Jožef Stefan Institute Visit Programmes

Department of Thin Films and Surfaces F3
The main research activity of the Department of Thin Films and Surfaces are hard coatings for protection of tools and machine parts against wear. Hard coatings considerably decrease both wear and friction, therefore the tool lifetime increases several times.

Department of Theoretical Physics F1
The research activity of the Department is focused on current theoretical problems in solid state physics, statistical physics, nuclear physics, elementary particle physics and field theory, and in biophysics and physics of soft condensed matter.

Department of Condensed Matter Physics F5
The research program is focused on the study of the structure and dynamics of disordered and partially ordered condensed matter at the atomic and molecular level with special emphasis on phase transitions. The purpose of these investigations is to discover the basic laws of physics governing the behavior of these systems, which represent the link between perfectly ordered crystals on one side and amorphous matter, soft condensed matter and living systems on the other.

Department of Low and Medium Energy Physics F2
At the Department of low and medium energy physics scientists perform basic and applied research in the field of atomic and nuclear physics. Strong efforts are dedicated also to the radiation protection, focusing on environmental radioactivity monitoring programmes for planned and existing exposure situations, and additionally to drill the key national capacities for emergency exposure situation.

Centre for Electron Microscopy and Microanalysis CEMM
Centre for Electron Microscopy and Microanalysis (CEMM) is JSI infrastructure unit which comprises analytical equipment for various electron microscopy techniques that are necessary for R&D work of JSI departments. CEMM comprises three scanning electron microscopes (JEOL JXA-840A, JEOL JSM-5800, JEOL JSM-7600F), two transmission electron microscope (JEOL JEM-2100, JEOL JEM-2010F) and equipment for SEM and TEM sample preparation.

Department of Surface Engineering F4
The research activities conducted within the Department are associated with vacuum science, technology and applications. The main activities are focused on non-equilibrium plasma generation, sustenance and characterization, tailoring surface properties of advanced nano and biomedical materials by selected plasma species, surface characterization of inorganic, polymer and composite materials, deposition and characterization of thin films, modification and characterization of fusion relevant materials, thermodynamics of trapped gases and methods for sustaining ultrahigh vacuum environment, vacuum optoelectronics, and basic research in the field of surface and thin film characterization by electron spectroscopy techniques.

Department of Advanced Materials K9
The Department is involved in basic and applied research in the field of the synthesis and characterization of advanced materials and also participates in the education process. The Department’s research aim is to acquire the knowledge that is required for the development of new materials and technology and is characterized mainly by a high level of applicability and by an innovatory approach.

Laboratory for Open Computer Systems and Networks E5
The focus of the Department’s activities is on research and development of next generation networks, telecommunication technologies, components and integrated systems, and information society services and applications.

Department of Biotechnology B3

The researchers are investigating biological molecules of microbiological, fungi, plant and animal origin for the use in human and veterinary medicine, for the protection of plants, preparation of quality and safe food and for the protection of the environment.

Department of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences B2
The research program of the Department of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences is focused mainly on basic research in molecular toxinology using techniques of protein biochemistry, molecular and cellular biology, and genetics. The primary goal of our investigations is the acquisition of new understanding of mammalian (patho)physiology with the aim of improving human and animal health.

Department of Complex Matter F7
The research within the Department of Complex Matter encompasses a variety of research fields, ranging from the synthesis of new materials to fundamental investigations of elementary excitations, self-organising behaviour and adaptive functionality in complex systems. These include anything from nano-biosystems and biomolecules to superconductors and nanowires. The experimental methods used are suitably diverse, from synthetic chemistry to biomedicine, femtosecond laser spectroscopy and magnetometry.

Department of Physical and Organic Chemistry K3
Department of Physical and Organic Chemistry comprises Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Laboratory of Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry. Basic research of the department is focused on the experimental and theoretical study of various physico-chemical processes at surfaces and in atmospheric chemistry. The main attention in the field of organic chemistry is directed to the halogenated, in particular fluorinated, organic molecules.

