CURRICULUM VITAE
PERSONAL DATA
ALESSANDRO LASCIALFARI
·
Born
in Firenze-Italy , July, 9th, 1963
·
married, one daughter,
one son
TITLES and PROJECTS
* Actual position : full Professor of
Physics, Department of Physics, Università degli studi di
Milano (Italy)
* He belongs also to Consorzio INSTM-Unit of Milano, CNISM (National Inter-Universitary Consortium of Materials’ Science and
Technology) - Unit of Milano (Italy) INFM-CNR (National Institute of Matter
Physics – National Research Council) - Unit of Milano (Italy) and CNR-Nanoscience Institute (Modena, Italy), included in the
following european and national projects:
* FIRB project
RINAME (Integrated Network for Nanomedicine),
national responsible prof. D. Gatteschi,
2012-2015
-
European
project NANOTHER, “Integration of novel NANOparticles
based technology for THERapeutics and diagnosis of
different types of cancer”, 2008-2012. Responsible of local INSTM sub-Unit
-
eUROPEAN Network of Excellence “MAGMANET” (Molecular Approach to Nanomagnets and
Multifunctional Materials, 2005-2009), European FP6, “Nano-technologies and nano-sciences,
knowledge-based multifunctional materials, and new production processes and
devices – ‘NMP’ “, European manager prof. D. Gatteschi,
Univ. of Firenze and INSTM, national manager INFM-CNR prof.
Affronte, Univ. of Modena
-
European
responsible and manager of INFM-CNR Italian node, for the sub-project MAGHYP
(Magnetic nanomaterials for hyperthermia therapy, in
situ release of cytotoxic drugs and MR contrast
agents) inside Magmanet
-
European
RTN (Research Training Network QUEMOLNA, Quantum Effects in Molecular Nanomagnets, 2004-2008), Marie Curie Actions, European
manager prof. D. Gatteschi,
national manager INFM-CNR prof. Affronte
-
National
FIRB (2003-2007) – manager Prof. Gatteschi
[local manager, prof. Borsa],
“NANOORGANIZZATION OF INORGANIC/ORGANIC HYBRID MOLECULES WITH MAGNETIC AND
OPTICAL PROPERTIES”
- European INTAS (european manager prof. Barbara, CNRS-Grenoble (France) , Pavia manager prof. Borsa, pavia scientific manager A. Lascialfari)
-
Referee of the Journals : Physical Review
Letters, Physical Review B, Solid State Communication, International Journal of
Modern Physics, J. of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials, J. Materials Science, Journal of Chemical
Physics, Journal of Nuclear Materials, Materials Chemistry and Physics; referee of Israeli Science
Foundation, research proposals
-
ResponsIBLE OF MORE THAN 15 proposals (accepted) c/o
large scale facilities [ RAL-ISIS (UK), PSI (Svizzera),
LCMI (Grenoble), ESRF (Grenoble) ]
-
pI/ Local responsible of 3 National projects CARIPLO (2006-2010 and 2009-2012)
-
Responsible
of
National project of Banca del Monte di Lombardia (2006-2008)
·
More
than 45 invited talks and seminars c/o national/international congresses and
Research Institutes
Main Courses
·
Teacher of
Thermodynamics, University of Milano, degree course in Physics
·
Teacher of Physics’
Basic Course, University of Milano (Italy), Faculty of Pharmacy, since
2005/2006 a.y.
·
Teacher
of the course “Diagnostical techniques II” (Magnetic
Resonance Imaging Technique, MRI), since a.y.
