News Archives - HIP-2D-QM

ERA Chair Emil Božin Delivers Lecture on PDF Analysis at HIP-2D-QM Fall Workshop 2026

On 4 November 2026, Dr Emil Božin, ERA Chair of the HIP-2D-QM project, delivered a lecture entitled “Seeing Beyond Crystallography: An Introduction to Advanced Fourier Analysis of Complex Materials” at the Institute of Physics Belgrade, as part of the HIP-2D-QM Fall Workshop 2026 lecture series.

The lecture introduced the fundamental concepts of Pair Distribution Function (PDF) analysis, a powerful technique for investigating local atomic structures beyond the limits of conventional crystallography. It covered the principles of total scattering, experimental considerations for X-ray and neutron scattering, data processing, and structural modeling, highlighting the applications of PDF analysis in studying crystalline, nanostructured, and disordered materials.

The HIP-2D-QM Fall Workshop 2026 runs from August to December, introducing state-of-the-art experimental characterization techniques available at leading large-scale research facilities worldwide. The series is designed for graduate students, early-career researchers, and scientists interested in advanced methods in condensed matter physics, solid-state chemistry, and materials science.

Learn more about the workshop and upcoming lectures:
https://www.advances-fallworkshop26.solidstate.ipb.ac.rs/

HIP-2D-QM Hosts Workshops on Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer

On 27 and 28 October 2026, the Institute of Physics Belgrade hosted two complementary workshops on intellectual property rights and technology transfer. Organized within the HIP-2D-QM project, the events brought together researchers from IPB and other research institutions.

Both workshops focused on strengthening researchers’ knowledge and skills in protecting, managing, and applying research results.

Intellectual Property Rights and Advanced Patent Search Strategies

The first workshop took place on 27 October. Jelena Tešić and Saša Zdravković from the Intellectual Property Office of the Republic of Serbia delivered the sessions.

The lecturers introduced different forms of intellectual property protection, including patents, trademarks, industrial designs, and copyright. They also explained the structure of patent applications, patent classification systems, and the main requirements for patentability. These include novelty, inventive step, and industrial applicability.

Furthermore, the workshop addressed the relationship between patenting and scientific publication. Participants explored intellectual property ownership and management in national and international research projects.

The final session focused on advanced patent search techniques using the Espacenet database. Through practical demonstrations, participants learned about search strategies, filtering options, and methods for analysing patent documentation. The workshop also encouraged discussion on protecting research results and using patent information effectively.

Technology Transfer: From Research to Impact

The second workshop took place on 28 October, with Gordana Danilović Grković, a regional innovation expert, as the lecturer.

The workshop explored the main stages of technology transfer, from identifying promising research results to their potential commercialisation. Participants learned about the Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) framework and how to assess the maturity of their technologies.

In addition, the sessions addressed how to identify opportunities for further technological development and select suitable technology transfer pathways. The lecturer also discussed how to align technology development plans with available funding opportunities.

A key part of the workshop involved interactive exercises based on participants’ own research and projects. Researchers assessed the current maturity of their technologies and explored possible next steps. They also discussed challenges, opportunities, and potential pathways towards practical application.

Finally, real-world case studies and lessons learned from technology transfer practice provided additional insights into the commercialisation process.

Together, the two workshops highlighted the connection between intellectual property protection and technology transfer. While the first focused on protecting and managing research results, the second explored their potential for further development and practical application.

Through these activities, the HIP-2D-QM project continues to strengthen researchers’ capacities in intellectual property management, technology transfer, and the effective exploitation of research results.

HIP-2D-QM Researchers Conduct First Synchrotron Experiments at MAX IV in Sweden

Researchers from the HIP-2D-QM project carried out their first experimental work at the DanMAX beamline of the MAX IV synchrotron in Lund, Sweden, from 6 to 8 October 2026.

The participating team included Dr Emil Božin, ERA Chair, Dr Nenad Lazarević, Project Coordinator, and two PhD researchers from the ERA Research Team, Teodora Milenković and Ana Kanjevac.

During the four-day visit, the researchers conducted experimental work under two approved experimental proposals: 20260822 (InSiTe₃) and 20260845 (ZrTe₃).

This first experimental visit marks an important milestone for the HIP-2D-QM project, providing access to advanced synchrotron techniques and state-of-the-art facilities for investigating quantum materials.

The experiments contribute to the project's broader research objectives, focused on understanding the structural properties and hidden phases of two-dimensional quantum materials, and represent an important step forward in the development of the project's experimental research activities.

CSSPNM Awarded Two Horizon Europe Twinning Projects

Researchers from the Centre for Solid State Physics and New Materials (CSSPNM) at the Institute of Physics Belgrade have secured funding for two Horizon Europe Twinning projects under the HORIZON-WIDERA-2026-02 – Twinning call.

The projects, ANCHOR-QM, coordinated by Dr Nenad Lazarević, and TWIN-QLAB, coordinated by Dr Jelena Pešić, will expand CSSPNM's collaboration with leading European research institutions. They will also strengthen the Centre's research excellence in solid-state physics and quantum materials. In addition, both projects will create new opportunities for researcher exchanges, knowledge transfer, and the development of advanced research capacities.

