Olivia Pulci

Posizione attuale: Prof. Ordinario presso il Dipartimento di Fisica dell’Università di Roma Tor Vergata, FIS03 02/B2 Fisica Teorica della Materia

Formazione:

1992 Laurea “Cum Laude” in Fisica conseguita all’Università la Sapienza di Roma discutendo una tesi dal titolo “Light-induced defects in amorphous SiC:H “

1993–1996 Dottorato in Fisica all’Università di Roma Tor Vergata Theoretical Thesis:“Ab initio calculation of the optical properties of Surfaces: Application to the GaAs(110) surface.” (Tutor: Prof. R. Del Sole)

1997–2000 PostDoc all'IFTO, Friedrich–Schiller–Universit¨at, Jena, Germany (Prof. F. Bechstedt) , all' Ecole Polytechnique, Paris (Dr. L. Reining), e al Fritz Haber Institute MPG, Berlin (M. Scheffler)

2001-2003 INFM Assegno di ricerca, Università di Roma Tor Vergata 2003 -2005 INFM Researcher, University of Rome Tor Vergata

2005-2010  Ricercatrice presso il Dipartimento di fisica dell’Università di Roma Tor Vergata.

2010-2021 Prof. Associato, Dipartimento di fisica dell’Università di Roma Tor Vergata.

Summary of my activities: I am a theoretical physicist with a long-standing experience in the ab-initio computational study of the electronic and optical properties of surfaces.  In the last few years, my research interests have expanded to the study of nanocrystals and nanodots and, more recently, also to water and biological molecules. In particular, the optical spectrum of liquid water (pure and as a solvent) has been for the first time calculated with the inclusion of excitonic effects. I have worked as a researcher in foreign universities (Friedrich Schiller Universitaet, Jena) and Institutions (Ecole Polytechnique, Paris, and Fritz Haber Institut der Max Plank Gesellschaft, Berlin). I am co-author of more than 150 publications appearing in peer-reviewed international journals and I have given many invited seminars in research institutions, and invited talks at conferences. My expertise have been recognized at international level: among other activities and duties, I was for 10 years beamline responsible scientist at the European Theoretical Spectroscopy Facility (ETSF) for the Optical Beamline. I have been involved in the education of more than 40 students (during their diploma Thesis, and/or PhD Thesis, or stage). At the moment, I am responsible scientist of a small group composed of 4 PhD students, one post-graduate fellow, and one post-doc researcher.

Since 2003 I teach ’Theory of Solid State Physics’ for the ’Laurea Specialistica’ in Material Science (Scienze e Tecnologia dei Materiali, 6CFU). Other teaching activities are listed under ”teaching classes”. Expertise • Surfaces: Ground state properties: equilibrium geometry, determination of relaxation and reconstruction, study of the relative stability of surfaces under different growth conditions. Electronic band structure and optical properties of surfaces • Nanocrystals, nanodots: Absorption and emission spectra of silicon nanocrystals • Towards systems of biological interest: study of water, and formamide in water; optical spectra within QM/MM+MBPT of indole in water solution; study of the photoisomerization of rhodopsin • Functionalizing graphene and other 2-D systems; study of graphene, silicene and polygermyne with adsorbates for opening a gap

keywords: Ab-initio calculations, computational physics, Density Functional Theory (DFT), Time-Dependent DFT (TDDFT), Many-Body Perturbation Theory, ground state properties, electronic band structure calculations, optical absorption spectra, Reflectance Anisotropy, Surface Differential Reflectivity, GW approximation, excitonic effects.

 Since 2007: Research Team Leader in the European Theoretical Spectroscopy Facility (ETSF: http://www.etsf.eu) core node of Rome Tor Vergata • Since 2008: Optical Beamline reference scientist for the European Theoretical Spectroscopy Facility • Since February 2010: Coordinator of the IRSES European Project ”New Century of Superconductivity: Ideas, Materials, Technologies” (SIMTECH), project n. 246937 • Since March 2010: Member of ’Collegio dei Docenti’ of Tor Vergata University for the PhD in Solid State Physics •

Recent Projects:

2023---Tutor of the Marie Curie Individual Fellowships researcher Vasil Saroka (HORIZON EUROPE)

2022--PI for Tor Vergata node of the PRIN 2020 "PHOTO" (coordinator: S. Lupi, La Sapienza)

2019--2021 ENEA Project on Sodium Batteries ”1.2 Sistemi di accumulo, compresi elettrochimico e power to gas, e relative interfacce con le reti”, financed by MiSE PTR 2019-2021, PI for the task Calcoli teorici su materiali elettrodici e loro interfaccia con l’elettrolita

2019--PI for Tor Vergata node of the EU HORIZON2020 project DiSeTCom (RISE, MSCA)

2015--2019 Coordinator of the MSCA HORIZON2020 RISE CoExAN