2004/2005, Physics laurea, Universita’
degli studi di Pavia
·
Teacher
of the course for PhD in Physics – Universita’ di Pavia : “Imaging techniques”
·
Teacher
of the course for PhD in Physics – Università degli studi di
Milano – “Magnetism and
related experimental techniques”
·
PhD in Physics -
1999/2004 – Universita’ di
Pavia (Italy) – 6 lectures on “Magnetic techniques and their applications”
·
PhD in Physics - 2004 –
Universita’ di Pavia
(Italy) – Lectures on “Imaging Techniques and MRI”
·
Lectures for the course
(degree in Physics) : “Structure of Matter” (6 hrs., 2000/2001), Universita’ di Pavia, prof. A. Rigamonti
responsible
·
International
School “5th intensive program on Advanced Materials”, 1999/2000 (Dipartimento di Chimica Fisica, Universita’ di Pavia, Italy) - 6
lectures on: “Calorimetry and SQUID magnetometry”
·
“European School of
Advanced studies”, 2000/2002, (Dip. Chimica/Fisica and Dip. Fisica, Universita’ di Pavia, Italy), 6 lectures on : “Susceptibility measurements: theory and
applications with SQUID device”
·
For the School
“Materials Sciences”, Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita’
di Pavia, Italy, laboratory lectures on “Specific
heat and laboratory”, 1991-1993, 1998-2004
Theses’ tutoring and others
· Co-tutor / tutor / scientific tutor of 13 laurea thesis (Universita’ di Firenze (3, D. Procissi, L. Ammannato, L. Ninci), Pavia (8, R. Ullu, I. Zucca, E. Micotti, E. Bernardi, F. Palesi, A. Vultaggio, M. Mangiarotti, M. Pasin), Milano (1, Michael Quintini), Torino (1, L. Martignetti), Italy), 3 bachelor laurea “breve” (Sara Ferretti, Matteo Mangiarotti, Claudia Cutaia)
· Scientific tutor of 3 Ph.D. student (P. Tedesco, E. Micotti, M. Mariani), 1999-2002, Tutor of 7 PhD students (I. Zucca, E. Bernardi, T. Kalaivani, H. Amiri, F. Palesi, L. Bordonali, F. Adelnia), University of Pavia (Italy)
· Tutor of 9 postdoc students (J. Lago, P. Arosio, M. Belesi, E. Bernardi, M. Bonora, A. Gianella, M. Grandi, P. Khuntia, Sonia Pin), and 2 predoc (David Hajny, QUEMOLNA, and Massimo Marinone, MAGMANet)
·
Materials’ culturer (cultore della Materia) of Matter
Structure (Physics course degree) and General Physics (Biology course degree),
since 1998
·
Examinating committee for Matter Structure Course
(Physics course degree) and Physics Course (Biology course degree), since 1998
·
Scientific
responsible of two post-doc students (J. Lago, M. Belesi), one inside RTN-QUEMOLNA project, one inside Magmanet project
·
Research on magnetic
systems at the Dept. of Physics, Iowa State University (Ames - Iowa - USA),
January-March 1993, November 1998, December 1999
·
Muon Resonance Experiments (1993-current
year) , RAL (Rutherford Appleton Laboratory) - Chilton (Oxford – United
Kingdom).
·
Nuclear Magnetic
Resonance experiments, LCMI-CNRS, Grenoble (France), 1998-current year
·
Muon Resonance experiments (2000-current year),
PSI (Paul Scherrer Institute) - Villigen (Switzerland).
·
X-ray magnetic circular
dichroism (XMCD) experiments, ESRF-Grenoble (February
1999, February 2000) and LURE (Universite’ de
Paris Sud, France, June 2000)
English
Congresses and
publications
·
More than 160
publications on international journals and about 140 participations at national
and international congresses.
Scientific
apparatuses
·
Spectrometers for
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Quadrupolar
Resonance (NQR), for Muon Spin Resonance (mSR), for Electron Paramagnetic
Resonance (EPR), for MR Imaging (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
·
Adiabatic Calorimeter
·
Atomic Force Microscope
·
SQUID (Superconducting
Quantum Interference Device) for magnetic measurements
·
Mutual Inductance
Bridge for AC susceptibility measurements
·
Apparatus for resisitivity measurements.
·
Superconducting magnets
and electromagnets
·
Electronic and
cryogenic apparatuses (4He flux cryostat , 3He
cryostat , dilution cryostat and so on).
RESEARCH : ACTUAL ACTIVITY
a)
Magnetic
Resonance Imaging on animal models for studying : (1) the blood perfusion and
cerebral ischemia on rats; (2) the rheumatoid arthritis pathology; (3)
new contrast agents (characterization by magnetometry
and relaxometry)
The Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technique is
currently exploding due to its non-invasive character and continuosly
increasing performances for clinical applications. A crucial role is played by
Molecular Imaging, a term which refers to MRI used in conjuction
with specific contrast agents able to reach specific molecule inside the
tissues and to target them during (or hopefully before) a pathology evolution.
