Bachelor’s theses (B.Sc.)↑ Top

Students from all bachelor’s programs of the Faculty of Physics, both the 3-year (Physics, Physics in English, Computer Physics, Medical Physics) and the 4-year ones (Technological Physics, Robotics), are welcome to prepare their thesis in the MDEO Center. It is a first contact with modern research infrastructure and with the daily work of a research group. The thesis is written in Romanian or in English, depending on the teaching language of the student’s study program.

The topics below are indicative. Students who wish to gain deeper insight into one of them, or into a related subject, are encouraged to get in touch to discuss the details.

Proposed topics for the 2026–2027 academic year

Template-assisted electrochemical growth of metallic nanowire arrays

Students will grow arrays of vertically aligned copper (Cu) or nickel (Ni) nanowires through template-assisted electrodeposition using nanoporous alumina membranes. They will explore how process parameters influence the length, morphology and packing density of the resulting nanowires, and characterize their structural and morphological properties using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Such nanowire arrays are widely investigated as nanostructured electrodes for applications in solar cells, sensors, energy storage systems and various other functional devices.

Thin films of AII-BVI semiconductors for optoelectronic devices

Students will deposit zinc selenide (ZnSe) or zinc telluride (ZnTe) thin films using radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering and investigate how deposition parameters influence their structural, morphological and optical properties through complementary characterization techniques, including UV–Vis spectroscopy. They will also examine the electrical characteristics of simple semiconductor heterojunctions incorporating these materials. As cadmium-free semiconductors, ZnSe and ZnTe are promising candidates for various optoelectronic applications, including UV–Vis photodetectors.

Supervised theses 15

  1. 2025 – 2026

    “Structură cu trei straturi bazată pe nanocristale de GeSn imersate în HfO2 compatibil CMOS pentru memorii nevolatile”University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, RomaniaCollaboration: National Institute of Materials Physics (NIMP)

  2. 2024 – 2025

    “Tehnici de fabricare și caracterizare pentru MXene Ti3C2Tx”University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, Romania

    “Metode de fabricație pentru ținte cu aplicații în fizica laserilor”University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, Romania

  3. 2022 – 2023

    “Detecția de înaltă sensibilitate a amoniacului cu ajutorul senzorilor chemirezistivi”University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, RomaniaCollaboration: National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics (INFLPR), Măgurele, Romania

    “Metode de caracterizare morfologice, elementale și structurale ale materialelor, aplicate pe straturi de filme subțiri de Cu2SnS3”University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, RomaniaCollaboration: National Institute of Materials Physics (NIMP), Măgurele, Romania

    “Studiul proprietăților optice și electrice ale compusului ternar CuPc-NPs:P3HT:PC71BM pentru aplicații în celule fotovoltaice de tip <bulk heterojunctions>”University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, Romania

  4. 2021 – 2022

    “Tehnici de Preparare și Caracterizare ale Heterojoncțiunilor din Compuși Semiconductori AII-BVI Pentru Aplicații Optoelectronice”University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, Romania

    Resulted in one published article DOI ↗

    “Detecția ionilor de cadmiu (Cd2+) folosind un senzor inovativ cu fibră optică”University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, RomaniaCollaboration: National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics (INFLPR), Măgurele, Romania

    Resulted in one published article DOI ↗

  5. 2020 – 2021

    “Fabricarea și caracterizarea electrozilor bazați pe matrici de nanofire metalice verticale cu densitate variabilă”University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, Romania

  6. 2019 – 2020

    “Depunerea electrochimică a filmelor subțiri nanostructurate de Oxid de Zinc dopat cu Aluminiu”University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, Romania

  7. 2018 – 2019

    “Prepararea și caracterizarea nanotuburilor de nichel cu aplicații în domeniul dispozitivelor magnetice”University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, Romania

    Resulted in one published article DOI ↗

    “Sinteza electrochimică și caracterizarea filmelor subțiri nanostructurate de Telurură de Cadmiu”University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, Romania

  8. 2017 – 2018

    “Fabrication and characterization of Cu nanowire arrays for photovoltaic applications”University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, Romania

