Alexandros Lappas received a B.Sc. in Physics (1988) from the University of Crete and a D.Phil. in Chemical Physics (1993) from the School of Chemistry & Molecular Sciences at the Univ. of Sussex, UK. During 1993-95, as a Research Fellow in the Inorganic & Solid State Chemistry division of Sussex University, he became interested in the field of fullerene-based magnets & superconductors. After his compulsory military service (1996-97) in Greece, he moved back to Sussex as a Temporary Lecturer (Inorganic & Physical Chemistry curriculum). He was elected to a tenure-track Researcher (1999) in Materials Science at the Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser in FORTH, where he is presently a Director of Research (equivalent to a University Professor position). In parallel, Dr Lappas has taught materials physics courses, as an Adjunct Professor in the Univ. of Crete. As a Visiting Researcher and principal investigator, he has been working at world renowned large-scale synchrotron X-ray (Brookhaven National Lab), neutron (Rutherford Appleton Lab) and muon (Paul Scherrer Institute) science facilities in USA and Europe for the last 25 years.

His team works in the field of experimental condensed matter physics and materials science, studying electronic phenomena and phase transitions in correlated electron systems and other quantum materials that tackle society’s challenges in energy. He leads the Quantum Materials & Magnetism lab at FORTH. Dr Lappas has initiated and successfuly led a number of international research projects. In addition, he served in posts such as, in conference program committees and a panel member of R&D actions supervised by GSRT. Moreover, he has been the advisor of young scientists that have completed their PhD (5) or MSc (10) research in materials physics/ chemistry, and was honored to be a “Fulbright Fellow – Greece” (2016-17) for lecturing and conducting research in the United States. He has published more than 100 refereed journal articles and disseminated his research through invited lectures (25) and numerous contributed talks (47) at international conferences (h-index= 26; ResearcherID: F-6771-2011).

Education

• 1993, D.Phil., Chemical Physics; School of Chemistry & Molecular Sciences, University of Sussex , UK
• 1988, B.Sc., Physics (upper 2nd class honors); Dept. of Physics, University of Crete, Greece

Career

• 2012– present Research Director (Grade A; open-end); IESL - FORTH, Greece
• 2002 – 2012 Principal Researcher (Grade B; tenure); IESL - FORTH, Greece
• 2005 – 2008 Adjunct Professor; Department of Physics, University of Crete, Greece
• 2001 – 2005 Adjunct Professor; Department of Materials Science and Technology, University of Crete, Greece
• 1998 – 2002 Associated Researcher (Grade C; tenure-track); IESL - FORTH, Greece
• 1997 – 1998 Temporary Lecturer; School of Chemistry, University of Sussex, UK
• 1993 – 1995 Postdoctoral Fellow; School of Chemistry, University of Sussex, UK

Interests

• workings of quantum materials at variable length and time scales by photon & neutron science (structural & spectroscopic) probes
• collective electronic phenomena & symmetry breaking phase transitions (physical crystallography)
• frustration-driven instabilities (order by disorder) in transition metal layered oxides
• intertwined charge carriers & magnetic moments in iron-chalcogenides
• smart energy-materials’ solutions for grid technologies (cf. superconductors & battery materials)
• colloidal nanocrystals with size-, shape-, assembly- enhanced functionality (cf. theranostics)

Awards/Prizes/Distinctions

• 2018: Presented with the “Gold Medal of the City” of Xanthi, as a City ambassador in sciences and environment; Municipality of Xanthi, Greece
• 2016: Recipient of a “Fulbright Visiting Scholars Award”, Fulbright Foundation, Athens, Greece
• 2015: Recipient of a “Chaire TOTAL - Pôle Chimie Balard”, Fondation Balard, Montpellier, France
• 2003: Visiting Fellowship at Kyoto University; YAMADA Science Foundation, Osaka, Japan
• 2000: Award for Scientific Research at IESL-FORTH; EBEIRIKIO Foundation, Athens, Greece
• 1990 – 1993: Research Bursary, BRITE-EURAM Programme on Advanced Materials; Commission of the European Communities, Brussels, Belgium
• 1989 – 1992: Research Studentship (Quota Award); Science and Engineering Research Council, UK
• 1983 – 1984: Prize for excellence in Physics, University of Crete; State Scholarships Foundation – IKY, Greece