• Music of the nanoscale.

Scientific supervisor: Konrad Szaciłowski, Implementation status: is, SOLARIS contact: Alexey Maximenko

Short description​: Project will be based on a hybrid approach - combination of theoretical modelling (however the prior experience with computer simulations are not required) and experimental realization of memristive circuits on the basis of semiconducting thin layers and assemblies of nanoparticles. Experimental part will involve device fabrication (spin coating, drop-casting, sputtering), electrical measurements, including impedance, optical and EXAFS spectroscopies and various techniques of signal processing. Memristive elements will be prepared by sequential drop casting technique on appropriate substrates, whereas sputtering techniques will be used for fabrication of electric contacts. Reservoir computing will be realized in a system comprising memristor or memristive circuit, analogue potentiostat/signal amplifier/sourcemeter, LED-based light modulator and a polyphonic synthesizer, delay lines and signal analyzers. All equipment, including Waldorf Blofedl synthesizer, various guitar effect boxes (TC Electronics G-major 2, G-Lab, Boss DD-20), distorsion analyzers, signal mixers (DN-412X, Denon, and ZED60-14FX, Allen&Heath ), and audio signal analyzer UPV (Rohde&Schwarz, Germany) are available.

• Operando characterization of spinel oxygen evolution electrocatalysts.

Scientific supervisor: Sebastan Molin, Implementation status: in progress, SOLARIS contact: Alexey Maximenko

Short description: Energy storage of the renewable energy is an important scientific and technological challenge. One of the possible ways of large scale energy storage is to use hydrogen as energy carrier. It can be produced e.g. by water electrolysis utilizing intermittent energy sources (solar/wind). In order to lower reaction overpotentials, i.e. increase the overall efficiency of the electrolysis, novel electrocatalysts are sought. Our group is working on oxide materials based on the spinel structure, i.e. MnCo2O4 and Mn2CuO4. In order to tailor their electrocatalytic activity, we are introducing chemical modifications by partial substitution of selected elements. Our studies so far included mostly ex-situ methods (X-ray diffractometry - XRD, electron microscopy, synchrotron studies – beamline PIRX  - before XAS beamline). The commissioning of the ASTRA beamline (before SOLABS beamline) opens the possibility to measure the structure of the electrocatalysts operando, i.e. directly during the oxygen/hydrogen evolution reactions. It will allow to gain improved understanding of the underlying processes and ultimately lead to design of novel electrocatalysts.

• Dissolution of sulfides under bioweathering conditions.

Scientific supervisor: Anna Potysz, Implementation status: in progress, SOLARIS contact: Alexey Maximenko

Short description: Metallurgical wastes are composed of various components (mineral phases) and contain relatively high residual content of metals unrecovered during smelting process. Sulfides are important carriers of potentially toxic elements in such wastes. Thus, susceptibility of sulfides to bioweathering (including impact of microorganisms) is important factor determining metal release to the surrounding environment. However, fate of contaminants is also determined by formation of secondary phases capturing metals. Therefore, both bioweathering factors and factors inhibiting metal migration must be well understood in order to prevent metal migration in the environment. The joint research of University of Wroclaw and Solaris aim to: (a) track sulfides dissolution and secondary phases formation (e.g. sulfates) under specific environmental conditions and (b) to establish stability of secondary phases.

• Impact of uniaxial pressure on structural and electronic properties of strongly correlated systems.

Scientific supervisor: Wojciech Tabiś, Implementation status: recruitment is ongoing, SOLARIS contact: Jakub Szlachetko

Short description​: Uniaxial pressure allows modification of the crystallographic and electronic properties of strongly correlated systems. Unlike hydrostatic pressure, it allows one to change the symmetry of a crystal and to study the effect of this change on the electronic structure. For example, such pressure has recently been used to induce a three-dimensional charge ordering in cuprate superconductors, and to modify the Fermi surface in strontium ruthenate (Sr2RuO4). Although interest in the application of uniaxial pressure is rapidly growing, the details of the effect of stress applied along a specific crystallographic axis on the structural and electronic properties are not well understood. The goal of this project is to elucidate the effect of uniaxial pressure on the physical properties of single crystals of superconducting and magnetic materials. Diffraction and X-ray spectroscopy techniques will be used to investigate in detail the changes induced by uniaxial pressure. Such complementary synchrotron techniques will allow the understanding of the interplay between the lattice deformation and magnetism as well as superconductivity.

