The Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia (ISSP UL) is an internationally recognized leader in materials science and cross-disciplinary topics, conducting competitive research, educating students and offering innovative solutions for industrial needs. Its scientific competitiveness as well as its research and innovation ecosystem is enhanced through the Centre of Excellence in Advanced Material Research and Technology Transfer CAMART2 project.
Our Vision is to be a world-class recognized Excellence Centre – an outstanding place for research and innovation.
Our Mission is to create a dynamic environment for solutions of global societal and technological challenges, strengthening the role of Latvian and European science in the world.
Our Goal – to strengthen the Institute as a Centre for Excellence in Material Research and transfer it into Material Research & Innovation Centre.
Our research directions include:
Fundamental and experimental research in solid state physics and materials science:
- Synergy of theoretical and experimental methods in prediction and research of crystallographic structures and materials with tailored optical, electronic and magnetic properties;
- Investigation of structural effects by methods of quantum chemistry and molecular dynamics and mesoscopic scale modeling;
- Computer modeling of materials and devices;
- X-ray absorption spectroscopy;
- Formation of native and radiation-induced point defects, their evolution and study of structure in solids;
- Experimental research of mechanisms of luminescence and electronic processes in solids;
- Study of non-linear optical effects in organic nanostructured materials.
Improvement of technologies and experimental methods:
- Development of thin films and coating technologies;
- Research on 0D, 1D, 2D and mixed dimensional nanomaterials;
- Prototyping of microfluidic devices;
- Development of a polymer photonics technology platform;
- Research on the morphology and structure of materials;
- Research of scintillator materials by synchrotron spectroscopy methods;
- Application of spectroscopic ellipsometry in the research of functional materials.
Research on material applications:
- Materials and applications in electronics and photonics;
- Materials for radiation conversion;
- Materials for energy harvesting and storage;
- Materials and devices for biomedical applications.
The ISSP UL pays great attention to education, as well as to attracting highly qualified scientific staff. The Institute currently employs around 100 doctors of science, carrying out internationally competitive research, educating students and offering innovative solutions for industrial needs. The Master's degree study program developed in cooperation with the Faculty of Physics, Mathematics and Optometry, University of Latvia is the basis for building young people's knowledge and industrial competitiveness in the future. The ISSP UL actively cooperates with international scientific organizations and universities to raise the qualification of both students and scientists as well as to attract entrepreneurs and investors.
The ISSP UL is located in 10 000 m2 office and laboratory building with modern infrastructure for the synthesis and analysis of various types of materials and 650 m2 ISO class 4 - 8 cleanroom space for dust-free experiments. The work is organized in the form of Open Labs, available to all researchers, industry and students trained to work with the equipment or by applying research projects where the institute’s scientists carry out the work.
ISSP UL cooperates with more than 100 scientific institutions around the world, developing an average of 50 scientific projects per year. About one third of the projects are carried out in jointly with companies. Materize, a platform for cooperation with industry, has been established to promote collaboration between ISSP UL scientists and Latvian and foreign companies in the field of high technology in materials science.
In March 2021, ISSP UL received a very good evaluation among institutions in the field of natural sciences in the international evaluation of Latvian scientific institutions performed by Technopolis Group. The evaluation acknowledged the technical infrastructure of the ISSP UL, which has improved significantly since the previous evaluation, the developed research program, as well as the high-quality scientific publications in international journals with a high impact factor.