Kacper Prokop-młodybadacz — Photo: Katarzyna Górowicz-Maćkiewicz

Young Researchers at the UWr – Kacper Prokop

At the University of Wrocław, we are exceptionally appreciative not only of finalists and laureates of Olympiads and candidates who have passed their school-leaving exams, but above all of those who want to develop their interests and become ‘Young Researchers’.

I was attracted to the Young Researcher Programme mainly because of the funding opportunities for foreign trips to friendly research centres – says Kacper Prokop. – As a PhD student in the Magnetic Materials Group of the Faculty of Chemistry, I am involved in maintaining international cooperation between the University of Wrocław and the Claude Bernard Lyon 1 University in France.

The cooperation with the Institute Light Matter (iLM) in Lyon, which started more than 20 years ago, enables our doctoral student to conduct research at a high international level.

Acquiring funding to continue these collaborations is a difficult challenge and the opportunities offered by the Young Researcher Excellence Initiative were very attractive. – The simplicity of the application, the quick decision on acceptance and the possibility to obtain funding in a short period of time allowed us to travel to France – without any problems, says our doctoral student, who has participated in the programme twice.

In 2023, when he took the opportunity to cover the costs of attending a foreign scientific conference or competition. – I then attended The XVIIIth Conference of the European Ceramic Society in Lyon, which brought together more than 1,200 scientists in the field of advanced ceramic materials – relates. – This year, I benefited from funding for a research stay during which I performed spectroscopic measurements at Univ Lyon, Institute Light Matter (iLM), Claude Bernard/Lyon1 University and fabricated ceramic sinters at Univ Lyon, INSA Lyon (National Institutes of Science and Technology), CNRS, MATEIS.

Kacper Prokop is in the third year of an implementation doctorate (carried out between the Faculty of Chemistry at the University of Wrocław and the Łukasiewicz PORT – Polish Technology Development Centre). He is pursuing the project ‘Aktywowane jonami ziem rzadkich transparentne spieki ceramiczne na bazie fosforanów i wolframianów do zastosowań jako materiały optyczne’ (eng. Rare earth ion-activated transparent ceramic sinters based on phosphates and tungstates for use as optical materials).

The main question in my research is whether it is possible to produce an optically transparent ceramic sinter from highly symmetric crystalline phosphates or tungstates? – explains the young researcher. – In summary, I am trying to find novel materials in the form of ceramic sinters that will be transparent like glass, but have an ordered structure like a crystal.

During the international conference: The XVIIIth Conference of the European Ceramic Society in Lyon, France, he had the opportunity to participate in one of the largest congresses with a theme focused on the broad topic of ceramic materials. He made his presence felt at the conference not only by presenting the results of his PhD thesis, but also by actively participating as a volunteer in the international organising committee. – This allowed me to gain an insight into the structures of organising such a large international event. Engaging in scientific discussions about my research during the presentations, resulted in new ideas and solutions to the research problems of my thesis. Making contact with respected scientists in the field of obtaining ceramic sinters has significantly broadened my scientific horizons.

During a four-week stay at the Univ Lyon, Institute Light Matter (iLM), Claude Bernard/Lyon1 University under the supervision of dr Yannick Guyot and prof. Georges Boulon, a number of UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopic measurements were carried out using a tunable OPO laser. – At the same time, it was possible to carry out a number of attempts to obtain polycrystalline sinters at the second institute of Univ Lyon, INSA Lyon (National Institutes of Science and Technology), CNRS, MATEIS – says our PhD student. – In this case, it was possible to access advanced apparatus for sintering inorganic materials – Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) under the supervision of dr Sandrinne Cottrino, dr Vincent Garnier and prof. Gilbert Fantozzi.

The spectroscopic studies I have carried out and the attempts to produce ceramic sinters have a significant impact on achieving the main objective of our research group, which is to obtain new optically active, transparent ceramic sinters – he points out.

Why did he choose UWr? – Honestly? I don’t know, it happened – Kacper reflects. – My main goal after graduating from high school was to study in Scotland at the University of Aberdeen. However, something happened that we know as ‘life’ and in the last days of recruitment I decided to study medicinal chemistry at the University of Wrocław. I had always dreamed of working in a research centre, so I knew I needed a university education.

Does he intend to associate his future with UWr? – Yes – he declares. – The friendships and professional collaborations established during my already 8-year adventure with the Faculty of Chemistry confirm my conviction that I want to continue my work here at the UWr.

Kacper would like to continue his scientific plans during his postdoctoral training. – I plan to expand my collaborations beyond the centres in Lyon and make new contacts – he says. – The ceramics we get in the lab are very interesting for new scintillators and lasers, so I’m trying to reach out to new research centres where I could study the properties of my materials.

Good luck!

Read more about the scholarship programme here: https://uwr.edu.pl/en/young-researcher-or-scholarships-for-the-best/