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Anna CUPOLILLO - Professori Associati

Anna CUPOLILLO

Professori Associati

Fisica sperimentale della materia e applicazioni (PHYS-03/A)

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ANNA CUPOLILLO has a permanent position of researcher in Experimental Physics at Physics Department of the University of Calabria (Italy). In 2014 she has obtained the habilitation as Associate Professor in Applied Physics. She started her experimental study on surface science using a variety of electron spectroscopies to investigate electronic and vibrational excitations of atoms and molecules adsorbed in a controlled way on monocrystal surfaces. She achieved a great expertise in the high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy and in the supersonic molecular beams to study the dynamics of gas-surface interactions and surface reactions. To this scope a wide variety of modern physical tools based on ultrahigh vacuum physics has been employed to understand how surfaces, through their geometric and electronic structures, affect the chemical reactivity of molecules interacting with solid surfaces which is of a paramount importance in the heterogeneous catalysis process. In 1996 she has been awarded with the Luigi Giulotto Prize for scientific production by the Italian Society of Physics. After PhD thesis she had a stable position as a Silicon Designer at the Department of Research and Development of ST Microelectronics in Catania. During this period, far from the academic world, she took cognizance of main productive mechanisms in the micro-electronics industry. The planning of physical processes which control the performances of heterojunction bipolar devices and how they can be engineered was the most peculiar research activity. During this period she achieved a knowledge of the problems related to the attainment of objectives more and more performant and on rescaled size. Her present research activity deals with the vibrational and electronic properties of low-dimensional carbon based nanostructures and graphene epitaxially grown on transition metal surfaces. She has published more than 50 papers on international journals with referees.
PERSONAL DATA Surname and name: Cupolillo Anna Birthplace and birthdate: Paola 02/08/1971 Address: Ponte P. Bucci, cubo 31/C Arcavacata di Rende (Cs) Phone number: +39 (0)984 496160 496174 e-mail: Anna.Cupolillo@fis.unical.it CURRENT POSITION Since 03/01/2005 Permanent position of researcher in Experimental Physics at Physics Department of the University of Calabria (ITALY) EDUCATION January 1995 Master Degree in Physics at the University of Calabria final mark 110/110 cum laude. Thesis: "Electronic and vibrational excitations of the K/Ni(111) system" January 1999 PhD in Physics (XI ciclo) at the University of Calabria. Thesis: "Coadsorption of alkali metals and atoms or simple molecules on transition metal surfaces" RESEARCH INTERESTS Electronic properties of solids, surfaces and nanostructures Surface modifications New materials: carbon based nanostructures PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 01/03/1995-15/02/1996 Grant at the Centre of Surface Physics and Low Temperatures of Department of Physics in Genova, funded by European Structural Fund 01/12/1998 - 14/04/2000 "Silicon designer" at the Department of Research and Development of ST Microelectronics in Catania 01/06/2000 - 30/06/2000 Grant from INFM for a research about “Electronic and collective excitations in aluminium films” 01/10/2000 - 31/03/2003 Post doctoral at Department of Physics of University of Calabria 01/04/2003 - 02/01/2005 INFM researcher at the Research unity of Cosenza in the FIRB 2001 project (“Carbon-based micro- and nano-structures”) TEACHING ACTIVITY From 1995 to 2004 assistant professor of “Mechanics and Electromagnetism” and “Elements of Condensed Matter Physics” courses(Master degree in Engineering at the University of Calabria); Since 2005 lecturer of “Mechanics and Electromagnetism” courses (Master degree in Engineering at the University of Calabria). STAGES IN FOREIGN LABORATORIES 16-30/11/1996 Selected by ENEA (Ente per le Nuove tecnologie l'Energia e l'Ambiente) among the smartest italian young graduated in Physics to visit some of the most important European laboratories working in the field “new materials” July 1997 Guest in the research group of Solid State Physics at the University of Fribourg (CH) GRANTS AND AWARDS 1998 Winner of the prize "Luigi Giulotto" 1998 awarded by Italian Physics Society for the best thesis in Condensed Matter Physics; 2002 leader researcher of a scientific project funded by the Italian ministry of research (MIUR) for the study of catalytic oxidation of molecular carbon monoxide. PUBLICATIONS: more than 40 on international peered journals LECTURES IN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES: more than 20 Extended scientific curriculum January 1995 Graduate Thesis: She started her experimental study on surface science using a variety of electron spectroscopies to investigate electronic and vibrational excitations of alkali atoms adsorbed in a controlled way on monocrystal surfaces. The nature and the energy dispersion of the collective excitations of two layers of K adsorbed at low temperature on Ni(111) have been studied by angular high-resolution electron-energy-loss spectroscopy measurements. [Phys. Rev. B 55, 1376 (1997)]. A spectroscopic evidence of a dipole active vibrational mode related to reconstruction of the Ni(111) surface induced by the ordered potassium phase has been also reported [Phys, Rev. B 52, 4752 (1995)]. 