Team

Marta Dias (MD) graduated in 2003 in Chemical Engineering in Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia.

In 2011 she completed the PhD in Materials Engineering field at Instituto Superior Técnico. She is now an assistant researcher at the Department of Nuclear Sciences and Engineering (DECN) of Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) working in a research unit of Instituto de Plasma e Fusão Nuclear (IPFN).

The areas of scientific interest are focused on (i) development and production of novel materials composites, (ii) their mechanical, structural and thermal characterization together with (iii) their interaction with radiation and plasmas using nuclear techniques of characterization.

Marta Dias has a lot of international collaborations in different countries: Romania, Finland, Spain, Austria, etc. Up to now MD supervised 11 master and 3 PhD students. Since 2014, she coordinates one taskin WP-MAT -High Heat Flux Materials group in EUROfusion consortium.

From her work resulted 55 articles published in international journals, 20 with first author, with over 220 citations. In 2024, MD assumed the coordination of the Materials Processing and Characterization group and she became a member of the Administration Board of IPFN representing the research group.

marta.dias@tecnico.ulisboa.pt ​

Bernardo Monteiro is an Assistant Researcher at Instituto Superior Técnico, as member of the Materials Processing and Characterization Group of Instituto de Plasmas e Fusão Nuclear (IPFN).

B. Monteiro graduated in Chemistry at Faculdade de Ciências of the University of Lisbon in 2000 and obtained his PhD in 2009 at the University of Aveiro working in the functionalization of anionic clays.

Over the years he gained expertise in the tailored preparation and characterization of functional materials for targeted applications (including optical sensors, advanced anti-counterfeiting, single-molecule magnets and gas separation). These works developed his expertise in phase transitions energetics, luminescence and magnetism.

His current interests are the development of new high entropy alloys for nuclear fusion applications (mechanical and structural characterization, thermal properties, interaction with radiation and plasmas) and hydrogen storage (structural characterization, thermal properties, hydrogen adsorption/desorption properties).

bmonteiro@ipfn.tecnico.ulisboa.pt

Norberto Catarino holds a degree in Physics from the University of Porto and both a Master's and a PhD in Nuclear and Particle Physics/Engineering Physics from the University of Lisbon.

Since 2009, he has been dedicated to the study of fusion materials using ion beams and accelerator technologies. He began his work at CTN as a Van de Graaff accelerator operator and, during his Master's, joined the European project SPIRIT, gaining in-depth experience in ion beam analysis (IBA) techniques.

He has taken part in experiments at ISOLDE-CERN and led the installation of a new IBA line at the Joint European Torus (JET) to analyse ITER-like wall components.

His PhD, funded by the FCT under the APPLAuSE programme, focused on irradiation effects in tungsten and the development of alloys for the extreme environments of fusion reactors. He contributed to the improvement of cross-section data and stopping powers, which led to the award of an IAEA Coordinated Research Project (CRP) on ion beam techniques applied to fusion materials characterisation.​

Since February 2023, he has been an Assistant Researcher at Instituto Superior Técnico, where he is consolidating new research lines in materials and ion beam analysis, strengthening the role of DECN/IST within the EUROfusion community.​

He has authored 66 papers in international journals, with over 1,526 citations and an h-index of 22 (Scopus ID 54583124100).

ncatarino@ipfn.tecnico.ulisboa.pt ​

Rodrigo Mateus (R. Mateus) has a PhD in Physics (Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 2004). He is an Assistant Researcher at the “Departamento de Engenharia e Ciências Nucleares (DECN)” and researcher at the “Laboratorio de Aceleradores (LA)” of IST.​

The main research activity is focused on elemental and structural modifications imposed by ion implantation and plasma irradiation of materials for nuclear fusion applications under the scope of the EUROfusion activities in plasma facing components and materials. The topics of the research include: phase transformations induced by ion implantation and thermal annealing, gas retention and desorption, induced structural defects, Li-Sn alloys for liquid metal applications, erosion and redeposition of elemental impurities in plasma facing components under tokamak operation.