• Study of the doping element concentration influence on the electronic structure of the wide-gape GaN-based semiconductors.

Scientific supervisor: to be determined, Implementation status: recruitment is ongoing, SOLARIS contact: Marcin Zając

Short description: Nitrides-III are the base materials for opto- and high-power electronics. Their functionality can be expanded by engineering the bandgap (doping) of AlN, GaN, and InN compounds. The key parameter in these compounds is the electronic structure. The knowledge of the electronic structure of these materials will influence the improvement of the current devices based on the materials mentioned above. Synchrotron techniques based on the absorption phenomenon, such as PIRX (before XAS) and UARPES, are proposed to study the electronic structure of the GaN-based wide-gape semiconductors. The study will consist of growth using epitaxial methods (MBE / MOVPE) and characterization or only characterization of GaN-based semiconductor structures. The growth of semiconductor structures will be performed in the epitaxy laboratory of the Łukasiewicz Research Network - Port Polish Center for Technology Development in Wroclaw. The use of synchrotron techniques will be carried out on the SOLARIS synchrotron.

• Multimodal X-ray imaging at POLYX beamline in SOLARIS.

Scientific supervisor: Paweł Korecki, Implementation status: recruitment is ongoing, SOLARIS contact: Katarzyna Sowa

Short description: The proposed doctoral thesis is focused on the development of X-ray micro-imaging and micro-spectroscopy methodologies and their application to interdisciplinary problems (physics, chemistry, life-science, Earth science, cultural heritage) on a PolyX beamline that is under construction at National Synchrotron Radiation Center SOLARIS in Kraków. Main task of the thesis is to develop multimodal X-ray imaging protocol (absorption and phase contrast radiography and tomography, X-ray fluorescence imaging and spatially resolved X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy) at PolyX beamline. The candidate will join the activities of an interdisciplinary team of physicists, computer scientists and engineers at SOLARIS and will have the possibility to join the commissioning and first experimental operation of the new beamline PolyX. The PhD program will be realized at the Doctoral School of Exact and Natural Science in the Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Applied Computer Science (Jagiellonian University).

• Multibeam 3D imaging with synchrotron radiation.

Scientific supervisor: Paweł Korecki, Implementation status: recruitment is ongoing, SOLARIS contact: Katarzyna Sowa

Short description: The proposed doctoral thesis deals with multibeam X-ray imaging methods that were recently demonstrated using X-ray tubes. The main task of the work is to implement multibeam X-ray imaging at the PolyX beamline that is under construction at National Synchrotron Radiation Center SOLARIS in Kraków. Specifically, the candidate will try to implement multibeam submicron X-ray tomography for 3D imaging and plenoptic X-ray microscopy for depth-resolved imaging. The candidate will join the activities of an interdisciplinary team of physicists, computer scientists and engineers at SOLARIS and will have the possibility to join the commissioning and first experimental operation of the new beamline PolyX. The PhD program will be realized at the Doctoral School of Exact and Natural Science in the Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Applied Computer Science (Jagiellonian University).

• Nanoscale chemical imaging of selected biomedical samples.

Scientific supervisor: Tomasz Wróbel,Second scientific supervisor: Maciej Roman Implementation status: in progress, SOLARIS contact: Tomasz Wróbel

Short description: This project focuses on creating appropriate experimental approaches for biomedical sample preparation and measurements in the nanoscale. AFM based IR imaging is a new sub-field of IR imaging and presents new challenges for single cells or biomaterials characterization. This project will be primarily focused on developing a protocol for sample handling and measurements. Once this is established a series of cell lines representative of civilization diseases will be studied along with the effects of drugs. The specific goals will include AFM-IR data acquisition on the newly built CIRI beamline (before SOLAIR beamline), cell cultures and data handling.

• Modification of quantum states in strongly correlated systems by applying uniaxial pressure.

