Celebrating 100 Years of Quantum Science at UNAM
2025-05-14 15:30 - 17:30 (Europe/Moscow)
Bilkent University’ National Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM) is hosting “Bilkent UNAM – Quantum Day” as part of a global scientific initiative to honor the 100-year legacy of quantum science.
During the event held on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, Chair of the Department of Physics at Bilkent University Prof. Ceyhun Bulutay, Assoc. Prof. Serkan Ateş from İzmir Institute of Technology, and Asst. Prof. İbrahim Sarpkaya from UNAM will deliver talks on the fundamentals and future directions of quantum technologies.
In addition, UNAM is one of the stops of QuanTour—a scientific journey across Europe initiated by the Quantum 2025 initiative under the United Nations and UNESCO’s designation of 2025 as the “International Year of Quantum Science and Technology.”
As part of QuanTour, a quantum light source developed by Dr. Tobias Heindel’s research group at the Technical University of Berlin is traveling to select laboratories across more than 12 countries in Europe, including the prestigious Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge.
The project aims to raise awareness in fields such as quantum optics, semiconductor physics, photonic quantum technologies, and quantum metrology, while also promoting collaboration and knowledge exchange among researchers. Its second stop in Turkey, after İzmir Institute of Technology (İYTE), is the Quantum Photonics Laboratory of Asst. Prof. İbrahim Sarpkaya at Bilkent University UNAM.
Asst. Prof. Sarpkaya and his research group will perform g²-correlation experiments using the quantum light source and their Hanbury Brown and Twiss (HBT) interferometer setup at the laboratory.

“Bilkent UNAM – Quantum Day” Program | May 14, 2025, Wednesday:

15:30 – 15:40 | Opening Remarks – Dr. İbrahim Sarpkaya, Bilkent University UNAM
15:40 – 16:10 | Keynote Speech – Assoc. Prof. Serkan Ateş, İzmir Institute of Technology
16:10 – 16:40 | Keynote Speech – Prof. Ceyhun Bulutay, Chair of Physics Department, Bilkent University
16:40 – 17:10 | Keynote Speech – Asst. Prof. İbrahim Sarpkaya, Bilkent University UNAM
17:10 – 17:20 | Closing Remarks

NanoDay 2025
2025-05-23 08:30 - 18:00
NanoDay 2025: The Light of Science Shines at UNAM on May 23
Bilkent University UNAM will be hosting and organizing its annual NanoDay on Friday, May 23, 2005. The event brings together leading figures from the international scientific community, as well as researchers, students, and industry professionals from Turkey and around the world.
As part of NanoDay, which has been held since 2014, UNAM will host Prof. Philip Russell from the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, recognized for his pioneering work in photonic crystals and fiber optic technologies, and Prof. Hans Hilgenkamp from the University of Twente’s MESA+ Institute, who will present his research on superconductivity and quantum devices as well as energy-efficient neuromorphic computing.
To date, NanoDay has brought together more than 3,000 participants through science. The event also provides students from Bilkent University and other institutions the opportunity to express themselves through the NanoArt Competition and the NanoPoster Competition and Exhibition.
We would be delighted to welcome you to this inspiring scientific gathering.
For more information, please visit the NanoDay website: [NanoDay Website]
NanoDay Web Site

Smart Self-assembly for Sustainable Nanophotonics and Optoelectronics
2025-06-16 15:40 - 17:00
Talha Erdem
Abdullah Gül University

Reducing the greenhouse gas emissions have already been accepted as the straightforward way to limit the environmental effects of the global warming. Toward this aim, significant efforts have been put forward in the field of photonics as well. For example, solar energy became a significant source of energy and light-emitting diodes promising a lower energy consumption became the main devices used lighting applications. However, the widespread use of these technologies has a cost: the dependence on rare earth elements. As part of the efforts to eliminate this dependence, our group works on the utilization of colloidal nanoparticles to produce nanophotonic structures and optoelectronic devices using controllable self-assembly methods, i.e., smart self-assembly.
In this talk, we will first discuss our work where we tailored the electrostatic self-assembly of colloidal quantum dots on 2D surfaces using light [1]. Owing to the local heating due to laser irradiation, the quantum dots gain enough kinetic energy such that they can escape the electrostatic attraction. This approach allowed us to produce patterns having 100s of micrometers by a few centimeters. Next, we will present the opportunities that the light-assisted local heating offers for DNA-driven self-assembly. Within this framework, we will first explain our results on tailoring the optical transmission of the self-assembled networks made of DNA-functionalized gold nanoparticles [2]. Subsequently, we will continue with the control of 2D self-assembly of DNA-functionalized quantum dots as part of our efforts towards developing novel fabrication technologies [3]. We will then talk about our novel photodetector application made of the DNA-functionalized metal and semiconductor nanoparticles. Owing to DNA-DNA interaction, these photodetectors exhibit a negative responsivity [4]. Next, we will present our work in which we explored how to customise the optical polarization of magnetic and self-assembled quantum dot supraparticles [5]. We report on our efforts to produce CdSe/ZnS quantum dots, iron oxide nanoparticles, and silver nanoparticle supraparticles. We then demonstrate the magnetic field-dependent optical polarization control of the quantum dot-iron oxide supraparticle network. Finally, we will present the formation of translucent photonic crystals of latex nanoparticles [6]. These particles form 3D photonic crystals when they are concentrated. Their reflection colors can be easily tailored by changing the final concentration of the material as controlling the concentration enables controlling the distance between the particles forming the photonic crystal.
References
[1] Akrema et al., J. Phys. Chem C. 129, 9747 (2025).
[2] Z. Senel et al., J. Appl. Phys. Vol. 129, 153106 (2021).
[3] Z. Senel et al., arXiv:2307.10241 (2023); Z. Senel and E. Taze et al., in submission.
[4] M. Savas et al., in submission.
[5] T. Erdem et al., MRS Bulletin 47, 1084 (2022).
[2] T. Erdem et al., Frontiers in Physics 10, 847142 (2022).

