Rossitza Pentcheva

Rossitza Pentcheva is a Professor at the University of Duisburg-Essen leading research in quantum materials and energy conversion through ab initio modeling. Her work focuses on

• transition metal oxides
• thermoelectric heterostructures
• photoelectrochemical water splitting
• spin-resolved electronic states
• strain and disorder effects in Heusler alloys

at the nanoscale.

Recent research trends include

• topological phases in oxide superlattices
• lattice-electronic coupling in magnetocaloric systems
• orbital engineering via geometric constraints
• machine-learned force fields for nonequilibrium dynamics
• defect-mediated tuning of oxygen evolution catalysts

across collaborative projects like CRC1242 and TRR270.

Her group has produced 12 doctoral graduates since 2019, with ongoing contributions to Nature Materials and Science publications. Selected scientific collaborations span institutions in Germany, US, Canada, and Italy, driving European patents and machine-learning frameworks for material discovery.