Prof. Aldo Di Carlo

Aldo Di Carlo graduated in physics (cum laude) at the University of Rome "La Sapienza", obtained the Ph.D. at the Physics Department of the Technical University of Munich (Germany). In 1996 he became research assistant at the Department of Electronic Engineering of the University of Rome "Tor Vergata" and, on 2001, Associated professor. Since December 2012 he is Full Professor of Opto and Nanoelectronics in the same department. His research focuses on the study and fabrication of electronic and optoelectronic devices, their analysis and their optimization. An important aspect of the research concerns the simulation of micro and nanoelectronic devices. The development of the non-equilibrium theory for the microscopic description of the transport process in nanostructured devices and its multiscale implementation has been the subject of invited talks at international conferences and University seminars. In recent years his research was particularly focused on the development of organic solar cells, in particular Dye Solar Cells and Pervoskite Solar Cells, and on scaling-up of these technologies for industrial applications. Di Carlo founded and direct (2007-2019) the Center for Hybrid and Organic Solar Cells (CHOSE) which involve more than 30 researchers. Since september 2018 he is Director of the Istituto di Struttura della Materia of the National Research council (CNR-ISM) CHOSE has generated 5 spin-off company and a public/private consortium for-industrialization of DSC cells.

Aldo Di Carlo is the European coordinator of the H2020 project CITYSOLAR on the development of Tandem cells perovskite/organics dor building integration. He is/was node coordinator of 8 H2020 project (IMPRESSIVE on tandem cell perovskite/DSSC, MOSTOPHOS on simulation of organic LEDs, CHEOPS on pervoskite solar cells, GRAPHENE FLAGSHIP CORE 2 and Core 3 on perovskite/graphene solar cells, CHIPSCOPE on GaN Nanowire for superesolution microscopes, MAESTRO for perovskite optoelectronics and ESPRESSO for the fabrication of large area Perovskite solar modules,).
Aldo Di Carlo is/has been node coordinator of eight H2020 projects (Impressive for tandem perovskite/DSSC). He was European Coordinator of the FP7 Project ULTRADSSC on time-resolved characterization of DSSC solar cells and of the EU FP7 project OPTHER on THz Amplifiers. He was node coordinator of several national and european research projects, including five FP7 STREP projects (NEWLED on the development of GaN-LEDs, GRAPHENE Flagship, SMASH on Gan Leds and HYMEC on organic memories, CHEETAH fo fotovoltaics), three European Marie Curie Project (DESTINY of organic photovoltaic cells, CLERMONT and CLERMONT II on Microcavities), a European FP6 STREP Project (STIMSCAT on Polariton Lasers). He was coordinating also several National projects (PRIN, MADESS, PF etc.)

Di Carlo is author/coauthor of more than 450 scientific publications in international journals (h-factor = 58, Citations = 13700, Scopus), 13 international patents, several review papers and books chapters and coauthor of two books (in Italian language) "Appunti di Optoelettronica: I materiali semiconduttori" e "Appunti di Optoelettronica: fibre ottiche e componenti a semiconduttore" (Aracne ed.).

History

The Istituto di Struttura della Materia was founded in 1982, with headquarters in Frascati, by Prof. Gianfranco Chiarotti, who directed it until 1988.
Prof. Chiarotti was one of the fathers of Solid State Physics in Italy, for which he represented an international reference point. Under his leadership ISM carried out fundamental research in the field of solid state physics.

In 1997 th Institute moved to the Research Area of Tor Vergata.

From 1989 to 2008 the Institute was directed by Dr. Paolo Perfetti.
During his mandate, further beam lines are developed at Elettra while at the Institute are developed advanced diagnostic techniques for the study of the structural and electronic properties of materials.

From 2008 to 2013 the Institute was directed by Dr. Dino Fiorani.
During his mandate, the integration process between the two components of the Institute and the interdisciplinary nature of research between physics, chemistry and materials science is further developed.

