The first-author paper by IPE PhD student Marek Kostka was selected for the prestigious Applied Physics Letters Rising Stars 2025 collection, which annually highlights thirty outstanding papers by early-career researchers from around the world. The awarded research contributes to the development of a new generation of ultraviolet detectors based on graphene and gallium nitride nanocrystals.
The paper “Graphene enhanced resonant Raman spectroscopy of gallium nitride nanocrystals” co-authored by Marek Kostka from the Institute of Physical Engineering was selected among thirty outstanding papers included in the Applied Physics Letters Rising Stars 2025 collection.
Each year, the Applied Physics Letters Rising Stars collection recognizes exceptional contributions by early-career researchers across the broad field of applied physics. This year’s selection included thirty papers representing eleven countries.
Marek Kostka’s research focuses on gallium nitride (GaN) nanocrystals and their interaction with graphene. A better understanding of these processes may contribute to the future development of a new type of ultraviolet detector with electrically tunable sensitivity.
“We are planning the detector as a graphene field-effect transistor, where GaN nanocrystals enhance the sensitivity to UV radiation. Thanks to the gate voltage, it will be possible to further tune the sensitivity. By understanding the behavior of nanocrystals under light illumination, we can improve the performance of such a detector,” explains Marek Kostka.
The result builds on several years of research reaching back to his bachelor studies. During a research stay in France, Marek learned to use Raman spectroscopy methods, which he later applied to the study of optical properties of GaN nanocrystals. These measurements revealed an unexpectedly strong interaction between the crystal lattice and electrons inside the material, with graphene playing a crucial role.
We congratulate Marek Kostka and his co-authors on this significant achievement. The complete overview of papers included in the Applied Physics Letters Rising Stars 2025 collection is available on the APL website.