After receiving my BSc degree in chemistry in 2017 from AUTh with a thesis on the “Synthesis of isoxazoline and isoxazolidine analogues of pseudouridine via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions of nitrones”, in 2018, I pursued an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree in “Advanced Spectroscopy in Chemistry”, during which I completed a 6-month research project entitled: “From chip to chromatography – a voyage through chip manufacturing and chip chromatography” in Prof. Belder’s group at the University of Leipzig, while my master thesis was on the “Synthesis, characterization and DFT study of new azaborinine compounds”, conducted in Prof. Mazzanti’s group at the University of Bologna.

In 2020, I joined the Epitaxy and Surface Science Lab (ESSL) of the Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology at NCSR “Demokritos”, as an Early-Stage Researcher of the SMART-X MSCA-ITN HORIZON 2020 project. Since June 2021, I am a Ph.D. candidate at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh) with dissertation title: “Growth, structural characterization and properties of 2D films of transition metal dichalcogenides”, under the supervision of Dr. Thomas Stergiopoulos (AUTh, NCSRD), Dr. Athanasios Dimoulas (NCSRD) and Dr. Sotirios Sotiropoulos (AUTh). The Ph.D. project is conducted in collaboration with the ESSL group.

As a member of ESSL, which is headed by Dr. Athanasios Dimoulas, I am involved in the growth and characterization of thin films of materials with interesting properties in terms of fundamental research, but also for applications. For the growth of these films, we use a method called Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE), which takes place in a chamber of ultra-high vacuum. This chamber is coupled to two supplementary chambers where we analyze in-situ our samples. For that, we employ Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM), Reflection High-Energy Electron Diffraction (RHEED), X-ray and UV Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS/UPS) and Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy (ARPES). This last method enables us to image the electronic band structure of our materials and classify them accordingly. In the context of SMART-X, I focus on the study of 2D materials with non-trivial topology, including Topological Insulators and Topological Weyl and Dirac Semimetals, as well as on the study of 2D magnetic/skyrmionic materials.

In general, I purposefully avoid identifying with my profession. I come by as a heavy and slow person, which is at times absolutely true. I enjoy science as much as art, philosophy and food. Over-analyzing is thankfully an asset in the field I’ve chosen to work on. I enjoy people’s company as much as silence. I have hobbies that keep my mind and soul restless, but my all-time favorite “hobby” is spending time in a café, tasting new espresso blends with the company of a good friend.