From 2014 to 2019 the Institute is lead by Dr. Lorenzo Avaldi.
During his mandate, the Institute's interest extends to application sectors, such as energy, health, agri-food, aerospace, environment, cultural heritage, sensors and photonic, electronic and magnetic devices, and the creation of device prototypes.

Starting from September 2019 to September 2023 the Institute is directed by Prof. Aldo di Carlo.

Dr. Antonio Cricenti is the interim director.

Fiorani

Dino Fiorani is researcher emeritus of the CNR. He graduated in Chemistry (Rome) and he got the PhD in Physics (Grenoble). He was Director of ISM (2008-2013) and President of the Research  Area Roma II (2012/2013). His research activity is on magnetism, especially nanoparticle magnetism. He was awarded the Doctorate Honoris Causa from the University of Uppsala (2020) for the advancement of knowledge in the magnetic properties of nanoparticles. He is chair of the Steering Committee of the “International Conference on Fine particles Magnetism” he founded in 1991. He published 273 papers (h: 42).
Since 1989, he has continued to carry out coordinating functions at national and European level: GNSM Magnetism Sector (1989-1992); INFM Section “Materials for magnetic and superconducting devices” (1997-1999); Section “Magnetic and superconducting systems and devices” of the Department “Materials and Devices”; founder and President (2011-2017) of the Italian Magnetism Association; President of the Magnetism European Conferences (2015-2018); President of the European Magnetism Association (2016-2019). He served the IUPAP) as member of the Magnetism Commission (2006-2011) and Italian representative for Physics (2011-2014).
He was coordinator of a European Project (HIDEMAR) awarded with a prize Descartes. He was chairman of international conferences, among which the “International Conference on Magnetism” (2003), and Director of schools. He was invited speaker in many international conferences. He was member of the Panel “Condensed matter physics” of  the ERC grants (2011-2014). He is Editor of books and Advisory Editor of Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials. He is Fellow of the American Physical Society.
He was Director of the “Center of  Nanomaterials research” of the University of Kaliningrad (2015-2018).

From 2008 to 2013 the Institute was directed by Dr. Dino Fiorani. During his term there was a further development of the integration process between the two components of the Institute, and of the interdisciplinary character of the research crossing physics, chemistry and materials science. Moreover, the scientific interest progressively moved towards the study of the structural and electronic properties of functional materials and their applications. Moreover, the Institute promoted the interaction of the Research Area of Tor Vergata with the territory (starting with the organization of a meeting with the companies, including lab tour), played an important role in the establishment of the agreement between CNR and Lazio Region and coordinated a team of CNR groups, involving Institutes of the Physics and Chemistry Departments, in the KIC (Knowledge Innovation Community) “Raw Materials” of the EIT (European Institute of Innovation&Technology).

Perfetti

Paolo Perfetti was Director of the Istituto di Struttura della Materia from 1988 to 2008. Graduated in Rome in the field of Solids Physics, he was one of the main promoters of Synchrotron Light in Italy, first at the ADONE accumulation ring in Frascati, then at the Elettra laboratories in Trieste and the European ESRF laboratory in Grenoble. He has covered prestigious positions in different national and international scientific institutions and carried out academic and research activities both in Italy and abroad. He has participated in committees of numerous international conferences carrying out an intense editorial activity. His scientific experience is focused on Surface Physics, in particular direct and reverse photoemission spectroscopy, LEED, AUGER analysis and synchrotron radiation-matter interaction, with more than 250 papers in international journals. He was one of the pioneers in Italy in the field of heterojunctions and of radiation detecting and photo-emitting diodes, and the first to measure the interface parameters in heterojunctions with synchrotron radiation, and to modulate their values ​​with thin layers of different materials at the interface. In the field of local probe scanning microscopy, he has favored the creation of a laboratory with STM, AFM and SNOM microscopes, beside the construction of several instruments for researches on inorganic materials of interest for microelectronics or sensors and biological materials. In the last years of the  direction he has been extender of the scientific case for the SPARX project (Self-Amplified Pulsed Source of X Radiation) for the realization of a free electron laser.