About Speaker
Asst. Prof. Talha Erdem received his BS, MS, and PhD degrees all in Electrical-Electronics Engineering from Bilkent University in Türkiye in 2009, 2011, and 2016, respectively. His graduate studies focused on the development of efficient and stable quantum dot color converters for high-quality light-emitting didoes. His works led to the SPIE’s Scholarship in Optics and Photonics in 2012 and IEEE Photonics Society Graduate Student Fellowship in 2016. After his PhD, he was awarded the Newton International Fellowship by the Royal Society to conduct his research at the Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge. During this period, he focused on the utilization of various self-assembly tools in photonic applications. In 2019, he moved to Abdullah Gül University and established the Smart Nanophotonics Research Group. His current research interests are the development of novel optoelectronic devices and novel fabrication technologies using smart self-assembly of nanoparticles. In 2023, his research was acknowledged by the Science Academy (Bilim Akademisi) with BAGEP Awards and also by the Turkish Academy of Science (TÜBA) with GEBİP young investigator awards.

Smart Biomaterials and Biopreservation to Improve Human Health
2025-07-03 15:40 - 17:00
Ayşe Aslıhan Gökaltun
Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School

Advancements in biomaterials and biopreservation technologies are critical to overcoming key bottlenecks in clinical care, from wound management to organ transplantation. To highlight the state-of-the-art in these fields and reflect on current challenges and opportunities, this talk will first present our development of stimuli-responsive supramolecular hydrogels to enhance wound healing, deter infection and provide pain-free burn care for patients. These hydrogels are engineered to be tunable, biocompatible, and scalable for translational deployment.
In parallel, I will share our progress in supercooled biopreservation, where we extended the functional viability of primary hepatocyte monolayers up to three days, preserving both morphology and metabolic function. This work opens avenues for long-range transport and banking of engineered tissues, with implications for cell-based therapies and donor organ preservation. Together, these technologies highlight the potential of smart biomaterials and biopreservation strategies to improve clinical applications and expand the reach of next-generation therapies.

About speaker
Dr. Aslihan Gokaltun is a faculty member at the Center for Engineering in Medicine and Surgery at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. She joined the faculty in 2021 after completing her postdoctoral training in the laboratories of Drs. Martin Yarmush and Berk Usta where she co-led several federally funded initiatives. Dr. Gokaltun received her BSc, MSc, and PhD in Chemical Engineering from Hacettepe University in Türkiye. Her research focuses on engineering next-generation biomaterials and preservation strategies to enhance wound care and therapeutic delivery, bridge preclinical and clinical domains, and address unmet medical needs across diverse patient populations.

Engineering Tissues Layer by Layer: 3D Bioprinting with Bioinspired Nanomaterials
2025-07-10 15:40 - 17:00
Ahmad Rashad Elsebahy
1- Center of Translational Oral Research, Department of Clinical Dentistry,
University of Bergen, Norway.
2- Bioengineering Graduate Program, University of Notre Dame,
Notre Dame, Indiana, United States.
3- Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation, Los Angeles,
California, United States.

Despite significant advances in science and technology, we are still unable to fully overcome simple medical conditions like tooth cavities and bone fractures, not to mention more serious diseases. To achieve true healing, there is a growing need to shift the current medical paradigm toward regenerative strategies that can restore both the structure and function of native tissues. However, living tissues are inherently sophisticated structures, composed of multiple cell types embedded within multiscale, multi-material composites precisely organized in layers to perform specific biological and mechanical functions. These natural matrices range from the nanoscale, where molecules self-assemble into functional architectures, all the way to centimeter-scale tissues, as seen in human bones or plant structures like trees. Bones and trees have remarkable structural and molecular similarities. At the nanoscale, the helical arrangement of collagen fibrils in bone closely resembles the arrangement of cellulose fibers in wood. Both structures are optimized to withstand mechanical stress. This structural-functional complexity presents both a challenge and blueprint for developing advanced tissue engineering strategies. Achieving such structural and functional fidelity requires advanced fabrication technologies, such as 3D bioprinting, which enables the accurate positioning of bioinks composed of diverse cells, biomaterials, and biologics in layer-by-layer architectures that closely recapitulate the native tissue environment.
This lecture will highlight some of my previous work on the integration of extrusion-based bioprinting with bioinspired nanomaterials, specifically cellulose nanofibers and nanohydroxyapatite, to fabricate scaffolds that replicate the architecture of both compact and spongy bone tissues. Following comprehensive in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility studies, nanocellulose with varied surface chemistries was employed to fine-tune nanostructured, multi-material inks derived from a diverse library of biopolymers, including gelatin, gelatin methacryloyl, alginate, fibrin, polyesters, and polycarbonates. In formulations where human mesenchymal stromal/stem cells were incorporated into hydrogel precursors and printed to mimic bone extracellular matrix, nanocellulose imparted exceptional shear-thinning properties, effectively overcoming the rheological limitations associated with nanoceramic printing. To address the mechanical weakness of printed hydrogels and better emulate the load-bearing nature of compact bone, a modified 3D printing strategy using thermoplastic polymers with bone-inspired designs was employed. These thermoplastic scaffolds were further coated with nanocellulose or magnesium-doped nanohydroxyapatite to enhance cellular integration and biological performance.
Finally, the lecture will discuss opportunities to integrate 3D printing technologies for tissue engineering and personalized medicine into UNAM’s research and entrepreneurial initiatives, with the aim of advancing these innovations toward clinical application and achieving meaningful real-world impact.

