Rafael Ferreira is a PhD student from Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, in the Atomic Structure-Composition of Materials group at INL under the supervision of Dr. Paulo Ferreira. His project, titled “Atomic-scale measurements of charge distribution-transport in 2D quantum structures”, is focused on investigating the electrostatic configurations of 2D materials at the atomic level using high-resolution differential phase contrast in scanning transmission electron microscopy, correlating observations from different types of defects with their impact on the functional properties of the host materials.

He received his Integrated Masters degree in Engineering Physics from the University of Coimbra, Portugal, in 2017, specializing in Instrumentation. The research for his Master’s project, titled “Investigation of the detection limits of ZnSe and Cu2SnSe3 secondary phases in Cu2ZnSnSe4 by XANES”, was carried out within the context of an Erasmus+ internship at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, Germany. This work involved the preparation of powder samples and their study using several experimental techniques for structural and chemical characterization, gaining experience with the investigation of materials at the atomic scale, the operation of a variety of instruments, and the development of methodologies for data analysis.