Just before Easter, Dr Volodymyr Zaika of the G.V. Kurdyumov Institute for Metal Physics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine visited the ASTRID2 synchrotron radiation facility as part of the NEPHEWS Early Stage Researcher (ESR) programme.
The NEPHEWS initiative supports more than 25 early-career scientists by enabling short-term research visits to leading European research infrastructures. These visits are designed to introduce participants to advanced experimental techniques and explore how they can be applied across different scientific fields.
During his stay at ASTRID2, Dr Zaika took part in experimental activities at both the materials beamline and the nanoARPES beamline. The visit provided valuable hands-on experience and broadened his understanding of the capabilities offered by synchrotron facilities.
Dr Zaika, whose research focuses primarily on perovskite materials and apatite-like structures, highlighted the impact of the visit on his work:
“At my home institute, I mainly investigate perovskite materials and apatite-like structures. During my ESR visit under the NEPHEWS programme, I developed an idea for studying perovskites using synchrotron XPS. By tuning the photon energy, it becomes possible to probe surface layers without damaging the sample.”
Beyond his scientific activities, Dr Zaika also documented his experience at the facility, sharing short video updates from ASTRID2 on his YouTube channel, which you can see here: https://m.youtube.com/@UkrainePhysicist/shorts