About speaker
Dr. Ahmad Rashad Elsebahy is a dentist and tissue engineering researcher dedicated to bridging clinical needs with cutting-edge regenerative medicine. He is currently a Senior Researcher at the University of Bergen’s Tissue Engineering Group in Norway, and also holds research affiliations with the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (USA) and the University of Notre Dame’s Bioengineering Program (USA). Dr. Ahmad Rashad is a graduate of Alexandria University’s School of Dentistry in Egypt. He practiced dentistry for six years, including a year-long residency in oral surgery, before transitioning to tissue engineering research. His career has spanned three continents, beginning with a Master’s in Biomaterials Science between Alexandria and Lehigh (USA) Universities, where he engineered nanoporous bioactive glass scaffolds. In Japan at Nagasaki Dental School, he developed regenerative dental nanomaterials, followed by a PhD at the University of Bergen (Norway) focusing on 3D bioprinting stem cells in nanocellulose hydrogels. During his postdoc in Norway, he established the group’s biofabrication platform, secured over €4 million in grants, co-founded Bergen’s first clinical startup for 3D-printed bone implants, and patented several novel bone tissue engineering scaffolds. At the Terasaki Institute and Notre Dame, his research expanded into personalized medicine, shear-thinning nanomaterials, biosensors, microfluidics, bioethics, and stem cell–based bioprinted scaffolds for diabetic wound healing using cell-derived exosomes. With 40+ publications, mentorship of 6 PhD and 3 Master’s students, and co-founding a MedTech startup, Dr. Ahmad Rashad exemplifies the fusion of clinical insight, bioengineering innovation, and translational vision to advance the future of regenerative therapies

Engineering light to hop or walk through photonic nanostructures: Fundamental puzzles to sustainable industrial applications
2025-07-17 15:40 - 17:00
Willem L. Vos
University of Twente

The study of the propagation of light through complex composite materials – e.g., paint, foam, bio-logical tissue – is a topic that has become a field of its own [Nov2012, Car2021]. This may seem surprising: if a material is so opaque that it scrambles images, how can one see through? If a laser beam is scram¬bled, how does optical interference survive? The answer is in essence that interferences survive even millions of scattering events, observable as speckle or enhanced back scattering. Know-how of light scattering serves to address challenges in high-tech industry – from lighting, CMOS metrology, to atmospheric sensing – for sustainable technology, see Fig. 1 [FFSO].

Figure 1. Schematic illustrating how the joint engineering of broadband light waves by nanostructure and wavefront shaping optimizes light on a target, for sustainable high-tech appli¬cations.
Three complementary tools are crucial to control light interference in complex materials: nanostructure, shape (freeform), wavefront shaping. (1) Much progress is made to realize nanostructures: periodic [Goo2023], cav¬ity superlattices [Adh2024], or chiral [Ota2019]. The chal-lenge to get calibrated densities is met by using in situ X-ray imaging. Since X-ray methods are non-destructive, devices are available for further study or integration [Sch2024]. (2) External sample shape, long neglected, is remarkably crucial, as known in industry, and now also in wavefront shaping [Rat2023a]. (3) Wavefronts shaped with SLMs offer many control parameters to meet a desi¬red goal like a highly optimized focus (Fig. 1). This is used to send light deep into a forbidden gap [Upp2021], or do secure optical communication [Rat2023b]. A new topic is mutual scattering where extinction (shadow) is control¬led to make objects more transparent or darker, or sense particle displacement in opaque materials [Rat2024, Tru2022].
Finally, even the transport of light intensity without interference – at the basis of most scattering optics – still holds puzzles, notably when well-known models like diffusion break down [Akd2024].

