Denis Arčon

Research Interests / Research Profile

Development of novel experimental methods, e.g., development of high-pressure probes for magnetic resonance, nitrogen vacancy magnetometry for surface spin detection.

broad specialisation in magnetic resonance measurements, including nuclear magnetic resonance, electron paramagnetic resonance and muon spin relaxation.

quantum magnetism, primarily focused on low-dimensional and frustrated antiferromagnets. That includes low-energy excitations in Shastry-Sutherland model, frustrated quasi-1D antiferromagnets, quantum spin liquids.

metal-to-insulator transitions. In particular, the role of electron correlations on superconductivity and magnetic properties of doped fullerides. Also, unconventional superconductivity in iron-based superconductors, quasi-1D superconductors where centre of symmetry is removed.

Denis Arčon

Current positions:

2022 – present: Head of the Solid-State physics Department at Institute Jožef Stefan (IJS)

2009-present: full professor at the Faculty of mathematics and physics (FMF), University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

Education

Doctor of Philosophy, Physics, University of Ljubljana, 1997, “Study of magnetic properties of organic ferromagnet TDAE-C₆₀ with magnetic resonance techniques”, supervisor prof. dr. R. Blinc 

Bachelor of Science, Physics, Faculty of mathematics and physics, University of Ljubljana 1989-1993

Awards, Distinctions and Fellowships

• 2019: National Zois Award for outstanding scientific achievements in the field of quantum magnetism and superconductivity.
• 2015: member of the Editorial Board of Scientific Reports (Nature research journals).
• 2012: Durham International Senior Research Fellowship, Durham, GB.
• 2011: Erasmus fellowship for visiting professors at the University of Vilnius, Lithuania
• 2009 : Zois (national Slovenian) award for outstanding research achievements;
• 1999 : Jozef Stefan Golden Emblem for outstanding PhD work;
• 1998 : Royal Society fellowship
• 1997: Award of International Union of Material Research Society for presentation in Tokyo,
• 1993: PhD fellowship of Ministry of Science and Education of Slovenia

Career

• 2022 – present: Head of the Solid-State physics Department at Institute Jožef Stefan (IJS)
• 2009-present: full professor at the Faculty of mathematics and physics (FMF), University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
• April-July 2012: visiting professor at Durham University, GB.
• May 2011: visiting professor at the University of Vilnius, Vilnius, Lithuania
• Feb 2010: visiting professor at the Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
• 2001-2009: assistant professor at FMF, Slovenia
• 2001-present: head of Pulsed EPR laboratory; Solid state physics department, IJS, Slovenia
• 2000-2001: researcher at IJS, Ljubljana, Slovenia
• 1998-1999: post-doctoral position at the University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
• 1992-1998: PhD student at IJS, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Leadership

• 2020 – PI for the Research program “Physics of quantum and functional materials”
• 2023-2025: Member of Scientific council at IJS;
• 2019 – 2021Vice-dean at FMF;
• 2017 – 2019 Head of the Physics Department at FMF, University of Ljubljana
• 2016-2021 and 2021- Member of a Scientific council for Interdisciplinary research at Slovenian Research Agency
• 2015-2019: Member of Scientific council of Slovenian Science Foundation.
• 2011-2014: Member of Scientific council IJS;
• 2011-2021: Member of Senate at FMF-UL;
• 2005-2010: Member of Scientific Advisory Board of ESF research network »Highly frustrated magnetism (HFM)«;
• 2005-2012: Coordinator of Josef Stefan colloquia at IJS, Slovenia

Organizer of scientific conferences/workshops:

• Magnetic resonance of correlated electron materials, Dresden, Germany, September 18^th-22^nd, 2023; Scientific advisory board.
• Slovenian world congress in physics, Ljubljana, 5-6. July 2019
• 16th Slovenian meeting in applied physics, Kranjska gora, 30. May 2019 
• 15th Workshop on applied physics in Slovenia, Bled, 15. November 2013
• Magnetic resonance in highly frustrated magnetic systems, Kranjska Gora, 1-4 February 2010;
• SLONANO 2010, 20-22 October 2010, Ljubljana;
• SLONANO 2006, 20-21. September, 2006, Ljubljana;
• SLONANO 2004, 21-22. October, 2004, Ljubljana;
• Seminar DMFA “Stoletje fizike najpomembnejša odkritja”, Ljubljana, January 2005.
• Organizing committee of workshop: Physics: opportunity for Slovenian economy, Ljubljana, 10. May 2005.

