Last August 5th–7th, we had the pleasure of participating in Young Researchers in Magnetism, an event that brings together students and leading researchers from Spain and around the world.
Our group was actively involved in the organization, with Jose A. De Toro serving as Secretary and Ricardo López Antón as Treasurer of CEMAG. We were also proud to see our former student and now collaborator Raúl López Martín, together with our student Moi Medina, contributing as members of the student committee.
We are deeply grateful to everyone who helped make this event a success, and we look forward to continuing to build collaborations and inspire new ideas in the field of magnetism.

Last Tuesday, February 11, 2025, R. L. M. successfully defended his PhD thesis titled «Expanding the Nanomagnetism Chart: Non-Dipolar Interparticle Interactions and Non-Exchange Bias in Dense assemblies of Ferrimagnetic Nanoparticles «, by summarizing his excellent research work and masterfully answering the challenging questions posed by the thesis examining committee, he earned his doctoral degree.

Congratulations, Raul! May you continue to achieve success and best of luck in your future scientific endeavors!

The ApNano research group is excited to announce a new member. Dr. Panagiotis Grammatikopoulos, a renowned expert in nanoscience and nanotechnology, has joined the team, bringing extensive experience in nanoparticle research and applications.

Dr. Grammatikopoulos has built an impressive career focused on the theoretical elucidation of fundamental nanotechnology processes such as nanoparticle growth, coalescence, cluster-support interaction, and the impact of structure on optical, chemical, electronic, and magnetic properties. His expertise strengthens the group’s research in magnetic nanostructures and their applications in energy, sensors, and information storage. Welcome to Spain, ‘Panos’!

Moisés Zarzoza has joined the ApNano group and will pursue a PhD at the University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM). He earned his MSc at the Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute in Mexico City, Mexico. His research will focus on the study of magnetic nanostructures, from their synthesis to novel applications. Welcome to Spain, Moisés!

Raúl López Martín has presented the early results of his research work entitled “Exchange bias studied by protected-annealing experiments in maghemite-core and iron-core nanoparticles” at the 5th Young Researchers in Magnetism (YRinM). In this work, the evolution of the exchange bias field coming from the surface spin disorder shell of magnetic silica-coated nanoparticles upon annealing is studied. Magnetic as well as structural measurements are key to understand the influence of the annealing temperature on the magnetic behavior of these nanoparticles.

Very nice talk, Raúl. Keep going!

Elena H. Sánchez defends her PhD

Elena successfully defended her thesis entitled “Magnetic Anisotropy Effects in Nano-Undulated Films and Strongly Interacting Nanoparticle Assemblies” in Toledo last March. After presenting a difficult summary of her great job on a variety of nanomagnetism topics over the last four years, she was awarded with a Cum Laude qualification and the International Mention (after predoctoral stays in Liverpool and Cagliari).

Many congratulations, Elena, best of luck in your postdoctoral career, and keep in touch!!

Benito Santos, with a PhD from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (2011), has just joined the group. Benito worked as a postdoc at the nanospectroscopy line of the Elettra synchrotron, where he studied the structural, reactivity and magnetic properties of very thin metallic films by combining X-ray spectroscopy and electron microscopy and diffraction (LEED, LEEM) analytical methods. He’s also spent research periods in Berkeley Lab, Sandia National Lab and the University of New Hampshire, and used STM and XPS for surface and chemical characterization.

Benito will be involved in the growth and the structural and magnetic characterization of metallic nanoparticles by gas-phase synthesis methods. Welcome to Ciudad Real!

Raúl López Martín has just joined the group to pursue a PhD with 4-year grant he got in the last call of UCLM’s “Plan Propio”. Raúl holds a double degree in Physics and Materials Engineering and a Msc in ‘Science and Technology of New Materials’ (both at the University of Seville). The topic of his thesis will be related with the gas-phase synthesis of magnetic core/shell particles for biomedical and energy applications. Welcome, Raúl!

Chris Binns, Emeritus Professor of Nanoscience at the University of Leicester, was in Ciudad Real last October to sign his “Beatriz Galindo distinguished researcher” contract and will join the ApNano group in February/2020. The research project that won him the senior Beatriz Galindo grant (one of only 100 nationwide) is based on the gas-phase synthesis of magnetic hydrosols for biomedical applications. We look forward to implementing it and, generally, to benefitting from Chris’s large experience in nanoparticle deposition and characterization. Bienvenido a La Mancha, Chris!