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology B1
The major goals of the Department’s research are to characterize the individual proteases (primarily from the cathepsin family) and their inhibitors (stefins, cystatins and related proteins) and to unravel the molecular mechanisms of processes leading to programmed cell death or regulating the immune response of the organism. In addition, the Department’s research is focused towards understanding the roles of proteases in various pathological processes, such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, and different neurological disorders (Huntington disease, …). One of the important areas is also understanding of the 3-D structures of biological macromolecules and their complexes at the atomic level, thereby linking the sequencing information with the mechanism of molecule action. In this way, the research is focused in target identification and validation, which are key areas of research in the field of biomedicine in connection with biotechnology.

Department of Experimental Particle Physics F9
Departmental research is devoted to experimental studies of elementary particles, to reveal the ultimate building blocks of matter and the nature of the interactions between them.

Department of Nanostructured Materials K7
Research in the Department of Nanostructured Materials is focused on the development and study of technologically interesting inorganic
materials with specific physical properties arising from structural and chemical phenomena at the nanostructural and atomic level. Our research activities cover structural and functional ceramics, magnetic materials, complex metal alloys, sensors, modelling, minerals, biomedical and healthcare materials, and materials relevant to green energy. The ultimate goal of our research is to gain knowledge that will allow us to tailor the properties of different materials, which will allow us to improve the properties of functional materials and to innovatively design new materials using advanced manufacturing methods.

Department for Automation, Biocybernetics and Robotics E1

The Department is developing knowledge about the movement and dynamics of robots and people and applies that knowledge in industry, sports and medicine. The researchers use such knowledge in modern technical areas, including advanced automatics, intelligent and service robotics and in target human fields of biocybernetics and ergonomy.

Department of Knowledge Technologies E8
Our goal is to advance cutting-edge research and applications of knowledge technologies, including data, text and web mining, machine learning, decision support, language technologies, knowledge management, and other information technologies that support the acquisition, management, modelling and use of knowledge and data.

Department members have authored and edited numerous scientific books, and chaired international conferences and workshops. We regularly participate in international research projects. We utilize our scientific excellence to achieve cutting-edge advancements in various fields of science.

Our technologies have been successfully applied to many practical problems, including fake news and hate speech detection, large-language modelling for under-resourced languages, spacecraft subsystem power consumption prediction, decision support systems for sustainable food systems, analysis and management of dynamic supply food chains, visualization, analysis and simulation of ecological networks, sustainable management of water, fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture, safety management in nuclear power plants, sustainable mobility of employees in organizations, management of Parkinson’s disease, and speech-based diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.

Department of Inorganic Chemistry and Technology K1

At the Department we primarily research in the field of fluorine chemistry. Fluorine is one of the most interesting elements of the periodic table, and its compounds are already widely used in everyday life. We also deal with solving ecological and technological issues, as well as with the education and popularization of natural sciences.

The School of Experimental Chemistry, which has been operating within the Department for over 30 years, allows younger generations to perform experiments and discover the properties of different substances through various workshops. With interesting experiments, we want to attract visitors and draw them into the world of chemistry and natural sciences and to stimulate their curiosity.

Department of Intelligent Systems E9
The principal goals of the Department of Intelligent Systems are to contribute to the computational theory of intelligence and to develop high-impact practical applications in areas such as intelligent information systems, data analysis, intelligent web retrieval, decision support, intelligent agents, medicine, ecology, language technologies, intelligent manufacturing, and economy.

Department for the Synthesis of Materials K8
At our department, we synthesize new useful nanomaterials. Nanoparticles have due to their small size a very large surface-to-volume ratio. Consequently, they have different properties in comparison to bulk materials. Our work includes the synthesis, functionalization, and analysis of mostly magnetic nanoparticles for applications in medicine, technology, and catalysis.

Department of Systems and Control E2
The activities of the Department of Systems and Control include analysis, control and optimization of various systems and processes. Several activities are performed within this frame: research and development of new methods and algorithms for automatic control, the development of procedures and software tools to support the design and building of control systems, the development of special measuring and control modules, and the design of computer aided systems for control and supervision of devices, industrial and other processes.