[Akd2024] O. Akdemir, M. D. Truong, A. Rates, A. Lagendijk & WLV, Phys. Rev. A 110 (2024) 033520
[Car2021] R. Carminati & J. Schotland, Principles of scattering and transport of light (Cambridge, 2021)
[FFSO] See www.freeformscatteringoptics.com; research program of 3 TUs and 6 hi-tech companies
[Goo2023] M.J. Goodwin, C.A.M. Harteveld, M.J. de Boer, et al., Nanotechnology 34 (2023) 225301
[Koz2022] M. Kozoň, A. Lagendijk, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 129 (2022) 176401; Opt. Express (2023)
[Nov2012] L. Novotny & B. Hecht, Principles of Nano-optics (Cambridge, 2012)
[Ota2019] Y. Ota, F. Liu, R. Katsumi, et al., Y. Arakawa & S. Iwamoto, Optica 6 (2019) 786
[Rat2023a] A. Rates, A. Lagendijk, A. J. L. Adam, W. L. Ijzerman & WLV, Opt. Express 31 (2023) 43351
[Rat2023b] A. Rates, J. Vrehen, L. Mulder, W. L. Ijzerman & WLV, Opt. Express 31 (2023) 23897
[Rat2024] A. Rates, A. Lagendijk, M. D. Truong & WLV, Phys. Rev. A 110 (2024) 063518
[Sch2024] A. S. Schulz, M. Kozoň, G. J. Vancso, J. Huskens & WLV, J. Phys. Chem. C 128 (2024) 9142
[Tru2022] M.D. Truong, A. Lagendijk & W.L. Vos, Opt. Express 31, 15058 (2023)
[Upp2021] R. Uppu, M. Adhikary, C.A.M. Harteveld & W.L. Vos, Phys. Rev. Lett. 126 (2021) 177402
About speaker
Willem Vos obtained a Ph.D. in physics at the University of Amsterdam with highest honors (cum laude, top 5%) for his thesis “Phase behavior of simple systems at high pressure”. He held a prestigious Fellowship from the Carnegie Institution for Science (USA) where he discovered a novel class of “van der Waals compounds” at very high pressures in the Geophysical Laboratory (Nature 1992).
He then became one of the first to study photonic crystals at optical frequencies, niftily combining colloid physics and synchrotron X-ray methods. His team developed powerful “inverse opal” photonic crystals, reported in an influential Science paper (~2400 Google citations). Since 2002 Vos is professor of Complex Photonic Systems (COPS) at the University of Twente. His team demonstrated the first ever control of spontaneous emission of light with photonic crystals (Nature 2004), and with a complete 3D photonic band gap (PRL 2011).
His COPS team pioneered optical wavefront shaping, a revolution in optics to “unscatter” scattered light, leading to novel applications in imaging, microscopy, and optical communication using opaque materials. Vos leads major multi-million-euro-consortia that closely collaborate with major high-tech industries and SMEs (with 30 BEUR annual turnover), to solve practical high-tech problems with advanced nanophotonics.
Vos was elected Fellow of the APS and of Optica (formerly: OSA), and awarded the Snellius medal and the Descartes-Huygens prize by the French Académie des Sciences. He has been guest professor at leading institutions (LPMMC, CNRS, Grenoble, and Langevin Institute, ESPCI, PSL, Paris). His papers are on average cited >40x. Willem Vos takes much pride in his students who have become faculty members at leading institutes, or pursue careers in major industries as well as in non-profit organizations.

Spatially coherent exciton ensembles in two-dimensional heterostructures
2025-10-08 11:00 - 13:00
Alexander Holleitner
Technical University of Munich

Heterostructures made from two-dimensional (2D) transition-metal dichalcogenides exhibit a very large light-matter interaction [1], and they are ideal platforms to explore excitonic phenomena ranging from correlated moiré excitons to degenerate interlayer exciton ensembles with a spatially extended coherence at cryogenic temperatures [1-4]. I will highlight the experimental signatures of quantum mechanically degenerate and coherent exciton ensembles in 2D heterostructures. Moreover, I will discuss how the real-space wave function of the excitons can be understood in reconstructed heterostructures with a Moiré potential [5].

Figueiredo/Technical University of Munich, www.physics.aps.org

[1] M. Brotons-Gisbert, B.D. Gerardot, A.W. Holleitner, U. Wurstbauer, MRS bulletin 49 (9), 914-931 (2024).
[2] L. Sigl et al., Phys. Rev. Research 2, 042044(R) (2020).
[3] M. Troue and J. Figueiredo et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 131, 036902 (2023).
[4] C. Qian, M. Troue, J. Figueiredo et al. Science Adv. 0 (2), eadk6359 (2024).
[5] J. Figueiredo, M. Richter et al. NPJ Quantum Materials 10 (1), 96, September 16th (2025).

About speaker
Alexander W. Holleitner is an experimental physicist working on fundamental aspects of optics and electronics in quantum matter, ranging from many-body exciton ensembles to topological aspects of atomistic materials. After his postdoctoral stay at the University of California, Santa Barbara, from 2003 to 2005, he was junior professor at the Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU), Germany. In 2007, he got promoted to professor in physics at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). Since 2020, he is director of the Walter Schottky Institute and heading the Chair for Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials. Moreover, he is member of the excellence clusters Munich Center for Quantum Science and Technology, e-conversion, and the Munich Quantum Valley. He is co-founder and spokesperson of the MSc degree program on quantum science and technology, as it is jointly offered by LMU and TUM in Munich.

Some exotic properties of 2D quantum materials revealed by quantum mechanical simulations
2025-11-03 14:30 - 15:30
Biplab Sanyal
Uppsala University

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have gained a dominating position in the world of quantum materials due to their high potential for advanced applications in flexible electronics, optoelectronics, energy storage, catalysis, spintronics, etc. An enormous playground exists in developing 2D van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures by combining a variety of 2D materials for realising extraordinary properties. In this talk, I will present some interesting properties of 2D materials regarding their peculiar structural, electronic and magnetic properties giving rise to ultralow thermal conductivity, negative Poisson ratio and giant momentum-dependent spin splitting revealed by sophisticated quantum mechanical simulations. A particular focus will be given to 2D magnetic materials and their vdW heterostructures highlighting the importance of structural inhomogeneities, electron correlation, spin-orbit coupling and spin transport properties.