Between 1988 and 2008 ISM went through several phases with perspectives that have been enriched over time. The first concerned the large infrastructures, focused around Synchrotone Light (LdS) and Neutrons. It is great merit of ISM and his researchers to have been the first in Italy to use the LdS on a large scale for the study of the matter with different techniques, such as optical spectroscopy, photoemission spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The storage ring “ADONE” in Frascati, at first entirely dedicated to elementary particle experiments, was later modified with the creation of five lines of LdS upon which an entire generation of scientists was formed. These scientists have later implemented such activity in Italy and around the World. In the same time a valid activity in the field of Neutron Spectrometry was started, leading to the realization of the “PRISMA” Spectrometry at the laboratories ISIS in England.
The experience gained at Frascati saw ISM on the front line in the design and creation of the LdS laboratory “ELETTRA” in Trieste (1993). Several lines of light, that are still working at the moment, were created at that time. This allowed to obtain important scientific results in the fields of surface physics and interfaces, hybrid materials, magnetic nanostructural materials, low dimension materials and heterostructures of interest for the electronics.
Such activity had to be supported by an intensive internal research and the studies on angle-resolved photoemission, internal photoemission, optical spectroscopy, growth of thin films, diffraction and energy dispersion X-ray reflectometry, have become the main scientific themes that characterize ISM.
Another important development phase has seen ISM in the leading role in the field of local probe microscopy. In its laboratories were built the first Italian Scanning Tunneling Microscopes (STM), Atomic Force Microscopes (AFM) and Scanning Near-Field Optical Microscopy (SNOM). Several works have been published about surface studies, innovative materials and biological systems.
ISM faced a period of growth in 2003 thanks to the merger of the ICMAT Institute. This represented a choice towards interdisciplinarity that had the goal of combining the synthesis skills of new materials, proper to Chemistry, with the diagnostic skills of Physics. This disciplinary extension has enriched ISM with a valid line of theoretical research concerning surface modeling, defects and hybrid systems.
The spirit of ISM, as creator of large infrastructures, culminated with the SPARX Project (Sorgente Pulsata Autoamplificata di Radiazione X). Such ambitious project, created for the realization of a free-electron laser, started in 2002 in collaboration with INFN, ENEA, University of Tor Vergata and Regione Lazio and aimed to build a large laboratory in the area of Tor Vergata mainly focused on the analysis of ultra-fast phenomena (femto-physics and femto-chimics). Unfortunately the project was not realized because of the loss of one of the partners, but the preliminary studies were fundamental for the development of the free-electron laser at ELETTRA in Trieste.

Chiarotti

Gianfranco CHIAROTTI

Physicist, (1928-2017).
Assistant Professor (1955-57) at the University of Illinois (USA), which hosts some of the leading scientists who founded the physics of solids: Bardeen, Schrieffer, Cooper, Maurer, Frederick Seitz.
Professor of Higher Physics first at the University of Messina from 1962 to 1965, then of Physics of Solids and General Physics at the University of Rome "La Sapienza".
At the beginning of the 1960's, under the aegis of INFN and CNR, was created the round table of the Italian Matter Structure Groups (GISM) of which Chiarotti will shortly assume the presidency.
In 1965 CNR admits GISM and establishes the National Group of Structure of Matter (GNSM), which becomes a research entity in 1969.
Towards the end of the 1960s the launch of a new project which involves the use of synchrotron light for the analysis and characterization of solids.
Since 1981 he has been Professor of General Physics at the "Tor Vergata" University of Rome.
In the meanwhile his relations with CNR get stronger, until the foundation of the Istituto di Struttura della Materia (ISM) based in Frascati, of which he was director from 1982 to 1988. Under his impulse at ISM, one of the leading projects is realized: the construction of one of the first scanning tunneling microscopes (STM); furtherore he promotes the use of synchrotron light, through the design and implementation of beam lines at ELETTRA realized by the Institute for the study of the electronic properties of solids and the development of other advanced diagnostic techniques.
NIn 1977 he was awarded the National Prize for Physics from the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, of which he became member thanks to his works in the promotion and strengthening of Physics with the aim of integrating it with all the other components of culture, even the most distant ones.
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