The backbone of the current microelectronics industry is components based on silicon semiconductors. However, the perspectives for further developments are limited due to material constraints like non availability for flexible devices, optical opacity and need for high temperature processing. The emerging class of oxide semiconductors is able to overcome many of those restrictions, especially because some of them can be prepared as thin (transparent) films under comparatively moderate conditions.

On the same line, functional oxides, with combination of properties, such as dynamic control of optical transparency and efficient light management, have been of increasing interest over the last years. Such coatings have opened up completely new applications areas such as smart windows, solar cell façades, user-controlled thermochromics and electrochromics, etc., which can contribute significantly to reduce the global energy footprint of buildings and consequently the realization of green buildings. It should be reminded that buildings are responsible for consuming about 40% of the total produced energy, while windows are responsible for the loss of 10-25% of the thermal energy of buildings. A properly designed smart window can control and modulate solar heat and lighting and it is possible, at the same time, to produce and store solar energy.

In this presentation, we shall focus on the efforts we have made to produce n-type and p-type oxide semiconductors. Emphasis will be given on the recent attempts το develop NiO by combinatorial doping so to control its properties as a single coating or by forming heterostructures in 1-D & 3-D architectures for applications like UV-PVs, tandem solar cells, electrochromics, sensing and photocatalysis.

Atoms in the highly excited Rydberg states posses unique properties, including long lifetimes and huge dipole moments, which facilitate their use in various quantum technology applications. I will outline recent progress in realizing high-fidelity quantum gates and simulations of many-body physics with strongly-interacting Rydberg atoms, as well as coherent interfaces of Rydberg atoms with superconducting microwave resonators and optical photons, and present some of our results in this research.

PhoHS is a cross-disciplinary research team, active at IESL-FORTH for almost 30 years, which pursues innovative research on the applications of advanced laser science and photonic technologies in the field of Heritage Science (HS). Laser assisted removal of unwanted materials and layers is a major component of PhoHS activity given that in addition to research related to optimal laser ablation, it also involves careful analytical evaluation of the laser treated surfaces and purposeful adaptation of diagnostic approaches for effective monitoring of the interventions.

In this talk, highlights representing the latest developments of this activity will be showcased, as for example the initiatives towards its outreaching and the establishment of an open-laboratory allowing a closer interaction with conservation scientists pursuing multidisciplinary research. In fact, in the framework of the NSFR “Open innovation in Culture” project CALLOS our team developed two prototype laser instruments for material analysis (triENA) and cleaning (PaλλAS) currently operating at the CALLOS Open lab. Furthermore, recent advances related to the adaptation of photoacoustic methodologies to follow on-line cleaning interventions and research related to the laser mending of deteriorated historic glazed ceramic tiles (azulejos) will be presented. In parallel, challenging laser cleaning projects carried out within the FIXLAB access service offered by the IPERION-HS EU Research Infrastructure (RI) project will be presented in view of the decisive participation of the PhoHS team, together with other teams of FORTH, to the Greek node of the European Research Infrastructure for Heritage Science (E-RIHS.eu, ESFRI roadmap). Also the international role of the team will be highlighted through its seminal collaboration with the Palace Museum in China.