About speaker
Biplab Sanyal is an Associate Professor at the Department of Physics and Astronomy of Uppsala University, Sweden. He is also the head of the Materials theory division since 2019. After completing Ph.D. studies in S.N. Bose National Center, India in 1999, he joined Brock University, Canada as a post-doctoral fellow followed by another postdoctoral fellowship at Uppsala University from 2000-2003. Then he became an Assistant Professor in 2003 and an Associate Professor in 2011. He has supervised 18 Ph.D. students and 8 postdoctoral fellows. His research interests lie in 2D materials, magnetism, electron correlation, electronic and spin transport, Monte-Carlo simulations, lattice and magnetization dynamics, biomolecules and materials with structural and chemical disorder. He has published 320+ papers including Nature Materials, Nature Communications, Reviews of Modern Physics and Phys. Rev. Lett. with 12300+ citations, h-index 55, i10-index 217 (ref.: Google Scholar), 11 book chapters, 2 volume editors (Elsevier, Springer).

Electrospun Nanofibers and Advanced Materials for Energy Storage and Conversion
2025-12-08 13:30 - 14:30
Begüm Yarar Kaplan
Sabancı University Nanotechnology Research and
Application Center (SUNUM), Turkey
Padova University, Italy

Electrospinning is a highly versatile and powerful technique for producing nanostructured materials, particularly suited to energy storage and conversion applications [1]. It enables the fabrication of nanofibrous electrodes and membranes with exceptionally high surface area, uniformly distributed ionically conductive phases, and finely tunable porosity. These features collectively enhance mass transport, ionic conductivity, mechanical/thermal/chemical stability, and catalytically active sites in devices such as fuel cells, electrolyzers and batteries. Beyond their performance advantages, electrospun architectures are simple, scalable, and cost-effective to manufacture, making them ideal candidates for next-generation energy materials.
In this presentation, next-generation polymer electrolyte membranes will first be introduced, including composite/hybrid, layered, and bipolar membrane designs engineered for high-performance fuel cells and electrolyzers. These advanced membranes, fabricated through electrospinning, exhibit controlled swelling, enhanced ionic conductivity, improved mechanical robustness, and superior overall device performance [2]. The second part of the talk will focus on novel strategies for developing highly active, durable, and economically viable electrocatalysts and electrodes. This section will cover both platinum-group-metal (PGM) and PGM-free electrocatalysts incorporated into electrospun nanofiber-based electrodes tailored specifically for fuel cells and electrolyzers [3,4]. In the final part of the talk, recent research in electrospun nanofiber-based electrodes and interlayers for Li-ion batteries will be discussed, in which their porous, high-surface-area networks enhance electrolyte interactions, increase void volume to facilitate more efficient Li+ transport, and improve charge-transfer kinetics [5].

[1] Cho, Y., Baek, J. W., Sagong, M., Ahn, S., Nam, J. S., Kim, I. D., Adv. Mater., 2025, 37(28), 2500162.
[2] Rajabalizadeh Mojarrad, N., Kırlıoğlu, A. C., Yarar Kaplan, B., Solid State Ion., 2023, 392, 116152.
[3] Iskandarani, B., Rajabalizadeh Mojarrad, N., Yürüm, A., Alkan Gürsel S., Yarar Kaplan, B., ACS Energy Fuels, 2022, 36 (16), 9282-9294.
[4] Rahbarshendi, F., Charkhesht, V., Rajabalizadeh Mojarrad, N., Çetiner, B., Yarar Kaplan, B., Electrochem. Acta, 2025, 541, 147329.2.
[5] Charkhesht, V., Yurum, A., Alkan Gürsel, S., Yarar Kaplan, B., ACS Appl. Energy Mater., 2021, 4(12), 13922-13931.

About speaker
Dr. Begüm Yarar Kaplan received her BSc and MSc degrees from the Department of Chemistry at Hacettepe University, and her PhD from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Sabancı University. During her doctoral studies, she investigated graphene and carbon-based catalyst layers for polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells, ex-situ and in-situ electrochemical characterization of materials for fuel cells. As a part of her doctoral work, she conducted research on electrospun electrodes for fuel cells at Vanderbilt University (USA), in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Following her PhD, she pusued postdoctoral research on graphene-based catalysts for fuel cells, contributing to the EU-funded Graphene Flagship Project under FP7 and Horizon 2020 between 2017 and 2018. Dr. Yarar Kaplan has participated in multiple international and national projects as both principal investigator and researcher, focusing on electrospun materials for fuel cells, electrolyzers, and Li-ion batteries. Her scientific achievements have been recognized with notable distinctions, including the Young Researcher Award from the Hydrogen Technologies Association in 2020 and the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Scholarship in 2023. Dr. Yarar Kaplan’s research focuses on the design and electrochemical evaluation of advanced electrocatalysts, electrodes, and membranes. Her expertise spans electrospun electrodes and membranes for hydrogen energy technologies as well as high-performance materials for Li-ion batteries.

Quantum Dots: Fundamentals to Quantum Networks
2026-01-14 11:00 - 12:00
Yusuf Karlı
University of Cambridge

Quantum networks promise fundamentally new ways to communicate and process information by harnessing the laws of quantum mechanics. Semiconductor quantum dots offer a practical and scalable platform for realizing many of the key components required for such networks. Because quantum dots confine charge carriers in all three spatial dimensions, they exhibit discrete, atom-like energy levels that enable precise control over light–matter interactions.
This talk introduces the basic physics of quantum dots and explains how their optical properties enable the on-demand generation of single photons and entangled photon pairs. It then explores how interactions between confined spin states and emitted photons create spin–photon entanglement, providing a direct interface for quantum networking, and highlights how these capabilities position quantum dots as promising building blocks for quantum networks, with applications ranging from secure communication to distributed quantum information processing.