ANCHOR-QM

The ANCHOR-QM project (Anchoring a Structurally Embedded Regional User-Facility and ERA-Governance Hub for Quantum Materials) is coordinated by Dr Nenad Lazarević.

The consortium brings together three renowned European partners:

Dresden University of Technology (Germany)
Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research (Germany)
University of Antwerp (Belgium)

Together, the partners will strengthen scientific collaboration and share expertise in quantum materials.

TWIN-QLAB

The TWIN-QLAB project (Twinning for a Quantum Materials Digital Laboratory at IPB: Standardising Experiment-Theory Workflows and Strengthening Excellence in Environmental Protection) is coordinated by Dr Jelena Pešić.

The consortium includes:

CNR-ICMATE (Italy)
Universidad de Cantabria (Spain)

The project will strengthen collaboration between experimental and theoretical research. It will also support knowledge exchange and help develop new research capacities at the Institute.

The European Commission opened the HORIZON-WIDERA-2026-02 – Twinning call on 8 January 2026 and closed it on 9 April 2026. Researchers from Widening countries submitted 1,905 proposals, and the Commission selected 179 projects for funding.

Researchers from Serbia submitted 139 proposals, of which 18 were successful. With an average budget of around €1.5 million per project, the Twinning programme continues to support research excellence and stronger international cooperation across Europe.

Overall, securing two Horizon Europe Twinning projects marks another important milestone for the Centre for Solid State Physics and New Materials and the Institute of Physics Belgrade. The projects will strengthen long-term partnerships with leading European institutions, expand opportunities for researcher mobility, and support future advances in quantum materials research.

Open Science Session Brings Lively Discussion to Spring Workshop 2026

Within the Advances in Solid State Physics and New Materials – Spring Workshop 2026, special attention was dedicated to Open Science. Therefore, the workshop featured a dedicated Open Science Session on May 28, 2026.

The session focused on the topics Open Science in Serbia: Not a Fairy Tale, but a Good Case Study and The Serbian Reproducibility Network: Building Reliable and Open Research Practices in Serbia. Biljana Kosanović from the University of Belgrade Computer Centre (RCUB) and Matija Zlatar from the University of Belgrade – Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy (ICTM) presented the topics and shared practical insights into Open Science and reproducibility practices in Serbia.

Moreover, the session attracted strong interest from workshop participants. It also sparked a lively discussion on transparency, research integrity, reproducibility, and the future of open and responsible research practices in Serbia. As a result, the discussion became one of the highlights of the session and showed the growing importance of Open Science topics within the research community.

The Open Science Session was organized within the framework of the ERA Chair project HIP-2D-QM at the Center for Solid State Physics and New Materials, Institute of Physics Belgrade.

Photos by Bojan Džodan

Advances in Solid State Physics and New Materials Workshop 2026 Successfully Held at the Institute of Physics Belgrade

The international workshop Advances in Solid State Physics and New Materials – Spring Workshop 2026 took place at the Institute of Physics Belgrade from May 25 to 29, 2026, within the activities of the Center for Solid State Physics and New Materials and the ERA Chair project Hidden Phases in 2D Quantum Materials (HIP-2D-QM), funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 101185375.

Over the course of five days, the workshop brought together more than 40 lecturers and 22 participants from Serbia and abroad working in condensed matter physics, quantum materials, low-dimensional systems, and advanced materials science.

Through invited lectures, contributed talks, and scientific discussions, participants explored a broad range of topics including electron–phonon interactions, quantum transport phenomena, topological materials, Raman spectroscopy, neutron imaging, transmission electron microscopy, magnetic structures, machine learning applications in materials science, and computational modelling of quantum systems.

The programme featured lectures by internationally recognized researchers including Prof. Vladimir Dobrosavljević, Prof. Vladan Stevanović, Prof. Rudi Hackl, Prof. Cesare Franchini, Prof. Oleg Yazyev, Prof. Andrey Mishchenko, and Prof. Emil Božin, who presented recent developments in quantum materials, correlated systems, spectroscopy, and advanced characterization techniques.

Researchers also discussed emerging directions in materials science, including hidden states in quantum materials, topological phase transitions, approximation-free computational approaches for strongly correlated systems, quantum light emitters, photonic qubits, and nanoscale characterization methods.

As part of the programme, the workshop hosted a dedicated Open Science Session focused on open and reproducible research practices in Serbia, followed by a panel discussion on transparency, accessibility, and reliability in contemporary scientific research.

The workshop provided an opportunity for researchers, early-career scientists, and students to exchange ideas, strengthen existing collaborations, and establish new scientific connections in the field of solid state physics and new materials research.