Scientific supervisor: Wojciech Tabiś, Implementation status: in progress, SOLARIS contact: Jakub Szlachetko

Short description: The application of uniaxial pressure to control quantum states of strongly correlated electron systems is a fast-developing research area. Unlike in the case of hydrostatic pressure, such stress applied in a particular direction enables to modify the physical properties of a material by inducing changes in the lattice symmetry and deformation of the local electronic environment of the compound under study. In contrast to doping-induced quantum phase transitions, the application of uniaxial pressure allows controlling the properties of a system in a continuous and clean manner, without changing the chemical composition or varying the defect density. The project will be focused on developing instrumentation for the application of uniaxial pressure for electronic transport and X-ray scattering experiments, and studying various phases and the associated phase transitions in several materials under uniaxial pressure.

• Post-perovskite ferroelectric memristors.

Scientific supervisor: Konrad Szaciłowski, Implementation status: in progress, SOLARIS contact:  Alexey Maximenko

Short description: In this project, it is planned to design and test two classes of chemical compounds, which on the one hand will combine semiconductor and ferroelectric features, and on the other hand be free from drawbacks of lead perovskites (higher durability and lower toxicity). In addition, it is anticipated that new materials will enable fine tuning of electrical properties to obtain memristors with the desired properties.
The structure of obtained materials will be verified by XRD, optical, vibrational and XANES spectroscopies. These materials will be accurately characterized in terms of structure and electrical properties. It is planned to make a series of thin film memristors, the operation of which will be based on modulation of the energy barrier at the metal-semiconductor junction (the so-called Schottky barrier). This configuration should provide much better parameters of the memristor, in particular greater durability and lower energy consumption in the switching process.

• Catalytic application of new ionic systems based on metal compounds.

Scientific supervisor: Anna Chrobok, Second scientific supervisor: Piotr Latos, Implementation status:in progress, SOLARIS contact:  Alexey Maximenko

Short description: The subject of the presented dissertation will be the preparation of new ionic liquids based on various metal complexes. The assumption of the project is to obtain ionic compounds from organic and inorganic salts. As a result of this reaction, the coordination degree of the main atom increases, the obtained compounds will have excellent catalytic properties, which will be dedicated to fine chemical synthesis, e.g. esterification, alkylation and condensation. The obtained compounds will be characterized by high innovation and high applicability. The most important aspect of these studies is the appropriate characterization of materials, initially it is assumed the use of techniques such as NMR, Raman-infrared spectroscopy and elemental analysis or ICP-OES. Therefore, the use of the ASTRA beamline (before SOLABS beamline) will be a perfect complement to the above methods for the full characterization of new ionic liquids, and it will make a significant contribution to the development of the field of catalysis.

• Nucleation mechanism of ALD grown Cu thin films studied with in-situ synchrotron probes.

Scientific supervisor: Marcin Sikora, Second scientific supervisor: Aleksandra Szkudlarek, Implementation status: in progress, SOLARIS contact: Joanna Stępień

Short description: This experimental PhD project is dedicated to understanding the growth of atomic layer deposited (ALD) films of copper on polymer and solid substrates. To gain insight into the process and quality of bond formation at the interface during the initial stages of deposition the nucleation mechanisms will be probed by means of in-situ synchrotron measurements using soft X-ray absorption (XAS) and fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy. The project will be conducted within the framework of NCN OPUS-LAP collaborative grant realized jointly by team of scientists employed at ACMiN AGH and EMPA Thun (Switzerland). It consists of three phases: (i) ex situ X-ray study; (ii) development of experimental setup for in-situ experiments; (iii) in-situ X-ray study.

• Investigation of the band structure of topologically non-trivial Weyl and / or Dirac semimetals in chiral crystals.

Scientific supervisor: to be determined, Implementation status: recruitment is ongoing, SOLARIS contact: Natalia Olszowska

Short description: Study and analysis of the band and spin structure of topologically non-trivial Weyl and/or Dirac semimetals in chiral systems such as CdAs2, NbAs2, and others along with modifying the surface structure by applying alkali metals to study conductivity bands. As part of the doctoral dissertation, optimization of spin filters should be performed along with measurements of Sherman functions and spin analysis of bands at nodal points and lines.

• Synthesis of unconventional superconductors and studies of their properties using local methods.