About Speaker
Yusuf Karli completed his PhD at the University of Innsbruck in 2024 with Gregor Weihs, working on single and entangled photon generation from quantum dots. His PhD work was awarded IQOQI Thesis Prize by the Austrian Academy of Sciences. He then joined Mete Atatüre’s group at the University of Cambridge, where he works on quantum memory and quantum network applications using quantum dots. Since October 2025, he has been elected as Fellow and Director of Studies Natural Sciences at Emmanuel College, University of Cambridge.

Talk on Gender Equality and Violence Against Women
2026-01-23 15:30 - 16:30
Dear Members of the Bilkent Community,
Bilkent University National Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM) embraces scientific excellence alongside the principles of equality, inclusivity, and a safe academic environment, and considers gender equality an integral part of its institutional culture. UNAM actively supports initiatives that promote gender equality and contribute to the fight against violence against women.
Şule Yıldırım, a professional with extensive experience in this field, will join us as the speaker for the subject “Talk on Gender Equality and Violence Against Women,” hosted by UNAM.
Ms. Yıldırım holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Hacettepe University and a Master’s degree in Psychology from Istanbul Aydın University. After retiring from the Ministry of Family and Social Services, she has continued her work with a particular focus on combating violence against women and advancing gender equality. She also actively works as a family counselor.
The talk will address the following topics from an expert perspective:

the core concepts of gender equality,
the individual and societal dimensions of violence against women,
approaches to awareness, prevention, and empowerment.

Date: January 23
Time: 3:30 – 4:30 PM
Venue: UNAM Conference Hall, Bilkent University
The talk will be conducted in Turkish.

Diversity in Science. Excellence in Research.
2026-03-06 12:00 - 13:00
Dear Members of the Bilkent University Community,
Bilkent University National Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM) is pleased to host a special panel discussion titled “Diversity in Science. Excellence in Research.” in celebration of International Women’s Day.
Bringing together four members of the UNAM community, including two faculty members, a team leader engineer, and a doctoral researcher, the panel will highlight the voices of women advancing science at UNAM. The speakers will share their professional motivations, reflect on structural barriers encountered throughout their research journeys, speak about milestones they take pride in, and discuss their vision for fostering a more inclusive and forward-looking research ecosystem.
The program will open with a brief overview of the latest data on women’s representation in R&D, academia, and patent applications in Türkiye to provide context for the broader conversation.
We would be delighted to welcome you as we come together to celebrate International Women’s Day and the contributions of women in science.
Speakers: Dr. Ayça Arslan, Dr. Sezin Galioğlu Özaltuğ, Esra Arman, Dilşad Taydaş
Date: March 6, 2026 (Friday) | 12:00–13:00
Venue: UNAM Conference Hall
Language: Turkish
Kind regards,
Bilkent UNAM

From sound fields to functions through the design of acoustic operators for microscale particle control
2026-03-11 11:00 - 12:30
Carlos A. Dorao
Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Manipulating micro- and nanoscale particles is fundamentally challenging because, at small scales, conventional forces behave very differently. Particles are dominated by viscous drag, Brownian motion, and surface forces, making them difficult to control precisely without physical contact or chemical labeling. Traditional mechanical or optical methods can be invasive, complex, or difficult to scale, especially when dealing with delicate biological samples or large numbers of particles. This is where acoustic manipulation offers a compelling alternative. Sound waves can generate contactless, gentle, and tunable forces inside fluids, enabling us to design acoustic operators that perform tasks such as patterning, concentration, mixing, and lysis. By structuring the acoustic field in space and time, we can create programmable operations that act on particles across a wide range of sizes.

About Speaker
Professor Carlos A. Dorao is a professor at the Department of Energy and Process Engineering at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). He holds an engineering degree in Nuclear Engineering from the Balseiro Institute (Argentina) and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from NTNU. His research focuses on the development of acoustic operators for the manipulation of micro- and nanoscale particles using sound waves as well as on fundamental thermohydraulics with an emphasis on identifying dominant heat transfer mechanisms in two-phase flow systems and understanding how flow oscillations influence these mechanisms.

Highly Crystalline Organic Mixed Ionic-Electronic Conductors for Microfiber-Based Bioelectronic Interfaces and Energy Storage Devices
2026-03-12 15:30 - 17:00
Myung-Han Yoon
Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology

In this research, we report highly crystalline organic mixed ionic-electronic conductors (OMIECs) designed to overcome the inherent trade-off between electrical/electrochemical performance and long-term aqueous stability. First, by introducing a sulfuric acid treatment, we successfully crystallized poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) films. These films exhibit excellent electrical, electrochemical, and optical properties, alongside robust long-term stability and high biocompatibility for primary cultured cardiomyocytes and neurons over several weeks. Consequently, they were successfully employed in high-performance multi-electrode arrays (MEAs) to record and stimulate the electrophysiological activities of primary cardiomyocytes and chicken retinal tissues. Furthermore, we developed the fabrication of crystalline PEDOT:PSS microfibers and a unique self-fusion process to create single-strand wearable electrochemical transistors and 3D microfibrillar network-based bioelectronic interfaces. Finally, we demonstrated fiber-type energy storage devices by implementing carbon nanotube (CNT) yarn/PEDOT:PSS core-shell fibers.