From scientific discussions and lectures to networking and collaboration, the video below captures some of the key moments from the workshop: Advances in Solid State Physics and New Materials Workshop 2026

Photos by Bojan Džodan and Bojan Živojinović

Advances in Solid State Physics and New Materials – Spring Workshop 2026 Officially Opened

May 25, 2026
by hip2dqmadmin

The international workshop Advances in Solid State Physics and New Materials – Spring Workshop 2026 officially opened on May 25, 2026, at the Institute of Physics Belgrade, gathering researchers, students, and experts from Serbia and abroad in the fields of condensed matter physics, quantum materials, nanoscience, and advanced materials research.

Organized within the activities of the Center for Solid State Physics and New Materials and the ERA Chair project Hidden Phases in 2D Quantum Materials (HIP-2D-QM), funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 101185375, the workshop focuses on low-dimensional systems, novel quantum phenomena, electron–phonon interactions, spectroscopy, transport phenomena, and advanced experimental and theoretical approaches in modern materials science.

The opening day featured invited lectures by leading scientists including Prof. Vladimir Dobrosavljević, who presented research on charge transfer mechanisms in high-entropy metallic alloys, Prof. Vladan Stevanović on electron transport in amorphous solids, and Prof. Rudi Hackl, who discussed light scattering in novel quantum materials.

Additional sessions covered topics such as Raman spectroscopy and electron–phonon coupling in low-dimensional materials, coherent phonon states, transmission electron microscopy, neutron imaging techniques, magnetic arrangements in low-dimensional structures, and electron–phonon decoupling in kagome lattice systems.

Throughout the week, the workshop will include invited talks, contributed presentations, and poster sessions dedicated to current challenges and emerging directions in solid state physics and materials science, while fostering scientific exchange, interdisciplinary discussion, and international collaboration.

Further information about the workshop and the full scientific programme is available on the official workshop website.

Dr. Emil Božin on the Regional Training Center for the Advanced Structural Analysis

Dr. Emil Božin, one of the world’s leading researchers in solid-state physics and ERA Chair of the HIP-2D-QM project funded by Horizon Europe program, speaks in the latest episode of A Look into Physics about his scientific journey and the vision behind the establishment of the Regional Training Center for the Advanced Structural Analysis at the Institute of Physics in Belgrade.

After years of work at the prestigious Brookhaven National Laboratory (USA), Dr. Božin returned to Serbia with the goal of strengthening advanced research infrastructure and creating new opportunities for young scientists in the region. In the interview, he explains why similar training centers exist at leading scientific institutions worldwide and highlights their crucial role in modern materials research.

Dr. Božin also discusses the importance of advanced structural analysis for understanding complex quantum and solid-state materials, as well as the reasons why Serbia, and the Institute of Physics in Belgrade in particular, represents a strong and competitive environment for hosting such a regional center.

Through this initiative, the Institute of Physics in Belgrade further reinforces its position as a regional hub for advanced materials research and the development of the next generation of scientists.

For the full video, please visit the Institute of Physics Belgrade YouTube channel

What Do Two-Dimensional Materials Hide? – An Interview with Dr. Jelena Pešić

In a new interview, Dr. Jelena Pešić talks about the fascinating world of two-dimensional quantum materials and the advanced research methods used to uncover their hidden structural properties.

The interview also highlights the establishment of the Training Center for the Advanced Structural Analysis, formed within the project Hidden Phases in 2D Quantum Materials, supported through the Horizon Europe programme. Equipped with a powerful X-ray diffractometer (XRD), the center enables researchers to explore atomic and molecular structures with a level of precision that opens new possibilities for understanding material behaviour.

Beyond cutting-edge research, the new Training Center serves as a regional hub for training and knowledge exchange, providing access to advanced structural analysis techniques that are still emerging in the Western Balkans.

In the interview, Dr. Pešić explains why studying two-dimensional materials matters, what makes them so intriguing, and how new research infrastructure helps reveal the hidden phases that could shape future technologies.

For the full video, please visit the Institute of Physics Belgrade YouTube channel

IN MEMORIAM: Diana Dulić

February 2, 2026
by hip2dqmadmin

With profound sorrow, we inform you that our dear colleague, friend, and project partner, Prof. Diana Dulić, passed away unexpectedly this weekend in the Netherlands.

She completed her undergraduate studies at the Faculty of Physics, University of Belgrade, and earned her PhD at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. She built an outstanding academic and research career at leading European institutions before joining the University of Chile in 2013. At the Department of Physics, she held the position of Professor and established a distinguished scientific career in the fields of molecular electronics and two-dimensional materials, making significant contributions to the development of interdisciplinary research in nanotechnology.

Prof. Diana Dulić was a long-standing collaborator of the Center for Solid State Physics and New Materials at the Institute of Physics Belgrade. In recent months, within the framework of the joint project “2D Material Field-Effect Transistor–Based Photodetectors” (Programme for Cooperation of Serbian Science with the Diaspora), she made a substantial contribution through her expertise, particularly in advancing transport measurements for the development of photodetectors based on 2D materials.

Her unexpected passing has deeply affected her family, friends, and colleagues. The Center for Solid State Physics and New Materials expresses its sincere gratitude to Prof. Diana Dulić for her selfless contribution to the development of our Center and for the exceptional collaboration on our joint projects. Her work and memory will remain permanently present in our scientific community.