Research Interests / Research Profile

• broad specialisation in magnetic resonance measurements, including nuclear magnetic resonance, electron paramagnetic resonance and muon spin relaxation.
• quantum magnetism, primarily focused on low-dimensional and frustrated antiferromagnets. That includes low-energy excitations in Shastry-Sutherland model, frustrated quasi-1D antiferromagnets, quantum spin liquids.
• metal-to-insulator transitions. In particular, the role of electron correlations on superconductivity and magnetic properties of doped fullerides. Also, unconventional superconductivity in iron-based superconductors, quasi-1D superconductors where centre of symmetry is removed.
• Development of novel experimental methods, e.g., development of high-pressure probes for magnetic resonance, nitrogen vacancy magnetometry for surface spin detection.

Articles

All together >210 articles including 3 articles in journal Science, 1 in Nature, 1 in Nature Physics, 1 in Nature Chemistry, 2 in Nature Communications, 1 in Advanced Materials and 10 in Physical Review Letters.

Citations

More than 4700 citations (WoS, August 2023)

h-index = 35

Projects (2006-2023)

Head of Slovenian (ARRS) projects:

1. Probing spin states near the surface of quantum spin materials (J1-9145, 2018-2021).
2. Correlated electrons in restricted molecular geometries (N1-0052, 2016-2019); Joint projects, OTKA.
3. New quantum states and quantum critical points in low-dimensional quantum spin systems (J1―2118; 2009-2012): We studied unconventional (spin-liquid, frustrated, incommensurate) antiferromagnetic states with magnetic resonance techniques. We published several important works, including 4 articles in Phys. Rev. lett.
4. Self-assembly of molecular nanomagnets in nanotubes(J1―9357, 2007-2009): We studied molecular nanomagnets that were intercalated inside nanotubes, i.e. titanate or carbon nanotubes. Their magnetic properties were determined with different techniques.
5. Development of ultrahard PA foils doped with titanate nanotubes (M2―0102, 2006-2008): We developed new composite materials and studied their physical properties. 
6. Study of one- and two-dimensional antiferromagnes with a spin gap (J1―6516, 2004-2007):  We studied Haldane and Shastry-Sutherland systems with a combination of magnetic resonance techniques and advanced theoretical methods.

CEUS-NCN project:

1. Advanced optical magnetometry of vortices in unconventional superconductors (N1-0220, 2020-2023). Joint project with Jagiellonian University in Krakow, group of. Prof. A. Wojciechowski.

Head of EU/NATO projects:

• LEMSUPER (283214; 2011-2015; SLO budget 267.000 EUR): Goal is to study novel unconventional superconductivity in fullerides or related compounds.
• NANO-TP (COST action, MP0901, 2009-2012, together approximately 180.000 EUR): Goal was to design new materials from the bottom-up with a combination of theory and experiment.
• NATO Science for Piece programme: Energy storage based on carbon nanostructures (SfP 97913, 2001-2004, SLO approximately 150.000 EUR): new carbon-based nanomaterials were developed and used in supercapacitors.
• Royal Society CLG project together with dr. Serena Margadonna, University of Edinburgh: Title: Correlations between the crystal and electronic structures in alkali-doped polymerised C60.

Major collaborations:

• Fullerene science: K. Prassides (University of Durham, UK and Osaka Metropolitan University), M. J. Rosseinsky (University of Liverpool, UK), E. Tossatti (SISSA, Italy), C.P. Ewels, (IMN, University of Nantes), N. Tagmatarchis (NHRF, Athens, Greece); H. A. Wegner (Justus-Liebig University, Giessen, Germany)
• Magnetic resonance: N. Curro (University of Davis, USA), S. Zvyagin (Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf), P. Carretta (University of Pavia, Italy), M. Horvatić (High-field NMR facility at LNCMI-Grenoble)
• Quantum technologies: A. Wojciechowski (Jagiellonian University in Krakow), K. Tanigaki (BAQIS, Beijing), A. Potočnik (Imec, Loeven, Belgium), B. Lv (University of Texas at Dallas, USA)

Teaching Experience

2019-: Lectures “Classical Physis” for students of chemistry, UL

2019-: Lectures “Seminar 1” for master-degree students of physics, UL

2018-: Lectures “Specialised seminar in experimental physics” for PhD students of physics, UL,

