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Jan Balajka

Contact Information

  • Institute of Applied Physics, TU Wien
    Wiedner Hauptstrasse 8-10/134, 1040 Wien, Austria
  • Phone: +43-1-58801-13476 (lab -13456, -13482, -13486)

Professional Experience and Education

  • 2020 - Assistant Professor (University Assistant), TU Wien, Austria
  • 2019-2020 Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA. (Advisor: Melissa A. Hines)
  • 2013-2018 Ph.D. in Physics, TU Wien, Austria (Advisor: Ulrike Diebold)

Awards

  • 2019 Loschmidt Prize of Physical Chemistry Society, Austria

Research Interests

Research highlights

  • Oxide, hydroxide and mineral surfaces
  • Scanning probe microscopy (AFM/STM)
  • Solid-liquid interfaces
  • Heterogeneous ice nucleation
  • Carbon capture and mineralization

Research Projects

WatFun Team

  • Atomically resolved imaging of oxide and mineral surfaces
  • Chemically sensitive imaging of oxide and mineral surfaces
  • Structure and properties of insulator surfaces at the atomic scale
  • Interaction of oxide and mineral surfaces with water
  • Ice nucleation

Our research explores materials properties across a wide range of environments, from fundamental studies under ultrahigh vacuum to complex systems involving liquids and high-pressure gases. By combining scanning probe microscopy (STM/AFM) with chemically sensitive spectroscopic techniques (such as XPS and LEIS), we investigate structures with atomic precision. A custom-built setup enables the controlled dosing of ultrapure liquid water, allowing us to study material–water interactions under precisely defined conditions. We aim to deepen our understanding of natural processes and enhance the performance of materials in technological applications.

Selected Publications

surface/group/balajka/index.txt · Last modified: 2025-05-20 10:38 by Jan Balajka