1. Kim, S.-M., et al. Influence of PEDOT:PSS Crystallinity and Composition on Electrochemical Transistor Performance and Long-term Stability, Nature Communications, 9, 3858 (2018).
2. Kim, Y., et al. Single Strand Microfiber-Based Wearable Human Sweat Sensors with Channel Dimension Independent Performance, NPG Asia Materials, 10, 1086 (2018).
3. Kim, Y., et al. Strain-engineering Induced Anisotropic Crystallite Orientation and Maximized Carrier Mobility for High-performance Microfiber-Based Organic Bioelectronic Devices Adv. Mater. 33, 2007550 (2021).
4. Saini, N.; Lee, D.-Y.; Yoon, M.-H.*, and Awasthi, K.*, Unveiling the Potential of Pt Nanoparticle-Decorated PEDOT:PSS Membranes for Efficient Gas Separation, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 16, 7700 (2024).
5. Kim, Y.*, et al. Arbitrary 3D Organic Mixed Ionic-Electronic Conductor Architectures via Self-Fusion of PEDOT:PSS Microfibers, Science Advance, e16951 (2025).
About the speaker
Myung-Han Yoon earned his B.S. and M.S. in Chemistry from Seoul National University. He subsequently received his Ph.D. in Inorganic/Materials Chemistry from Northwestern University (2006) under the supervision of Profs. Tobin J. Marks and Antonio Facchetti, focusing on high-performance organic semiconductor/dielectric thin-film transistors. Following his doctoral studies, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University with Prof. Hongkun Park, where he specialized in the development of neuronal electronic and microfluidic interface arrays. In 2010, Dr. Yoon joined the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), where he currently serves as a Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. His professional leadership roles include serving as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Materials Chemistry B (Royal Society of Chemistry, UK) and an advisory professor for LG Electronics. With over 15,000 citations and an h-index of 51, his prolific research has earned prestigious recognitions, including Commendations from the Prime Minister (2024) and the Minister of Science and ICT (2019) of the Republic of Korea. He is also a three-time recipient of the GIST Excellent Research Award (2016, 2022, 2025) and has been honored by the Polymer Society of Korea and the Korean Chemical Society. His current research interests are at the forefront of functional and sustainable materials, encompassing organic mixed ionic-electronic conductors (OMIECs), metal oxides, and fibrillar hydrogels. These materials are applied toward bioelectronic interfaces, neuromorphic electronics, renewable energy (hydrogen generation), and advanced environmental purification.

From Molecules to Populations: How Single-Cell Stochasticity Drives Population Heterogeneity in Bacteria
2026-04-01 11:00 - 12:30
Murat Tuğrul
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

A central challenge in evolutionary biology is predicting how microscopic processes within a cell determine the macroscopic success of a population. While classical population genetics often treats cellular fitness as a scalar parameter, real biological populations are characterized by profound phenotypic heterogeneity, even among genetically identical individuals. In this talk, I will present a multiscale framework that links biophysical mechanisms directly to population-level outcomes and heterogeneity. First, I will show single-cell microscopy techniques that allow us to collect high-resolution data on physiological states, gene expression, and fitness components in bacteria. Integrating mathematical modeling with single-cell experiments, I will demonstrate how stochastic damage dynamics and asymmetric segregation reshape individual lifespans and emergent population growth. Second, I will focus on the complex regulatory systems controlling polygenic traits, specifically the flagellar network. I will show how the biophysical logic of genetic networks generates phenotypic bimodality, providing a strategic ‘hedge’ that might facilitate evolutionary survival. Finally, I will argue for a transition toward a mechanistic evolutionary theory where the physics of the cell dictates the logic of adaptation, offering new insights into global challenges such as antibiotic resistance.

About Speaker
Dr. Murat Tuğrul is a biophysicist and theoretical evolutionary biologist studying how stochastic processes at the single-cell level give rise to population-level heterogeneity and evolution. He is currently a Research Fellow in the Molecular Microbiology Lab at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, where he combines mathematical modeling with single-cell data analysis to investigate the regulatory principles of bacterial flagellar systems. Previously, he led a Marie Skłodowska-Curie project at Freie Universität Berlin focused on bacterial aging and damage accumulation in single cells. He completed his PhD at IST Austria, developing biophysical and population genetic models of transcriptional evolution. His research integrates theory and experiment to build predictive, multiscale frameworks for understanding how cellular processes shape fitness and evolution in microbial populations.

Building a minimal nucleus to understand structure and mechanics of assembly
2026-04-15 11:00 - 12:30
Alexander Von Appen
MPI of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics

The nucleus, the largest organelle in human cells, plays a crucial role in protecting, organizing, and regulating our genome. Despite its complexity, it undergoes remarkable dynamics during cell division: as the cell enters mitosis, nuclear organization dissolves, leading to the detachment of the nuclear membrane from chromatin. The nucleoplasm and cytoplasm merge into a single entity, while the spindle distributes chromosomes to form daughter cells. Following this “open” mitosis, the entire organelle reassembles within minutes, prompting the central question: what molecular mechanisms drive nuclear self-assembly?
I will present our latest efforts to reconstitute nuclear self-assembly processes, which we study structurally using cryo-electron tomography and mechanically using optical tweezers. Specifically, I will show how ESCRT proteins assemble to close the nuclear membrane and how DNA is organized at the chromatin–nuclear membrane interface.