    Best poster award (sponsor’s prize offered by ArcelorMittal) for the poster entitled: “Novel Cu nanorod arrays for optoelectronic devices”, presented at the 3rd Autumn School on Physics of Advanced Materials (PAMS-3), September 22-28, 2018, Technological Educational Institute (TEI) of Crete, Heraklion, Greece

    “Modificări morfologice ale suprafețelor de Titan pentru investigații de bioactivitate”University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, Romania

  9. 2016 – 2017

    “Creșterea nanofirelor semiconductoare de CdTe și ZnO prin electrodepunere în șabloane nanoporoase de alumină, pentru aplicații în celule fotovoltaice”University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, Romania

Master’s theses (M.Sc.)↑ Top

The topics below are proposed to students of the Physics of Advanced Materials and Nanostructures (PAMN) master’s program. The research is carried out in the MDEO Center, using its infrastructure, and the thesis is written in English. Many of the theses listed below were prepared in collaboration with research institutes in Măgurele and Bucharest (INFLPR, NIMP, IMT) and abroad (ICFO, Barcelona), or at UCLouvain during my post-doctoral years.

The topics below are indicative. Students who wish to gain deeper insight into one of them, or into a related subject, are encouraged to get in touch to discuss the details.

Proposed topics for the 2026–2027 academic year

Preparation and Advanced Characterization of Quasi-Two-Dimensionally (2D) Confined Nanostructures

Students will explore advanced methods for the fabrication and characterization of nanostructures with axial symmetry, such as nanowires and nanotubes, including their potential integration into electronic or optoelectronic devices.

Synthesis of Thin Films Based on Inorganic Semiconducting Compounds by Electrochemical Means, for Solar Cell Applications

Students will focus on the implementation of electrochemical processes for the fabrication of semiconducting thin films, particularly those based on AII-BVI chalcogenide compounds.

Supervised theses 22

  1. 2026 – 2027

    “Fiber-Optic Sensors for Radiation Field Diagnostics and In-Situ Monitoring”University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, RomaniaCollaboration: National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics (INFLPR), Măgurele, Romania

  2. 2025 – 2026

    “Large Area CeO2 Thin Films Functionalized with Metal Oxide Nanoparticles for Selective Hydrogen Sulfide Detection”University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, RomaniaCollaboration: National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics (INFLPR), Măgurele, Romania

    “Lithium Intercalation on Nanoporous Graphene”University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, RomaniaCollaboration: Sapienza University, Physics Department, Rome, Italy

  3. 2024 – 2025

    “Sensitive and Specific Detection of Ammonia using a Chemoresistive Sensor based on Polyaniline”University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, RomaniaCollaboration: National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics (INFLPR), Măgurele, Romania

    “Quantum electrodynamics of light-matter interaction on ultrafast time scales in condensed matter”University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, RomaniaCollaboration: The Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO), Barcelona, Spain

  4. 2022 – 2023

    “Laser processing of composite materials based on WO3/polymers as thin films for sensing membranes”University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, RomaniaCollaboration: National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics (INFLPR), Măgurele, Romania

    “Decorated Carbon Nano-Walls for Supercapacitors”University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, RomaniaCollaboration: National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics (INFLPR), Măgurele, Romania

  5. 2021 – 2022

    “MAPLE processed sensors for the detection of nitrites in water”University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, RomaniaCollaboration: National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics (INFLPR), Măgurele, Romania

    “Study of thin films for gate electrode in transparent field effect transistors”University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, Romania

    “New thin films from organic composite materials for optoelectronic applications”University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, Romania

  6. 2020 – 2021

    “Optical properties of stoichiometric and sub-stoichiometric Tungsten Oxide (WO3 and WOx) thin layers obtained by laser ablation: Highlighting phase transitions through Spectroscopic Ellipsometry analysis”University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, RomaniaCollaboration: National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics (INFLPR), Măgurele, Romania

  7. 2019 – 2020

    “Advanced processed and functionalized Gum type alloy for orthopaedic implants”University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, RomaniaCollaboration: National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics (INFLPR), Măgurele, Romania; Politehnica University of Bucharest (UPB), Bucharest, Romania