Our MRI activity concentrated on
several research lines :
(a) project, desing
and development of coils for low-field Imagers (0.2 Tesla, E-SCAN, Esaote SpA), used for pathologies
of ostheo-articular system (e.g. : acute inflammation
(IA), rheumatoid arthritis (AR) );
(b) optimization of sequences devoted to
the study of AR and IA, in low-field systems (0.2 Tesla) and high-field systems
(e.g. 7 Tesla, Pharmascan, Bruker
SpA);
(c) individuation iof
a MRI protocol (e.g. T2 maps, dynamic MRI, etc.) to study the
precursor effects and the evolution of AR, IA and, in near future, tumours;
(d) analysis of the contrast agents (CA)
effects on images for specific pathologies , in the framework of “targeted-MRI”
projects (e.g. CA that tend to link to macrophages)
(e) studies about MRI protocols able to
better describe the devlopment and evolution of
cerebral damages and to distinguish different kinds of damages, with and
without CA; we are trying also to search for the better CA to study cerebral
ischemia;
(f)
study of the nuclear
spin-spin relaxation curves in terms of multiexponential
components to access to the microscopic mechanisms responsible for the cerebral
damages.
b)
NMR-NQR and
susceptibility measurements to study superconducting (SC) fluctuations and spin
and charge-gap in YBa2Cu3O7-d , YBa2Cu4O8,
YBa2Cu3O7:Ca, La2-XSrXCuO4,
MgB2, YNi2B2C, zero-dimensional SC nano-particles
This research field regards the
study of superconducting fluctuations (SF) and of the precursor diamagnetism
(PD) in conventional and high-Tc
superconductors (HTSC), in forms of orientend
powders, bulk or nano-particles. In general terms, by
following the phenomenological theory of phase transitions Ginzburg-Landau
(GL) the behaviour of the fluctuations of the order
parameter y(r), linked to
the number of Cooper pairs, can be followed for T>Tc
(Tc=transition temperature). For T>Tc the Cooper pairs are metastable
and SF arise. Sf can give direct information on the
mechanism of superconductivity and the role of eventual charge and spin “gap”,
possibly opening for T>>Tc.
In BCS-like system, a special role
is played by the recently discovered MgBs
that presents a relatively high Tc~40K. For the first time we
studied the magnetization curves M(H) at constant temperature T®Tc+
and experimentally was individuated a magnetic upturn field Hup
, theoretically predicted, whose presence is due to the Cooper pairs breaking
generated by the applied field itself.
In HTSC like i.e. YBa2Cu3O7-d , YBa2Cu3O7:Ca,
La2-XSrXCuO4 , the effect of the magnetic
field depends on the hole doping. In the case of optimally doping (maximum Tc) the M(H) curves for T®Tc+ can be explained in the framework of anisotropic
GL theory. If the sample is “underdoped” or “overdoped”, for T>Tc
mesoscopic regions (not chemically trivially
disordered) with |y(r)|¹0 are formed ; the phase q(r) is site-dependent. This situation favours
the formation of couples vortex-antivortex that
induce an upturn field in M(H) of different nature with respect to
standard BCS SC. In the system YBa2Cu4O8 , this upturn field is never
present and the data can be explained in terms of scaling laws and the
Lawrence-Doniach functional. The existence of SF and
their effect on the nuclear relaxation parameters (spin-spin and spin-lattice
relaxation times) was confirmed by means of NMR-NQR measurements at different applied
fields.
In the systems YNi2B2C
and MgB2:Al , again an upturn field is displayed by M(H) but its
origin resides in chemical disorder or distribution of Tc’s.
Finally , to verify the GL
analytical solution in zero-dimension (diameter of SC particles d<x , x=coherence length) , preliminary experiments on
Pb nanoparticles of
different dimensions were performed. From M(H) and c(T) behaviour the theoretical predictions seem
verified while the crossover toward the critical zone T~Tc+
will be studied. This study is possible in nano-particles
because the extension of the critical zone is sizeable, differently from other
SC systems.
c)
NMR, mSR, XMCD and susceptibility
measurements on mesoscopic magnetic molecules,
powders, films and single crystals, with properties similar to ferritin and on low-dimensional magnetic clusters.
