Opening of a new laboratory within the FerrMion project

03. 06. 2026

On Monday, 25 May 2026, a new 3D Atom Probe Tomography (3D APT) laboratory was officially opened at the Institute of Thermomechanics of the Czech Academy of Sciences. The facility will enable the analysis of materials down to the level of individual atoms. Unique not only within the Czech Republic but also across the wider Central and Eastern European region, the new instrumentation represents a major advancement for Czech materials research. Representing the Nuclear Physics Institute of the CAS at the opening ceremony were the Institute’s Director, Dr Ondřej Svoboda and the NPI CAS co-investigator of the FerrMion project, Dr Pavel Strunz.

The new laboratory was established as part of the project Ferroic Multifunctionalities (FerrMion), which brings together three institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences—the Institute of Thermomechanics, the Institute of Physics and the Nuclear Physics Institute, along with the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics of Charles University and the Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering of the Czech Technical University in Prague. The project focuses on advanced materials research with potential applications in modern technologies, industry and medicine.

The laboratory consists of two interconnected rooms, each housing a dedicated instrument. The first is a focused ion beam scanning electron microscope (FIB-SEM), which will be used to prepare nanoscale needle-shaped specimens. These samples will then be analysed using the 3D atom probe tomograph. The 3D APT technology enables the creation of three-dimensional maps showing the positions of atoms in solid materials, including their chemical composition.

The new facility will also be used by researchers from the Department of Neutron and Ion Methods at the NPI. Specialist training and hands-on operation of both the atom probe tomography (APT) system and the associated FIB-SEM microscope are already underway. Participating on behalf of the NPI are Dr Giovanni Ceccio, Dr Vasily Lavrentev and Dr Mayur Khan. Researchers from the NPI plan to use the new instrumentation, for example, to study hybrid self-assembled metal–fullerene layers with exceptional physical properties and to investigate materials for lithium-ion batteries.

Among other objectives, the FerrMion project focuses on the development of smart materials, shape-memory alloys, and advanced materials for energy and medical applications. The new laboratory will therefore contribute not only to fundamental research but also to future technological and industrial innovations.

What is the FerrMion Project?

The FerrMion project brings together three institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences. The Institute of Thermomechanics serves as the project coordinator, while the Institute of Physics and the Nuclear Physics Institute act as partner institutions. The project also involves two university faculties: the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics of Charles University and the Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering of the Czech Technical University in Prague.

The atom probe tomography facility is the only one of its kind in the wider region. It also represents one of the largest investments made in laboratory infrastructure across all projects funded under the Excellent Research call of the Jan Amos Komenský Operational Programme (OP JAK). The total cost of establishing and commissioning the laboratory reached approximately CZK 140 million.

Photo credits: Josef Landergott, External Relations Division, Czech Academy of Sciences