control of lattice dynamics, with numerous papers in high-impact journals including Nature Physics, Science Advances, and Advanced Materials. Their research shows a clear trend toward understanding angular momentum transfer in crystal lattices, symmetry breaking in hybrid materials, and developing novel techniques for THz spectroscopy and control. The work has significant implications for optoelectronics, quantum materials, and ultrafast control of material properties. Scientific Awards: Emmy Noether grant from German Research Foundation (DFG) Prof. Maehrlein actively supervises multiple PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, with a track record of successful student outcomes including Marie Cherasse's PhD graduation in December 2022 and her subsequent receipt of the French L'Oréal UNESCO Award for Women in Science. His group participates in the ANR-DFG research consortium '2D-HYPE' and the Max Planck-Radboud Center for IR-FEL spectroscopy, securing substantial external funding for their research. The THz Structural Dynamics group maintains strong international collaborations, particularly with research groups in France, the Netherlands, and the United States. The THz Structural Dynamics group operates state-of-the-art laboratories for generating highly intense and phase-stable laser pulses in the THz and mid-infrared spectral range. Their facilities enable coherent driving of specific structural dynamics on fundamental time and energy scales, allowing exploration of tailored lattice trajectories that may steer solids into hidden states. The group has made significant contributions to understanding nonlinear phononics and developing novel spectroscopic techniques for studying ultrafast structural dynamics.
Dr. I. Aulika is a Senior Researcher at the Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia, where she leads research in the Thin Films Laboratory. Her work focuses on optical tactile sensing (particularly the OptoSkin technology), OLED materials, and smart window materials. Dr. Aulika has over 64 publications with more than 8,000 reads and 346 citations, demonstrating significant impact in her field. She actively participates in major European research projects including Sestosenso and SWEB, and serves as a representative for ISSP UL's industry collaboration platform Materize across several European countries. Dr. Aulika's research interests span multiple cutting-edge areas in materials science and optical engineering. She specializes in spectroscopic ellipsometry for material characterization, optical modeling , and the development of innovative materials including rare-earth metal oxy-hydrides (Y, Gd, Dy and Er), YO, Y2O3, Ga2O3, and ZnO2. Her work on Direct ToF tactile sensing aims to revolutionize touch perception in robotics, while her research on OLED materials contributes to advancements in display technology. Additionally, she investigates photochromic materials and transparent conducting oxides for smart window applications, demonstrating a versatile research portfolio that bridges fundamental science with practical applications. Dr. Aulika's publication record shows a consistent focus on thin film characterization and optical properties, with recent work increasingly centered on optical tactile sensors and OLED materials. Her most recent articles (2024-2025) demonstrate expertise in spectroscopic ellipsometry applied to organic thin films, phase transitions in OLED stacks, and material effects in direct Time-of-Flight sensing systems. She has made significant contributions to understanding yttrium-based photochromic materials and transparent conducting coatings, with applications ranging from robotics to energy-efficient windows. Dr. Aulika has received notable recognition for her work, including: UNESCO L'ORÉAL Latvian National Fellowship for Women in Science (2008) Multiple European Social Funds Scholarships (2006-2008) As a Project Manager at the Institute of Solid State Physics, Dr. Aulika is involved in new R&D idea development, project writing and evaluation, and establishing industrial and academic partnerships. She serves as a local contact point for proposal writing and execution, and represents ISSP UL's industry collaboration platform Materize in Italy, France, Spain, and Switzerland. Her leadership extends to developing lecture materials for MSc physics students on applications of piezoelectric materials, demonstrating her commitment to education alongside research. Dr. Aulika leads the Thin Films Laboratory at the Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia, where her team focuses on point of darkness modeling for biomedical sensor applications, spectroscopic ellipsometry, optical modeling, and thin film technologies. The laboratory's work on innovative materials, particularly rare-earth metal oxy-hydrides, supports cutting-edge research in optical tactile sensing, OLEDs, and smart windows. Through projects like Sestosenso and SWEB, her lab bridges fundamental research with practical applications in robotics, display technology, and energy-efficient building materials.
Dr. Mihail SECU is a Scientific Researcher I at the National Institute of Materials Physics, working in the Laboratory of Optical Processes in Nanostructured Materials in Romania. His research spans multiple disciplines within materials science, focusing on advanced optical materials and nanotechnology. His research interests include nanomaterials, optical materials, photonics, perovskite materials, glass-ceramics, luminescence, and semiconductor physics. Dr. SECU's work demonstrates expertise in synthesizing and characterizing various functional materials, with particular emphasis on rare-earth doped systems, semiconductor nanomaterials, and novel optical structures. His research has applications in optoelectronics, solar energy conversion, lighting technology, and cultural heritage analysis. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on the structural, optical, and magnetic properties of advanced materials. His work shows expertise in glass-ceramics, perovskite materials, and rare-earth doped systems, with applications spanning from photonics to cultural heritage. The research demonstrates sophisticated understanding of structure-property relationships in complex materials systems. Dr. SECU has led or participated in significant research projects including 'New Chalcogenide Nanostructures for Information and Communication Technology' (2018-2019) and 'Infrared-Pumped upconversion glass-ceramic nanorods for photonics applications' (2011-2016), indicating sustained research activity in cutting-edge materials development.
Dr. Anca STANCULESCU is a Scientific Researcher I at the Laboratory of Optical Processes in Nanostructured Materials, National Institute of Materials Physics (INFIM) in Romania. Her research focuses on the development and characterization of advanced organic and inorganic materials for optoelectronic applications, with expertise spanning thin film technology, crystal growth, and nanomaterials engineering. Her primary research interests include: Organic materials: multifunctional thin films, nanostructured composites, and heterostructures for photovoltaic cells, OLEDs, and transistors Inorganic materials: transparent conducting oxides, semiconductor compounds, and silicon technology Advanced characterization: AFM, SNOM, UV-Vis spectroscopy, FTIR, and electrical measurements Dr. STANCULESCU specializes in laser-based deposition techniques, particularly Matrix Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation (MAPLE), for fabricating novel organic-inorganic hybrid systems. Her work demonstrates how strategic integration of inorganic components within organic matrices enhances device performance in terms of electrical conductivity, optical properties, and mechanical flexibility. Analysis of her recent publications (2022-2025) reveals a strong emphasis on flexible optoelectronics, with particular focus on nanostructured electrodes, non-fullerene acceptors for photovoltaics, and the effects of substrate patterning on device performance. Her research consistently bridges fundamental materials science with practical applications in next-generation electronic devices. She currently leads two major research projects: Flexible and nanostructured Organic Field Effect Transistor for UV-VIS detection (2022-2024) Investigation of organic thin films after high-energy ion and neutron irradiation (2020) Dr. STANCULESCU has also contributed to five book chapters on organic semiconductors and optoelectronic materials, establishing herself as a recognized expert in the field. Her laboratory maintains strong expertise in the fabrication and characterization of nanostructured materials, with particular capabilities in laser processing and advanced optoelectronic device development.