I have studied fundamental properties as spin
dynamics, quantum tunneling of the magnetization
(QTM) , topological spin structure, level crossing problem and basic magnetic
interactions. The investigated systems are constituted by molecules containing
a “core” of metallic ions (till 30) and magnetically isolated one each other by
organic screens. This allows to study the properties of the single molecule
(single molecule magnets, SMM, or molecular nanomagnets,
MNM) with bulk quantitiy of sample.
The most famous examples are high-spin molecules
like Mn12 and Fe8, theoretically useful for magneti
storage due to their bistability in the ground
state. In thse systems, an axial anisotropy
(easy-axis z) due to the crystal field, determines a preferential direction of
the magnetization M. The spin topology is complex and variable from one
compound to the other; the excahbnge interactions are
antiferromagnetic (AF), the dominant one being
>100K . At low T, Mn12 and Fe8 are superparamagnetic
with total ground state spin S=10 and an energy barrier (for M reorientation) ~
60K and 27K, respectively. The energy levels has a double well with degenerate ±MS
levels. By applying an external magnetic field, level crossings are induced for
different Ms. For T<10K QTM is present. This process is thermally
activated for T>1K (Mn12) and T>0.4K (Fe8) while is pure for the lowest
T.
The low-dimensional nano-molecules
(MNM) have spin topology of different kinds. We will give as example the
magnetic rings. In these compounds the exchange interactions in the ground
state (GS) are AF (total GS spin S=0). The spectrum of levels is discrete and
follows approximately the Lande’s rule, the lowest
energy gap being of the order of some tenths of K. Even here level crossings
can be induced. For low temperatures , some anisotropic parts of the
Hamiltonian (anisotropic exchange, Dzyaloshinki-Moriya
interaction, etc.) determines the main physical properties.
By NMR-NQR , susceptibility and mSR
measurements, we studied the spin dynamics of all the above systems in the
different temperature regions. Novel information on microscopic parameters
(like energy levels broadening, spin-phonon interaction, QTM paths, local
spin arrangement, level crossing properties, etc.) were
obtained.
d)
Magnetic
measurements on molecular 1-D magnetic chains containing rare earth ions (Gd,Eu) or metals (Co) alternated to radicals (Et,iPr,Ph,Me ; PhOMe) for the
study of peculiar phase transitions and/or slow-relaxation of magnetization (nano-wires)
In the rare-earth chains, the
molecular magnetic 1D system is formed by Gd(3+)
s=7/2 spins alternating to radicals R s=1/2. The intrachain
interactions are AF and the system is frustrated by the presence of competing
nearest-neighbour (Gd-R)
and next-nearest-neighbour (Gd-Gd
and R-R) interactions. The interchain interaction is
negligible (Jinter ~ 10-4
Jintra). As a final result one has a XY system
that at low T presents an effective spin Seff
arrange in a helicoidal scheme. In these systems the
Villain’s conjecture was verified, thus demonstrating that at high T the system
is paramagnetic, at intermdiate T has a transition to
a chiral phase and at low T a transition to a 3D
ordered helicoidal system.
Particularly, by the use of mSR measurements coupled to specific
heat, one has observed the absence of an anomaly in the 2-spin correlation
function in Gd-iPr compound at T~2K, where a
transition to a chiral phase was suggested.
In the transition metal based
chains, the system is constituted by Co(II) (S=1/2 for T<80K) ions
alternated to radicals (s=1/2); the chains are not interacting (Jinter ~ 10-4 Jintra).
The g-factor of the Co(II) ion is ~7.4 while the one of radical is ~2; in this
way a ferrimagneti chain is obtained with just one
effective intrachain AF exchange interaction (Jintra~200K).
The peculiarity of these systems is that at low The magnetization M relaxes
slowly (nanowires) and they can be suggested as bistable units for memory storage. The relaxation time of M
follow an Arrhenius law t=t0 exp(D/T),
with a barrier ~150K.