    “CdTe-embedded Cu nanowire arrays for improved absorber layer/holes collector interfaces in superstrate-type photovoltaic cells”University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, Romania

    Resulted in one published article DOI ↗

    “Materiale calcogenice 2D pentru aplicații biomedicale”University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, RomaniaCollaboration: National Institute of Materials Physics (NIMP), Măgurele, Romania

    “Nanostructured Materials for Gas Sensors: Morphological, Structural and Compositional Aspects with a Significant Role in the Sensing Mechanism”University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, RomaniaCollaboration: National Institute of Materials Physics (NIMP), Măgurele, Romania

  8. 2018 – 2019

    “Study of GeSi Nanocrystals Based Trilayers with Memory Properties”University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, RomaniaCollaboration: National Institute of Materials Physics (NIMP), Măgurele, Romania

    “High Performance Quasi-Solid Supercapacitors using Graphitized Porous Silicon Electrodes”University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, RomaniaCollaboration: National Institute for R&D in Microtechnologies (IMT), Bucharest, Romania

  9. 2015 – 2016

    “Synthesis and characterization of 3D nanowire networks for high-areal capacity Li-ion battery anodes”UCLouvain/IMCN/BSMA, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium

  10. 2014 – 2015

    “Production and physical properties of hybrid multiferroic nanostructures”UCLouvain/IMCN/BSMA, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium

    Resulted in one published article DOI ↗

  11. 2013 – 2014

    “Synthesis and Characterization of a Multiferroic Nanocomposite by Impregnation of Ferrimagnetic Nanowire Arrays by a Ferroelectric Polymer”UCLouvain/IMCN/BSMA, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium

    “Synthesis and Characterization of Ferrimagnetic Nanowire Arrays, Embedded in a Piezoelectric Polymer Matrix”UCLouvain/IMCN/BSMA, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium

  12. 2012 – 2013

    “Electrochemical deposition of zinc oxide nanorods on transparent conducting substrates”UCLouvain/IMCN/BSMA, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium

    Resulted in one published article DOI ↗

Doctoral theses (Ph.D.)↑ Top

As a doctoral supervisor at the Physics Doctoral School of the University of Bucharest, I propose topics in the field of Physics, direction “Physics of Condensed Matter”. The thesis can be written in Romanian or in English, at the doctoral student’s choice. Doctoral students in the MDEO Center have access to its research infrastructure and, through national and international collaborations, to the facilities of the research institutes on the Măgurele platform; they take part in research projects and publish their results in specialized journals.

The topics below are indicative. Prospective doctoral candidates interested in one of them, or in a related subject, are encouraged to get in touch before the admission to discuss the details.

Proposed topics for admission in the 2026–2027 academic year

Electrochemically-synthesized nanostructured thin films for electronics and optoelectronics

Direct conversion of solar energy into electricity through the photovoltaic effect represents a viable alternative for new energy sources. In this sense, there is a permanent interest in increasing the conversion efficiency of solar cells, regardless of their type and generation, while decreasing their fabrication costs. One option in this regard is to exploit the advantages of modern nanotechnologies, which can bring additional performance or new functionalities to electronic and optoelectronic devices.

For this purpose, a modular experimental platform for implementing cost-effective electrochemical processes has been developed in recent years within the MDEO Center of the Faculty of Physics, University of Bucharest. Its potential has already been demonstrated for the electrochemical synthesis of cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin films, but also for the growth of ordered arrays of nanowires or nanotubes oriented vertically with respect to the substrate, targeting various applications [1–3].

In these circumstances, the general objective of this doctoral program is the implementation of electrochemical processes for the preparation of nanostructured thin films applicable in optoelectronic devices, such as solar cells or photodetectors. In particular, the optimization of electrochemical synthesis procedures for cadmium (Cd)-free chalcogen-based compounds will be considered, for which the MDEO Center has the necessary scientific expertise and infrastructure [4–6].