The analytical work at LA is based on the use of ion beam techniques, as Ion Implantation for surface modifications and Ion Beam Analysis (IBA) for elemental depth profiling characterization as: Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS), Elastic Backscattering Spectrometry (EBS), Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis (ERDA), Nuclear Reaction Analysis (NRA), Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) and Particle Induced Gamma-ray Emission (PIGE).

Other complementary techniques, as X-ray Diffraction Analysis (XRD), also installed at LA, and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) assisted by Energy Dispersive Spectrometry (EDS) for phase identification and structural analysis are also used as base techniques for the research.

Examples of nuclear fusion materials and systems under investigation are/were: Li-Sn alloys, W-Ta composites, Be-based, B-based and W-based coatings, as also the phase formation and stability in the Be-W and N-W systems. The measurement of cross-sections of relevant nuclear reactions useful for elemental quantitative analysis (via NRA and PIGE) is also part of the research work. The activity with nuclear fusion materials always envisages other parallel applications outside the fusion domain.​

rmateus@ipfn.tecnico.ulisboa.pt

Sérgio Nuno Canteiro de Magalhães is a Portuguese physicist at the Department of Nuclear Sciences and Engineering (DECN) of Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), and a researcher at the Institute for Plasmas and Nuclear Fusion (IPFN).

He specializes in the structural characterization of materials using ion beams and X-rays. With over 65 peer-reviewed publications and several active international collaborations, his research has significantly advanced the understanding of damage accumulation, strain modeling, and defect profiling in ion-implanted materials and quantum heterostructures.

He is the developer of MROX, one of only two published software tools worldwide dedicated to simulating and fitting X-ray diffraction and reflectivity data from ion-implanted crystals.

Sérgio is also widely recognized as a trusted reviewer for high-impact journals such as Journal of Alloys and Compounds and Applied Surface Science, among others—a reflection of his international standing and subject-matter expertise.

smagalhaes@ipfn.tecnico.ulisboa.pt ​

Rui Manuel Coelho da Silva is a Senior Research Officer at Instituto Superior Técnico (IPFN, Instituto de Plasmas e Fusão Nuclear), Campus Tecnológico e Nuclear (CTN), a member of the Materials Processing and Characterisation (MPC) Group, and a staff member of the Laboratory of Accelerators and Radiation Technologies (LART) of CTN.

For more than 30 years he has served as Invited Professor at the Dep. of Physics of Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa, teaching mainly Nuclear Physics and Ion beam Methods. Rui's scientific activity has been in the applications of nuclear techniques to problems in Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science and Engineering.

His main subjects of study are the formation and characterisation of submicrometre/nanostructures, e.g. intermetallic compounds in metals and glasses, and on the electrical and magnetic properties of nanosized metallic structures in oxides/wide bandgap semiconductors.

Rui's major research interests are focused in studying the properties of reduced dimensionality structures, with recent interest on complex multi-element alloys. Alongside with research and within the LART staff, Rui has had a key role in the development and improvement of automated data acquisition, a crucial issue for the efficiency and responsiveness of LART and the MPC group.

rsilva@ipfn.tecnico.ulisboa.pt

Eduardo Alves was Principal Investigator at Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, until April 2024. He served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Institute for Plasmas and Nuclear Fusion, where he coordinated the Particle Beam Processing and Characterisation of Materials group. From April 2002 to December 2022, he was Head of the Ion Beam Laboratory and a Member of the Installation Committee of the Technological and Nuclear Institute at Instituto Superior Técnico (2012–2013).

Between 2013 and 2022, he was Deputy Director of the Laboratory for Accelerators and Radiation Technologies at IST.

His scientific work focused on the interaction of charged particles with matter, particularly on the study of defects and plasma–wall interactions in tokamak devices, within the framework of the Nuclear Fusion programme.

He co-authored over 800 papers in peer-reviewed journals, with an h-index of 54 (Researcher ID P-5031-2019). In 2004, he was awarded the “Estímulo à Excelência” Prize by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology.

Katharina Lorenz (PhD in Physics 2002, University of Bonn, Germany) is Coordinating Researcher at Instituto Superior Tecnico (IST), University of Lisbon and since 2023 she is the President of the Department of Nuclear Sciences and Engineering.

