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Denis Arčon and Matej Pregelj from the Department of Condensed Matter Physics F5, in collaboration with colleagues from the University of Nova Gorica and researchers from Bulgaria, published the article The Role of Lattice Defects on the Optical Properties of TiO₂ Nanotube Arrays for Synergistic Water Splitting. The article reports a one-step chemical method that enables the reduction of an array of titanium dioxide nanotubes with point defects. In-depth chemical analysis is supported by electron paramagnetic resonance measurements, which confirm the presence of oxygen vacancies. The prepared samples show an enhanced photocurrent for water splitting due to pronounced light absorption in the visible region, enhanced electrical conductivity, and improved charge transportation.

Samo Kralj from the Department of Solid State Physics F5 and colleagues from Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana and Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland published an article in the journal Crystals with the title Reconfiguration of nematic disclinations in plane-parallel confinements.

They study numerically the reconfiguration process of colliding |m|=1/2 strength disclinations in a nematic liquid crystal (NLC). A Landau-de Gennes approach in terms of a tensor nematic order parameters is used. Initially, different pairs of parallel wedge disclinations were formed connecting opposite substrates confining the NLC in a plane-parallel cell. The collisions are triggered by the relative rotation of the azimuthal angle of the substrates that strongly pin the defect end points. They illustrate qualitatively different rewiring processes.