Selected references 6
  1. A. M. Răduță, A. M. Panaitescu, M. Manica, S. Iftimie, V. A. Antohe, O. Toma, A. Radu, L. Ion, M. P. Suchea, Ș. Antohe, “Effect of Deposition Working Power on Physical Properties of RF-Sputtered CdTe Thin Films for Photovoltaic Applications”, Nanomaterials 14(6), 535 (2024) DOI ↗
  2. A. M. Panaitescu, I. Antohe, C. Locovei, S. Iftimie, Ș. Antohe, L. Piraux, M. P. Suchea, V. A. Antohe, “Effect of the Cadmium Telluride Deposition Method on the Covering Degree of Electrodes Based on Copper Nanowire Arrays”, Applied Sciences 12(15), 7808 (2022) DOI ↗
  3. C. Locovei, N. Filipoiu, A. Kuncser, A. E. Stanciu, Ș. Antohe, C. F. Florica, A. Costas, I. Enculescu, L. Piraux, V. Kuncser, V. A. Antohe, “Unidirectional Magnetic Anisotropy in Dense Vertically-Standing Arrays of Passivated Nickel Nanotubes”, Nanomaterials 10(12), 2444 (2020) DOI ↗
  4. A. M. Panaitescu, V. A. Antohe, “Study of optical and electrical properties of RF-sputtered ZnSe/ZnTe heterojunctions for sensing applications”, Coatings 13(1), 208 (2023) DOI ↗
  5. A. M. Panaitescu, I. Antohe, A. M. Răduță, S. Iftimie, Ș. Antohe, C. N. Mihăilescu, V. A. Antohe, “Morphological, Optical and Electrical Properties of RF-Sputtered Zinc Telluride Thin Films for Electronic and Optoelectronic Applications”, AIP Advances 12, 115013 (2022) DOI ↗
  6. O. Toma, V. A. Antohe, A. M. Panaitescu, S. Iftimie, A. M. Răduță, A. Radu, L. Ion, Ș. Antohe, “Effect of RF Power on the Physical Properties of Sputtered ZnSe Nanostructured Thin Films for Photovoltaic Applications”, Nanomaterials 11(11), 2841 (2021) DOI ↗

Development of smartly-engineered nanowire-based substrates for sensing applications

The development of large arrays of nanowires and nanotubes with different geometries and modulated compositions has opened new practical prospects, mainly because these nanostructures with axial symmetry, combined with diverse organic or inorganic materials, form nanocomposite films with special mechanical, thermal, optical and electrical properties. As demonstrated so far, the applications of such nanowires range from electrodes for microbatteries and microsupercapacitors [1, 2] and thermoelectricity [3, 4] to, more frequently, capacitive or chemiresistive sensing and biosensing devices [5, 6]. In the latter case, these nanostructures uniquely provide very large surface-to-volume ratios, an extremely important property that allows the preparation of detectors with extended active surfaces and reduced physical dimensions.

In this context, this doctoral research program is based on the fabrication and characterization of large arrays and patterns of quasi-one-dimensional nanostructures made of metals and other organic or inorganic compounds, targeting their integration into sensors and biosensors with superior performance, especially in terms of sensitivity and limit of detection.

The work will be carried out mainly in the MDEO Center of the Faculty of Physics, University of Bucharest, where a versatile electrochemical platform is available for the template-free or template-assisted synthesis of nanowires and nanotubes. Experimental setups are also available for the characterization of sensors and biosensors, including a modern electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (E-QCM) for mass-sensitive in situ measurements. This system is an essential tool to investigate in depth the dynamic response of reactions at electrode–liquid interfaces, helping to optimize various sensing and biosensing scenarios.