About speaker
PhD, EMBL Heidelberg, with Martin Beck, studying the structure of the human nuclear pore complex PostDoc, UCSF San Francisco, with Adam Frost, studying the role of phase separation in ESCRT-mediated nuclear membrane assembly Since 2021, Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany

ZEISS and UNAM Present Semiconductor Advances Summit’26
2026-04-17 09:00 - 17:00
Semiconductor Advances Summit’26, organized in collaboration with the Bilkent University National Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM) and ZEISS, will take place on Friday, April 17, 2026, at the ZEISS Customer Center in Ankara. The event aims to bring together leading researchers and industry experts to explore the latest developments shaping the future of semiconductor science and engineering.
Prof. Dr. Hilmi Volkan Demir, Executive Board Chairman of UNAM, will deliver a talk entitled “Semiconductor Nanocrystal Quantum Optoelectronics: From Wavefunction Engineering to Quantum Purity,” sharing his latest research and innovative approaches in semiconductor nanocrystals and quantum optoelectronics. The summit will also feature Gabriel Reichl, Business Development Manager at ZEISS; Associate Professor Mario Lanza Martinez from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the National University of Singapore; Ahmet Çeliktaş from TÜBİTAK; Elif Tepeli, representative of the Turkish Integrated Circuits Alliance (TICA); and Kasem Bau, Principal Specialist at ZEISS.
Semiconductor Advances Summit’26 will provide a dynamic platform for collaboration and engagement between academia and industry, offering participants a rich and comprehensive perspective on key topics including quantum optoelectronics, post-Moore electronic materials and devices, integrated circuit ecosystems, and advanced characterization and failure analysis techniques.
Registertration now

Injectable Cryogels for Biomedical Applications: from Tissue Engineering to Immunotherapy
2026-04-29 11:00 - 12:30
Sidi A. Bencherif
University of Rouen Normandy
Northeastern University

Across cell therapy, regenerative medicine, and immunoengineering, there is a need for advanced three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds that support cells, modulate their behavior, and guide tissue regeneration. Injectable biomaterials have become especially attractive, offering minimally invasive delivery without the risks of open surgery while enabling precise placement within delicate tissues. In this context, we introduced a breakthrough platform: large, preformed macroporous cryogels that can be delivered through a standard needle–syringe system while preserving their structure and function [1]. Our 2012 report of the first injectable cryogel capable of passing through a hypodermic needle while maintaining native-like microenvironmental cues sparked widespread interest and helped redefine the design space of soft biomaterials [2]. These sponge-like constructs, produced through environmentally friendly cryogelation, exhibit unique features—including elasticity, interconnected macroporosity, and shape-memory behavior enabling complete geometric recovery after injection. Over the past decade, injectable cryogels have emerged as a versatile and customizable class of biomaterials aligned with modern research priorities. They hold great promise for tissue repair, controlled drug delivery, cell therapies, cancer immunotherapy, and innovative vaccine platforms, including those developed during the COVID-19 era [3–5].
Acknowledgements
Financial support from the Chaire d’Excellence de Normandie is gratefully acknowledged.
References
[1] L.J. Egremont et al. Trends in Biotechnology 2019, 38:418–431.
[2] S.A. Bencherif et al. PNAS 2012, 109, 19590–19595.
[3] M. Rezaeeyazdi et al. Materials Today Bio 2022, 100207.
[4] S.A. Bencherif et al. Nature Communications 2015, 6:7556.
[5] T. Colombani et al. Advanced Science 2021, 2100316.

About speaker
Sidi A. Bencherif, Ph.D., is a senior researcher at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and a faculty-affiliated principal investigator at the University of Rouen Normandy. He earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Carnegie Mellon University and completed his postdoctoral training at Harvard University. His research focuses on the design and development of advanced biomaterials—particularly injectable and macroporous cryogels—for applications in regenerative medicine, controlled drug delivery, and cancer immunotherapy. His work bridges fundamental materials science with translational biomedical applications. Dr. Bencherif has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications in leading journals, including Science, Nature Materials, Nature Communications, PNAS, Advanced Science, Bioactive Materials, Cell Biomaterials. His work has received ~15,000 citations (h-index: 51), and he is an inventor on 15 patents. He has been recognized among the world’s top 2% of most-cited scientists (Stanford/Elsevier) and has received numerous prestigious honors, including the U.S. NSF CAREER Award, ACS PMSE Young Investigator Award, ACS I&EC Influential Researcher Award, BMES-CMBE Rising Star Award, and more recently the Normandy “Chair of Excellence.”

The Light of Science Shines at UNAM NanoDay 2026 on May 8
2026-05-08 08:30 - 18:00
NanoDay 2026, organized by the Bilkent University National Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM), bringing together leading figures from the international scientific community, will take place on Friday, May 8, 2026.
As part of NanoDay 2026, UNAM will host Prof. Valentin Valtchev from the University of Caen Normandy and CNRS, recognized for his pioneering work in porous materials and zeolite chemistry, as well as Prof. Roland Netz from Freie Universität Berlin, renowned for his work in soft matter and theoretical physics.
Bringing together scientists, researchers, students, and industry representatives from Türkiye and around the world, NanoDay has, for 12 years, served as a prominent platform for sharing the latest developments in science. To date, 35 distinguished speakers from some of the world’s most prestigious academic institutions—including Harvard, ETH Zurich, the Max Planck Institutes, and Northwestern University—have shared their expertise in nanotechnology, photonics, biomedical engineering, materials science, quantum optics, and biotechnology, inspiring more than 3,000 participants.
For more information and registration, you can visit the NanoDay website.
