Since my high-school years, I carry the belief that the only way to systematically improve life is through scientific advancements and, understanding the structure and properties of materials is fundamental to that struggle. I am an individual very passionate about research, which can be seen by my academic career thus far.
I chose to follow the “Integrated Master of Science in Applied Physics” program from National Technical University of Athens’ School of Applied Mathematical and Physical Sciences as my first step in STEM fields since it would enable me to follow interdisciplinary studies and projects, focusing on Material Science and, in particular, semiconductor physics. Moreover, I find the knowledge I gained by studying Nuclear and High Energy Physics complementary to my overall expertise since it allows me to be actively involved in most accelerator-based experiments, which are quite prevalent when it comes to studying material properties. During my undergraduate studies, I had my first experience with spectroscopic techniques as the basis of my internship at the National Hellenic Research Institute, where I studied clay minerals and pharmaceutical specimens.
It has been my age-long ambition to become an experimental scientist working in such a reputable institute as the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, while having the opportunity to forward my studies under a doctorate program in Politecnico di Milano, one of the most prestigious universities in Europe. I am a member of the “Ultrafast dynamics in matter” group, which is a joint research group between the Instituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie of CNR and the Physics Department of Politecnico di Milano as part of my Marie Sklodowska-Curie fellowship provided via the SMART-X project. Currently, I am doing my PhD under the supervision of Dr. Eugenio Cinquanta and Prof. Salvatore Stagira and my research focuses on Ultrafast X-ray Spectroscopy, a state-of-the-art technique that enables me to study the chemical sensitivity of semiconductors with femtosecond resolution. I expect to gain insight in the electron dynamics of the materials of my interest (mainly perovskites), specifically in the mechanisms of charge transfer, exciton and polaron formation as well as the role of defects and doping. For that purpose, I will be working on a beamline development for transient absorption and reflectivity, using the attosecond pulses generated in the lab and focusing on achieving a configuration with control at low temperatures. The main technique used on this beamline will be Near Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure spectroscopy which produces absorption spectra that provide info about the absorption edges of the material.
In my free time, I enjoy exploring the city by bike and finding interesting landscapes and life scenes to “immortalise” on canvas. Art is a great motivator for me and, I find the way architecture is shaping nature fascinating.