Selected references 6
  1. J. O. Omale, P. Van Velthem, V. A. Antohe, A. Vlad, L. Piraux, “Effects of Electrolyte Additives and Nanowire Diameter on the Electrochemical Performance of Lithium-ion Battery Anodes Based on Interconnected Nickel-Tin Nanowire Networks”, Energy Technology 9, 2100062 (2021) DOI ↗
  2. J. O. Omale, R. Rupp, P. Van Velthem, V. Van Kerckhoven, V. A. Antohe, A. Vlad, L. Piraux, “Three-dimensional microsupercapacitors based on interdigitated patterns of interconnected nanowire networks”, Energy Storage Materials 21, 77–84 (2019) DOI ↗
  3. L. Piraux, N. Marchal, P. Van Velthem, T. da Câmara Santa Clara Gomes, F. Abreu Araujo, E. Ferain, J. P. Issi, V. A. Antohe, “Improved electrical and thermoelectric properties of electrodeposited Bi1-xSbx nanowire networks by thermal annealing”, Nanoscale Advances 7(1), 124–132 (2025) DOI ↗
  4. L. Piraux, N. Marchal, P. Van Velthem, T. da Câmara Santa Clara Gomes, E. Ferain, J. P. Issi, V. A. Antohe, “Polycrystalline bismuth nanowire networks for flexible longitudinal and transverse thermoelectrics”, Nanoscale 15(33), 13708–13717 (2023) DOI ↗
  5. L. Piraux, V. A. Antohe, E. Ferain, D. Lahem, “Self-supported three-dimensionally interconnected polypyrrole nanotubes and nanowires for highly sensitive chemiresistive gas sensing”, RSC Advances 6, 21808–21813 (2016) DOI ↗
  6. V. A. Antohe, A. Radu, M. Matéfi-Tempfli, A. Attout, S. Yunus, P. Bertrand, C. A. Dutu, A. Vlad, S. Melinte, S. Matéfi-Tempfli, L. Piraux, “Nanowire-templated microelectrodes for high-sensitivity pH detection”, Applied Physics Letters 94(7), 073118 (2009) DOI ↗

Supervised theses 5

  1. Since 2026

    “Vertical integration of strain engineered oxide thin films for highly tuneable sensors”University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, RomaniaCollaboration: National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics (INFLPR), Măgurele, Romania

  2. Since 2025

    “Development of Smartly-Engineered Nanowire-Based Substrates for Sensing Applications”University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, RomaniaCollaboration: National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics (INFLPR), Măgurele, Romania

    “Electrochemically-synthesized nanostructured thin films for electronics and optoelectronics”University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, Romania

  3. Since 2024

    “Novel plasmonic nanowire arrays for energy conversion applications”University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, RomaniaCollaboration: National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics (INFLPR), Măgurele, Romania

  4. Since 2023

    “Development of 3D nanowire networks for energy-harvesting devices”University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, RomaniaCollaboration: UCLouvain/IMCN, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium

    Official institutional partnership (joint supervision)

Other doctoral activities

Ph.D. public defense juries

  • March 2024: “Crystal Structure, Magnetic, and Optical Properties of (K, Ag, Mg) doped ZnO and Na-doped TiO2 Compounds”, Department of Physics, Central Institute of Technology Kokrajhar, Assam, India participation by correspondence
  • March 2023: “Crystal Structure, d0 Magnetism and Transport Properties of Non-magnetic Element (Li, Mg, Ag) doped Oxides (ZnO, SnO2, TiO2, ZrO2) for Spintronics Application”, Department of Physics, Central Institute of Technology Kokrajhar, Assam, India participation by correspondence
  • 9 December 2019: “Circuite Optice Integrate cu Plasmoni de Suprafață”, University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, Romania

Ph.D. private defense juries

  • 28 September 2026: “Materiale nanostructurate pentru senzori de gaze: corelații între proprietățile funcționale, electronice și microstructurale”, University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, Romania online participation

Follow-up committees

  • Since 2020: Member of the follow-up committee of 9 Ph.D. students, Physics Doctoral School, University of Bucharest, Romania
  • Since 2019: “3D Microbatteries Based on Interconnected Nanowire Networks”, Louvain School of Engineering (EPL), UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium

Research internships

  • 4–29 November 2019: “Development and characterization of dense localized arrays of vertically-aligned Au and ZnO nanowires”, University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Ilfov, Romania

    Extensive training and mentoring of a Ph.D. student from University of Warsaw, Poland.