Scientific supervisor: Damian Rybicki, Wojciech Tabiś, Implementation status: in progress, SOLARIS contact: Jakub Szlachetko

Short description​: The project will be focused on the synthesis and subsequent study of the structural and electronic properties of unconventional superconductors. The synthesis of Fe-based compounds will be carried out within a collaboration between the AGH University of Science and Technology (AGH) and the Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research in Wrocław. Local probes, such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), X-ray absorption spectroscopy as well as X-ray scattering will be employed to study the structural details of the materials. Furthermore, the electronic transport and magnetoresistance measurements (also under uniaxial pressure) will be used for the determination of the superconducting as well as electronic properties of these materials. Such complementary experiments will allow finding the impact of the electronic and crystallographic details on unconventional superconductivity. While NMR measurements will be conducted at the AGH, the X-ray spectroscopy and scattering techniques will be the primary methods used at the SOLARIS synchrotron. Complementary electronic transport and X-ray diffraction will be carried out at AGH and TU Wien through well-established collaborations.

• Design and construction of a polarimeter for beamlines at SOLARIS synchrotron.

Scientific supervisor: Marcin Sikora, Implementation status:  in progress, SOLARIS contact: Marcin Zając

Short description​: *The project will be implemented as part of an implementation doctorate in close cooperation with the interested company. Call for proposals: June 2023.*
Some of the beamlines at SOLARIS synchrotron offer research methods that use light with variable polarization in the soft X-ray range. In life science, these methods provide information on the chirality of biological compounds, molecule dynamics, spin texture, and the structures of magnetic and electronic solids. In the processes mentioned above, the size of the observed effects depends on the degree of polarization. The degree of polarization can be calculated, however, it changes when radiation interacts with X-ray optics and cannot be accurately determined without a measuring tool. The aim of the project is to design and manufacture of a soft X-ray polarimeter, adapted to the needs and capabilities of involved beamlines, with replaceable motorized optical elements, a system for storing and replacing optical elements without breaking the vacuum in the polarimeter and a transfer system. The project provides for the possibility of consulting and collaborating with other synchrotron facilities using similar equipment.

• Development of a methodology and in situ XAS measuring station during charging and discharging of CR2032 cells.

Scientific supervisor: Janina Molenda, Andrzej Kulka, Implementation status: completed, SOLARIS contact: Alexey Maximenko

Short description​: The aim of the project is to develop a methodology for in situ XAS testing of electrochemical cells (Li-ion and Na-ion) and to build and optimize a cell for sodium cell measurements. During the charging and discharging of the cell, phase transformations and redox reactions occur in the structure of the electrode materials. Ex situ XAS measurements in transmission mode allow for electrode analysis at different cell charge levels by (dis-)charging and disassembling the cell. This process is lengthy and requires the presence of a non-oxidizing atmosphere for sample preparation. In situ measurements overcome the problems associated with the presence of an argon atmosphere and allow the analysis of unstable structures present in the cell. High energy resolution and relatively short measurement time allow characterization of electrochemical reactions and kinetics of cell operation. Studies will be conducted for antimony or silicon-based anodes in cells with sodium metal counter electrode.

• Materials based on doped-NiTiO3 system for catalytic applications.

Scientific supervisor: Ewa Drożdż, Implementation status: in progress, SOLARIS contact: Alexey Maximenko

Short description​: The purpose of the research will be design, synthesis and characterization of the properties of materials based on nickel titanate doped by d-block elements. Materials in the form of powders will be obtained by wet synthesis method and calcinated in various temperature. The resulting powders will be divided into two parts. The first part will be subjected to detailed studies of structural (XRD) and microstructural (SEM, DLS, BET) properties and their ability to participate in oxidation-reduction reactions (TPR/TPOx). The determination of oxidation state and coordination environment of individual elements in NiTiO3 lattice will be performed using synchrotron radiation (XAS). The powder materials will be tested as catalysis in deactivation of NOx and VOC reactions and in dry reforming of methane (DRM) process. The second part of the powders will be sintered in various temperatures and obtained sinters will be then characterized in terms of structural (XRD), microstructural (SEM, DLS, BET) and electrical properties.

• Automation and optimization of the identification of magnetic centers of quadrupole magnets in the Solaris synchrotron storage ring using physics‑informed neural networks.
   

Scientific supervisor: Tadeusz Szumlak, Implementation status: in progress, SOLARIS contact: Adriana Wawrzyniak

Short description​: The aim of the doctoral project is to improve the process of identifying the magnetic centers of quadrupole magnets in the storage ring, enabling more frequent and simpler diagnostics of the orbit position. The proposed approach is based on an innovative combination of accelerator physics data with Physics-Informed Neural Networks (PINNs).