Department of Electronic Ceramics K5
The Department performs research, development and educational activities in the fields of synthesis, characteristics and use of materials in electronics. Activites are based on the fact that the development of electronic components aims towards decreasing dimensions, higher efficiency and reliability, increased complexity of electronic components and a lower impact on the environment.

Department of Communication Systems E6
The core activities of the Department of Communication Systems comprise research, development and design of next generation telecommunication networks, technologies and services; wireless communication, embedded and sensor systems; and new procedures and algorithms for parallel and distributed computing.

Department of Gaseous Electronics F6
The department is researching materials and gaseous states, which uncover the world beyond molecules or even atoms. The research is focused on science about gases and gaseous discharges, plasma nanoscience, chemistry, and electrochemistry, plasma biotechnology and biomedicine, advanced sensors, electronics of surfaces and crystals, advanced vacuum science and technology. The mission of the Department is to inspire the world with science and innovative technologies in the field of gaseous electronics for a better tomorrow.

Department of Environmental Sciences O2
The multidisciplinary research of the Department of Environmental Sciences focuses on the combination of physical, chemical and biological processes that influence the environment, society and human activities. Therefore, the work is based on three main areas: development, optimisation and validation of analytical methods, study of geochemical processes that influence cycling and transformations of substances and elements, and environmental impact assessment which evaluates the risk that human activities present for human health and for the environment.

Department For Artificial Intelligence E3

The department conducts research and development in the field of information technologies, focusing on artificial intelligence. They collaborate with domestic and foreign academic organizations and companies to develop solutions that are then applied across various fields, including the economy, finance, education, and medicine. Furthermore, the department prioritizes education on the ethical and moral use of artificial intelligence, actively engaging in various discussions.

Department of Computer Systems E7
The Department is concerned primarily with the development of advanced computing structures and efficient algorithms for massive-data processing, and systems for effective human-computer interaction. Within this broad area, we are concentrating on self-reparable and self-organizing systems, modeling and optimizing of complex, dynamic and nondeterministic systems. Our research results are implemented within applications for production, transport, energy, environmental sustainability, bioinformatics, health, and medicine.

Milan Čopič Nuclear Training Centre (ICJT) is called Izobraževalni Center za Jedrsko Tehnologijo or ICJT in Slovenian language. It is part of the Jožef Stefan Institute, the leading research institution in Slovenia. The main activities of the ICJT are training of future nuclear professionals and informing general public about nuclear technologies. The vision of the IJCT is to become a reliable and a high quality source of knowledge about nuclear technologies.

Department of Reactors Physics F8; Reactor Infrastructure Centre (RIC); Reactor – TRIGA MARK II
Reactor Physics Division is situated at Reactor Centre Podgorica. Research is mainly directed into modelling and study of neutron transport and neutron – induced reactions. We also work on charged particles dosimetry and plasma physics.

The Department for Reactor Engineering focuses on research, education, consulting and expertise in the field of nuclear engineering and nuclear safety of fission reactors (generations 2, 3 and 4) and fusion reactors. The research carried out by the Department belongs to the broader field of nuclear technology and safety. Interdisciplinary research connects thermohydraulic, strength and safety analyzes and experimental results of THELMA’s own laboratory.

The multidisciplinary research of the Department of Environmental Sciences focuses on the combination of physical, chemical and biological processes that influence the environment, man and human activities. Therefore, the work is based on three main areas: development, optimisation and validation of analytical methods, study of geochemical processes that influence cycling and transformations of substances and elements, and environmental impact assessment which evaluates the risk that human activities present for human health and for the environment.

The tandem ion accelerator “Tandetron” at the department of low and medium energy physics (F2) is the only research accelerator in the country. Acceleration of ions takes place electrostatically in a direct electric field, which is provided by a rectifier with a voltage of up to 2 MV (two million volts). The accelerator is one of the most technologically advanced electrostatic accelerators in the world. We perform research in the field of atomic and nuclear physics and we apply the acquired knowledge at various fields, including materials research, fusion, biology, energy storage, medicine, pharmacology, environment and archaeometry.