Marco Zanatta

Professional experience

Qualifications   

• Italian scientific qualification as associate professor in Experimental Physics of Matter 
  From 11/11/2020 to 10/11/2029.
• Italian scientific qualification as associate professor in Applied Physics.
  From 10/04/2018 to 10/04/2027.
• Qualification as maître de conference - section 28, Dense media and materials.
  From 8/02/2018 to 31/12/2022.

My research activity is devoted to the experimental study of disordered systems and in particular to the structure and dynamics of glasses, colloids and biological systems. My research interests include:

• vibrational dynamics in glasses, colloids and biological systems;
• atomic dynamics in colloidal suspensions of microgels and biological systems;
• glass transition and relaxations in glasses;
• structure of disordered systems at different length scales;
• crystallization in supercooled liquids and glasses.

I have experience in several experimental techniques such as Raman and Brillouin spectroscopy, x-ray and neutron diffraction, inelastic neutron and x-ray scattering, and positron lifetime annihilation spectroscopy.
I have a strong interest in the development of new instrumentation and techniques. I have been involved in designing new neutron spectrometers for the forthcoming European Spallation Source (ESS). Moreover, within the Horizon 2020 “SOLSA” project, I have contributed to the development of a geo-exploration probe that combines x-ray diffraction, x-ray fluorescence and Raman spectroscopy. I have gained relevant competences in designing, prototyping and testing new components as well as in ray-tracing simulations.
Recently, my interests have extended towards archaeometry and to the characterization of archaeological specimens with light and x-ray based techniques.

Experiments performed at international Large Scale Facilities
I have performed several experiments at European Large Scale Facilities for neutron scattering, synchrotron radiation and free-electron lasers. Since 2009, I have been granted 104 days of beamtime upon peer review of proposals presented as main-proposer. Further beamtime has been granted as co-proposer. 

My research activity is devoted to the experimental study of disordered systems and in particular to the structure and dynamics of glasses, colloids and biological systems. My research interests include:

• vibrational dynamics in glasses, colloids and biological systems;
• atomic dynamics in colloidal suspensions of microgels and biological systems;
• glass transition and relaxations in glasses;
• structure of disordered systems at different length scales;
• crystallization in supercooled liquids and glasses.

I have experience in several experimental techniques such as Raman and Brillouin spectroscopy, x-ray and neutron diffraction, inelastic neutron and x-ray scattering, and positron lifetime annihilation spectroscopy.
I have a strong interest in the development of new instrumentation and techniques. I have been involved in designing new neutron spectrometers for the forthcoming European Spallation Source (ESS). Moreover, within the Horizon 2020 “SOLSA” project, I have contributed to the development of a geo-exploration probe that combines x-ray diffraction, x-ray fluorescence, and Raman spectroscopy. I have gained relevant competencies in designing, prototyping, and testing new components as well as in ray-tracing simulations.
Recently, my interests have extended towards archaeometry and characterization of archaeological specimens with light and x-ray-based techniques.

Experiments performed at international Large Scale Facilities
I have performed several experiments at European Large Scale Facilities for neutron scattering, synchrotron radiation and free-electron lasers. Since 2009, I have been granted 104 days of beamtime upon peer review of proposals presented as main-proposer. Further beamtime has been granted as co-proposer. 

Presidente of the Italian Neutron Science Society (Società Italiana di Scienze Neutroniche, SISN-APS). Member of the board of the European Neutron Scattering Society (ENSA).

ORGANIZATION OF CONFERENCES

• Organizer of the XVI International Workshop on Complex Systems, Andalo (Italy), March 2023.
• Organizer of the Metrology for Archaeology and Cultural Heritage 2020.
• Organizer of the XV International Workshop on Complex Systems, Andalo (Italy), March 2019.
• Organizer of the XIV International Workshop on Complex Systems, Fai della Paganella (Italy), March 2015.
• Organizer of the XIII International Workshop on Complex Systems, Andalo, (Italy), March 2012.

PRESENTATIONS AND SEMINARS

Oral presentations

• Evidence of a low-temperature dynamical transition in concentrated PNIPAM microgels, XV International workshop on complex systems, Andalo (Italy) – March 2019
• Piuro e la Pietra Ollare: Archeometria cave e ricerche sulle aree di estrazione, La Val Bregaglia tra Alpi e Pianura Padana: Piuro, Paesaggi, Medioevo e Pietra Ollare, Piuro (Italy) - June 2018.
• Ray-tracing simulations for a high-flux upgrade of the BRISP spectrometer, 2nd International Workshop on Brillouin Scattering, Rome (Italy) – February 2016. 
• Vibrational dynamics in disordered systems: What can we learn by studying v-SiSe2?, Invited oral presentation, XXIII Congresso Annuale SISN, Sesto Fiorentino (Italy) – June 2012.
• High-frequency dynamics in glassy SiSe2, IV User Meeting at the FRMII, Garching (Germany) – March 2012
• Mapping voids in permanently densified silica using positrons, SOFT Matter Workshop 2011, Parma (Italy) – February 2011.
• Elastic properties and the boson peak in densified silica glasses, Keynote lecture, 8th Symposium SiO2  2010, Varenna (Italy) – June 2010.

Moreover, I have presented 12 contributions as posters at national and international conferences and workshops. 

Seminars and technical presentations

• Glasses, supercooled liquids, and stability: Probing crystallization kinetics with neutrons, Seminar at the Department of Physics, Technical University of Munich and Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum,  Garching (Germany) - December 2018.
• Looking at glasses using neutrons. Seminar at the University of Verona, Verona - October 2016.
• Tempus Fugit (Time Flies), a general-purpose time-focusing neutron spectrometer for ESS
• Technical presentation at the ESS Direct Geometry Science and Technology Advisory Panel, European Spallation Source, Lund - February 2013.
• Tuning glassy vibrational properties using density: the case of v-SiO2, Seminar at the Laboratoire de Physico-Chimie des Matériaux Luminescents, Université Claude Bernard, Lyon 1, Lyon - March 2011.