2000-2019: Teaching different courses in “Classical physics”; teaching assistant in “Electromagnetic field theory”, “Classical physics”, “Experimental labs”

Supervisor for Doctoral Dissertations:

• ZORKO, Andrej. Study of one- and two-dimensional magnetic systems with spin-singlet ground state: 2004.
• PREGELJ, Matej. Magnetic properties of two-dimensional systems of magnetic clusters with triangular geometry: 2010.
• POTOČNIK, Anton. Magnetic resonance of molecular superconductors bordering antiferromagnetic Mott-insulating states: august 2013.
• Knaflič, Tilen. Quantum magnetism in low-dimensional molecular solids: start 2015. November 2020.
• Žiga Gosar. Probing quantum spin states at the surface of quantum magnets, 2019 –
• Sadia. Low-energy excitations in antiferromagnetic systems, 2023-

Supervised 15 graduate/master-degree students.

Commissions of trust:

2019-: evaluator for Marie Sklodowska Curie Individual Fellowships.

2012-: Project application evaluator for DFG (Germany), Schweizerischer Nationalfonds (SNF), The Austrian Science Fund (FWF), Estonian research council, HRZZ (Croatia).

2020-2023 PhD thesis external examiner

2023: Naoya Yoshikane, University of Osaka, Japan.

2022: Yuri Tanuma, University of Nantes, France.

2021: Takuma Ogasawara, Tohoku University, Japan.

2005 -: Reviewer for Phys. Rev. Lett. and Phys. Rev. B (about 6 papers per year), occasionally other journals (Nature Communications, Nano Letters, Eur. Phys. Lett., Scientific Reports, J. Phys.: Condens. Matter, New J. Phys.,).

12 selected invited presentations (2018-2023)

• The pairing symmetry in quasi-one-dimensional superconductor Rb2Mo3As3. EMA 2023: Basic Science and Electronic Materials Meeting: January 17–20, 2023, Orlando, Florida, USA.
• Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid and superconductivity in quasi-one-dimensional A2Mo3As3 metal. Conference on Electronic Materials and Applications: January 19–21, 2022, Orlando, Florida.
• Quantum spin liquids in layered transition metal dichalcogenides. International Workshop on Physics and Chemistry of Electronic Materials : December 12-13, 2022, Osaka, Japan.
• Frustration in spin-1/2 chains. Solid-State Science & Research Meeting, 27-29 June 2019, Zagreb.
• Nanometer-scale spin texturing in frustrated antiferromagnets. (plenary lecture) 14th International Conference on Moun Spin Rotation, Relaxation and Resonance, Sapporo, Japan.
• Antiferromagnetism and superconductivity in low-dimensional systems: lecture at Beijing Academy of Quantum Information Sciences, BAQIS, Beijing, China, 22. 11. 2023.
• EPR study on stable C59N-C60 radicals protected by carbon nanorings: EPR Day, Honoring 60 Years of the Laboratory for Magnetic Resonances, Ruđer Bošković Institute, June 6th, 2023.
• Magnetism and superconductivity in quasi-one-dimensional solids: University of California, Davis, January 24th 2023.
• Nuclear magnetic resonance of metals and superconductors: NMR seminar at Beijing Academy of Quantum Information Sciences, BAQIS, Beijing, China, 20. 11. 2023.
• Superconductivity and magnetism: two contrasting manifestations of electron correlations in light-element molecular solids: Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, 23. 11. 2023.
• Frustration in antiferromagnetic systems – laboratory for new states of matter: Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan, 22. 2. 2019.
• Frustration in antiferromagnetic systems: laboratory for new states of matter: Università degli Studi di Pavia, Dipartimento di Fisica, 18. Sep. 2018.

Public engagement:

Delo/Sobotna priloga (national newspaper): “Discovery of high-temperature quantum spin liquid”, august 2017.

Ugriznimo znanost (national TV): “Superconductivity”.

Frekvenca X (national radio/podcast): “Search for high-temperature superconductivity”, 2021.

Frekvenca X (national radio/podcast): “Awarded scientists on science, society and world”, 2019.

Delo/Sobotna priloga (national newspaper): “Europe wants to be quantum technology superpower. What about Slovenia?”, 24. november 2018.