With NMR and mSR measurements we determined the
existence of a second kind of relaxation mechanism, not detected by macroscopic
techniques.
e)
mSR and
susceptibility measurements on high-Tc
superconductors, Nd1.85Ce0.15CuO4+d
For many years, the magnetic phase
diagram of high-Tc superconductors
(HTSC) was debated as a fundamental step toward the comprehension of the
superconducting micrioscpic mechanism and the
understanding of the role of the elementary magnetic excitations. In the system
La2-xSrxCuO4+d, studied by means of NMR-NQR, mSR and susceptibility, for very low doping (x<0.02) the system at low
T (T<20K) has a transition to a spin-glass (SG) phase; for intermediate
doping (0.02<x<0.08) cluster-SG phase is formed while for x>0.08 the
transition to the supeconducting phase is verified ,
with a maximum Tc~35K. In the region 0.08<x<0.12, a possible
coexistence of magnetism and superconductivity (classically forbidden) was
inferred and partly demonstrated.
The described phase diagram was shown to be “universal”
for all hole-doped HTSC and we confirmed it also in electron-doped HTSC like Nd2-xCexCuO4+d by means of mSR and susceptibility measurements. This
superconductor has a maximum Tc~25K and can vary its phase with
proper oxygen doping at fixed content of Ce (x=0.15).
The result is a third line in the
phase diagram, in correspondence of Ce doping =0.15,
that confirms the existence of a SG phase for oxygen content d>0.06.
a)
Characterizing low
temperatures magnetization measurements on low-Tc superconduting wires NbTi and Nb3Sn.
b)
AC and DC magnetization
and susceptibility measurements on high- Tc
superconducting wires , silver coated
ITALY
· Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche, Universita’ degli studi di Milano, Prof. R. Paoletti, Prof. E.Tremoli, Dr.U.Guerrini, Dr.G.Sironi
· Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli studi di Milano, Prof. E. Ranucci, P. Ferruti
· Dipartimento di Chimica, Universita' di Firenze, gruppo prof. D.Gatteschi
· Dipartimento di Chimica Fisica, Universita’ di Pavia, gruppo prof. P. Ghigna
· Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita’ di Firenze, gruppo prof.A.Rettori
· Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita’ di Modena, gruppo prof. M. Affronte
· Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita’ di Parma, gruppi Prof. Amoretti, Prof. De Renzi, Dr. L.Romano’
· Dipartimento di Chimica, Università di Roma, gruppo prof. G. Ortaggi
· Dipartimento di Chimica, Università di Cagliari, Dr. M.F. Casula
· Dipartimento di Chimica, Universita’ di Modena, gruppo prof. A. Cornia
· Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Milano Bicocca, gruppo prof. C. Riccardi
· Dipartimento di Scienze Morfologiche-Biomediche, Università di Verona, Dr.ssa P. Marzola
· Dipartimento di Chimica, Università di Bologna, Prof. M. Comes Franchini
· Dipartimento di Chimica, Università di Pisa, Prof. E. Chiellini
·
National Nanotechnology
Laboratory, CNR-INFM, Dr. T. Pellegrino
· INFM-CNR , Unita’ di Roma , prof. A.A. Varlamov
· IEQ - CNR, Firenze, dr. M.G.Pini
OTHER COUNTRIES AND COMPANIES
· CNRS, Laboratorio Campi Intensi di Grenoble (France), gruppo prof. C.Berthier, Dr. M.Horvatic, Dr. M.H. Julien
·
Laboratoire Louis Neel, Grenoble-CNRS (France), prof. B. Barbara
·
Dept. Chemistry,
Manchester University (UK), prof. R. Winpenny
·
Dept. Chemistry,
Karlsruhe University (Germany), prof. A. Powell
·
Dept. of Physics,
Hokkaido University (Japan), gruppo Prof. Kumagai, Prof. Y. Furukawa (now Ames Lab- Iowa-USA)
·
Dept. of Physics
(Boston-USA), Prof. M. Graf
·
Dept. Of Physics,
University of Zaragoza (Spain ), Prof. F. Palacio e Dr. A. Millan
· Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Universidad de Granada (Spain), Dr. J.M. Dominguez-Vera
·
Inorganic Chemistry
Department, University of Bucarest (Romania), prof. M. Andruh
·
CNRS and University of
Montpellier (France), Dr. J. Larionova, Dr. Y. Guari
·
Sharif University
(Iran), Prof. M. Mahmoudi
·
University of Bordeaux
(France), Prof. S. Lecommandoux
· Bracco SpA, Milano (Italy), dr. V. Lorusso
Colorobbia, Vinci (FI) (Italy), Dr. G. Baldi, Dr. D. Bonacchi, C. Ravagli
Centro Ricerche