She is Director of the Laboratory of Accelerators of IST. She leads the group of Wide Bandgap Semiconductors of INESC Microsystems and Nanotechnologies (INESC MN). She teaches at the Physics Department of IST and is collaborator of the Institute for Plasmas and Fusion (IPFN) of IST.

Published >250 journal articles and 3 book chapters. Organized 13 conferences or workshops. Delivered >60 invited talks at scientific events. Supervised or co-supervised 7 PhD theses and 18 MSc dissertations. Has received 4 awards and/or honors. Participates and/or participated as Principal Investigator in 17 projects and as Researcher in 18 projects.

Works in the areas of Exact Sciences / Physical Sciences with emphasis on wide bandgap semiconductors and devices, nanotechnology, ion beam analysis and ion beam modification as well as radiation effects in materials and devices.

Marco Peres (MP) obtained his degree in Physics Engineering in 2004. MP continued his studies at the same institution, achieving a Master’s degree in Physics in 2007 and a Doctorate in Physics Engineering in 2014, with the defense of the thesis “Study of defects in ZnO thin films deposited by Rf-Sputtering”.

Currently, MP holds the position of Auxiliary Researcher in the Department of Nuclear Sciences and Engineering at the Instituto Superior Técnico of the University of Lisbon.

His research line covers different areas such as the modification and characterization of materials by ion beams, optical properties and optical spectroscopy, and electrical characterization of optical centers, particularly in wide bandgap semiconductors.

MP’s scientific activity is developed in two research units classified as excellent, at INESC Microsystems and Nanotechnologies (INESC MN) and the Institute for Plasmas and Nuclear Fusion (IPFN).

André Pereira is a PhD student in Materials Engineering at Instituto ​Superior Técnico, working within the Materials Processing and ​Characterization group at the Instituto de Plasmas e Fusão Nuclear ​(IPFN).

His research focuses on the development, characterization, and ​optimization of functionally graded materials based on refractory ​high-entropy alloys for nuclear fusion applications.

He holds a Master’s ​degree in Materials Engineering from Instituto Superior Técnico, where ​he completed a thesis titled “Production and characterization of W-based high entropy alloys as thermal barriers”.​

His work aims to develop ​advanced, high-performance functional materials capable of withstanding ​extreme environments, contributing to the future of fusion energy.

Diogo Pereira is a PhD student in Materials Engineering, integrated in the Materials Processing and Characterisation group at the Instituto de Plasma e Fusão Nuclear (IPFN).

In collaboration with the National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics (INFLPR), his research work is focused on investigating the oxidation behaviour of boron coatings for nuclear fusion applications.

Ricardo Martins (RM) holds a degree in Chemical and Biological Engineering (chemistry branch) from the Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa (ISEL) obtained in 2015. He completed his Master’s in Materials Engineering at Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) in 2020.

He was awarded a research initiation grant at IST, where he has since been working within the Instituto de Plasmas e Fusão Nuclear (IPFN) research group.

His work has focused on the development, production, and characterization of high-entropy alloys (HEAs) containing tungsten (W) and copper (Cu) for use in nuclear fusion reactors.

Ricardo is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Materials Science at Instituto Superior Técnico, where his research continues to concentrate on designing and optimizing high-entropy alloys for nuclear fusion thermal barrier applications.

André Rodrigues is a master’s student in Materials Engineering currently working on IPFN of IST.

His research focuses on high-entropy alloys for potential use in nuclear fusion reactors, particularly exploring their suitability for extreme environments such as the divertor.

Eduarda Martins is a master's student in materials engineering at the Instituto Superior Técnico.

She is currently working on her thesis at the Campus Tecnológico e Nuclear, focusing on high entropy alloys for hydrogen storage.

Matthieu Cuffaro is a student in master Science and Technologies of Plasmas at University Paul Sabatier in Toulouse in collaboration with IPFN in IST.

The work is focus on the preparation and full characterization of high entropy alloys for nuclear fusion applications.

Diamantino Agripino da Cunha is a French master's degree student at the Grenoble Institute of Technology, currently studying Materials Science and Engineering.

He has joined the Materials Processing and Characterization Group at IPFN for a 16-week internship. His work focuses on the elaboration and characterization of High Entropy Alloys.