1995-1996 She was in the Physics Department of Genova University working with the supervisor Prof. M. Rocca. During this period she achieved a great expertise in the high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy and in the supersonic molecular beams to study the dynamics of gas-surface interactions and surface reactions. To this scope a wide variety of modern physical tools based on ultrahigh vacuum physics has been employed to understand how silver surfaces, through their geometric and electronic structures, affect the molecular oxygen adsorption and the coadsorbed species interactions [Chem.Phys. Lett. 302, 302 (1999), Chem.Phys. Lett. 270, 345 (1997), Chem.Phys. Lett. 270, 157 (1997) ] January 1999 PhD thesis: During the PhD thesis she continued studies in chemisorption and heterogeneous catalysis processes on Ni surfaces. The research program was aimed at the understanding of the chemical reactivity of molecules interacting with solid surfaces which is of a paramount importance in the heterogeneous catalysis process. High Resolution Electron Energy Loss spectra of the coadsorption of potassium and CO on Ni(111) and Ni(100) surfaces showed the effects of the temperature and alkali precoverages on the local geometrical arrangement of the adsorbates. The role of potassium atoms on the oxidation of the Ni (100) surface was also investigated [Surf.Sci. 371, 45 (1997), Surf. Sci 452, 133 (2000), Surf. Sci. 415, 62 (1998)]. 1999-2000 After PhD thesis she had a stable position as a Silicon Designer at the Department of Research and Development of ST Microelectronics in Catania. During this period, far from the academic world, she took cognizance of main productive mechanisms in the micro-electronics industry. The planning of physical processes which control the performances of heterojunction bipolar devices and how they can be engineered was the most peculiar research activity. During this period she achieved a knowledge of the problems related to the attainment of objectives more and more performant and on rescaled size. 2001-2002 During a Post Doctoral fellowship at the University of Calabria she carried on the analysis of the effects on CO dissociation and CO2 production due to different alkali metals species adsorbed on metal surfaces. CO oxidation promoted by alkali atoms on Ni(111) surface was one of the most relevant result obtained [Phys. Rev. B 66, 233407 (2002), Chem. Phys. Lett. 398, 118 (2004)]. These experiments highlighted some important aspects related to the catalytic oxidation of CO molecule by clarifying the role of reactants and by exploring the kinetics of the reaction in different experimental conditions [Chem. Phys. Lett. 413, 420 (2005)]. 2003 INFM young researcher in the FIRB 2001 project (“Carbon-based micro- and nano-structures”) at the Research unity of Cosenza. She has started the actual scientific activity on low-dimensional carbon based nanostructures. During these years she has been an active proposer of several experimental investigations, promoting local and national collaborations. Within the present research activity she has been also co-supervisor of degree and PhD theses. Among the major achievement of this work was the understanding of the effects induced on the electronic and chemical properties of Single Wall Carbon Nanotube bundles by the insertion of electron donor species. She has pointed out that different topics can be investigated through alkali metals or nitrogen atoms. Nitrogen implantation has revealed to be a promising technique to achieve significant amounts of substitutional impurities; nitrogen realises a much more effective doping than alkali metals, as small atomic concentrations lead to stronger modifications of electronic properties [Surface Science 601, 2819 (2007]. For this reason, nitrogen doping might be a valuable method to improve nanotube performances for industrial applications. Unlike nitrogen implantation, alkali metal intercalation does not alter the structural arrangement of carbon atoms, and so more subtle changes in the electronic properties can be followed up to the saturation limit [Surface Science 601, 2828 (2007)]. Lithium, in particular, has allowed to observe the modifications in the valence band states and van Hove singularities, which are representative features of the one-dimensional nature of nanotubes. These results have revealed the occurrence of cross-links among tubes mediated by Li-C covalent-like bond. Finally, through the analysis of CNTs synthesized by arc-discharge method she has found out the occurrence of Multi Wall CNTs encapsulating carbon linear chains [Surface Science 601,3926 (2007)]. A Raman temperature-dependent study has allowed to observe for the first time the occurrence of a reversible phenomenon involving the chains, which might be representative of temperature driven reduction of the Peierls distortion of the linear carbon chain [Phys. Rev B 75, 121405 (R)(2007)]. Since 03/01/2005 Permanent position of researcher in Experimental Physics at Physics Department of the University of Calabria (ITALY) Within the present research activity she started to study in detail the electronic properties of graphene epitaxially grown on transition metal surfaces [Appl. Phys. Lett. 97, 221909 (2010)]. Among these systems the graphene/Ni(111) system has been studied in the energy range of intra(inter) band transitions. It was found that the interaction between graphene and Ni substrate contribute to form a new distinctive density of states at the Fermi level. Two plasmons, related to intraband and interband transitions involving hybridized states at the K point of the hexagonal Brillouin zone, have been measured at different scattering geometries. The resulting dispersion curves exhibit a square root behavior, indicating the Two-dimensional (2D) character of the interface collective excitation [Carbon in press]. Recently, she is exploiting the way of producing a single epitaxial graphene layer and decoupling it from substrate. The intercalation of metals underneath a graphite monolayer would result in a weakening of the interaction between graphene adlayer and the substrate. Such modifications would reflect itself in the collective electronic properties. Very recent investigations show that important physical properties characterize such systems.
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