Graduate Program in Physics at UFSC, Florianópolis

Supervision availability

The Graduate Program in Physics highlights the availability of supervision from faculty members and their related projects.

Docente Faculty	Área de concentração Area of Concentration	Linha de pesquisa Research Line	Orientações com bolsa (vigentes em março/2026, verificado em 13/10/2025) Supervisions with scholarship	Quota máxima Maximum quota	Quota disponível a partir de março/2026 Available quota as of March/2026
Alejandro Mendoza Coto	Theoretical Physics	Statistical Mechanics	0	4	4
André Avelino Pasa	Experimental Physics	Condensed Matter Physics	0	4	4
André da Silva Schneider	Theoretical Physics	Hadronic and Nuclear Physics	4	4	0
André Luiz de Amorim	Astrophysics	Extragalactic Astrophysics	1	4	3
Antonio Nemer Kanaan Neto	Astrophysics	Stellar Astrophysics	0	4	4
Carlos Eduardo Maduro de Campos	Experimental Physics	Condensed Matter Physics	2	4	2
Celso de Camargo Barros Junior	Theoretical Physics	Hadronic and Nuclear Physics	4	4	0
Cristiani Campos Pla Cid	Experimental Physics	Condensed Matter Physics	0	4	4
Daniel Ruschel Dutra	Astrophysics	Extragalactic Astrophysics	1	4	3
Debora Peres Menezes	Theoretical Physics	Hadronic and Nuclear Physics	1	4	3
Eduardo Inacio Duzzioni	Theoretical Physics	Optics and Quantum Information	4	4	0
Emmanuel Gräve de Oliveira	Theoretical Physics	Mathematical Physics and Field Theory	1	4	3
Felipe Arretche	Theoretical Physics	Atomic and Molecular Physics	0	4	4
Gustavo Nicolodelli	Experimental Physics	Condensed Matter Physics	0	4	4
Igor Alencar Vellame	Experimental Physics	Atomic and Molecular Physics	1	4	3
Ivan Helmuth Bechtold	Experimental Physics	Condensed Matter Physics	1	4	3
Jorge Douglas Massayuki Kondo	Experimental Physics	Atomic and Molecular Physics	0	4	4 (only Master’s)
Juliana Eccher	Experimental Physics	Condensed Matter Physics	1	4	3
Leonardo Negri Furini	Experimental Physics	Condensed Matter Physics	0	4	4 (only Master’s)
Lucas Nicolao	Theoretical Physics	Statistical Mechanics	3	4	1
Luis Cesar Nunes dos Santos	Theoretical Physics	Hadronic and Nuclear Physics	0	0	0*(collaborator)
Luis Guilherme de Carvalho Rego	Theoretical Physics	Statistical Mechanics	1	4	3
Marcelo Henrique Romano Tragtenberg	Theoretical Physics	Statistical Mechanics	2	4	2
Marcus Emmanuel Benghi Pinto	Theoretical Physics	Mathematical Physics and Field Theory	0	4	4
Maria Luisa Sartorelli	Experimental Physics	Condensed Matter Physics	1	4	3
Mauricio Girardi Schappo	Theoretical Physics	Statistical Mechanics	0	4	4
Nara Rubiano da Silva	Experimental Physics	Optics and Quantum Information	2	4	2 + 1**(individual Master’s scholarship for women, FAPESC call 14/2025)
Natalia Vale Asari	Astrophysics	Extragalactic Astrophysics	1	4	3
Paulo Henrique Souto Ribeiro	Experimental Physics	Optics and Quantum Information	0	4	4
Pawel Klimas	Theoretical Physics	Mathematical Physics and Field Theory	1	4	3
Renné Luiz Câmara Medeiros de Araujo	Experimental Physics	Optics and Quantum Information	1	0	0*(collaborator)
Roberto Cid Fernandes Junior	Astrophysics	Extragalactic Astrophysics	1	4	3
Roberto Kalbusch Saito	Astrophysics	Stellar Astrophysics	1	4	3
Sidney dos Santos Avancini	Theoretical Physics	Hadronic and Nuclear Physics	2	4	2
Tiago Jose Nunes da Silva	Theoretical Physics	Hadronic and Nuclear Physics	6	4	0

Prof. Nara Rubiano da Silva

Open positions
Master’s: 2 positions
PhD: 1 position

Available Scholarship: 1 scholarship for women (according to FAPESC Call No. 14/2025).

The Quantum Optics Laboratory at UFSC is growing, so we have challenging, new research projects underway. One of them focuses on optical information processing, where we aim to solve math problems key to computation (such as matrix multiplication) using optical platforms instead of the electronic ones found in everyday computers. This approach allows for more efficient computation, with potential applications in the development of neural networks. Other projects involve using light in nontrivial spatial modes (such as optical vortices) for microscopy and imaging applications.

You may contribute directly at the optical table, and/or on simulations for calculating the protocols efficiency, and/or in developing digital instrument control. In other words, there is room for any part of the spectrum: from purely experimental to purely theoretical.

Some of our recent papers to learn more:

M. Damaceno et al., “Experimental Investigation of Optical Processing With Spatial Light Modulation” (2025), preprint em https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2507.03821
S. B. Hengeveld et al., “An optical processor for matrix-by-vector multiplication: an application to the distance geometry problem in 1D”. J. Optics 24, 015701 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1088/2040-8986/ac3a9e
G. H. dos Santos et al., “Experimental Investigation of Twist Conservation in Nonlinear Optical Three-Wave Mixing” (2025), preprint em https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2505.00238
N. Rubiano da Silva et al., “Stimulated Parametric Down-Conversion with Vector Vortex Beams”. Phys. Rev. Applied 15, 024039 (2021). https://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevApplied.15.024039
B. Pinheiro da Silva et al., “Observation of a triangular-lattice pattern in nonlinear wave mixing with optical vortices”, Optica 9, 908 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1364/OPTICA.459812

Mauricio Girardi-Schappo, PhD

Open Positions:
Master’s: 2
PhD: 2

We study the relationship between self-organization and excitability in many-body interacting systems, aiming to identify flaws in this relationship and propose ways to repair them. Numerous physical, biological, and social systems exhibit both of these characteristics, for example: neural networks and the brain, interacting ecosystems, social networks, and economic systems. The central problem is to understand the influence of the proximity to a critical point (where the system shows long-range correlations) on the properties of these systems, such as memory, information processing, information encoding, adaptability to changes, population stability, etc.

Through collaboration with researchers at the University of Ottawa and McGill University, we have access to experimental data from mice (spatial memory activity/electrophysiology), as well as humans with epilepsy and a control group (connectome extracted by functional/structural MRI, to use as a basis for brain simulations).

We use techniques from Statistical Physics, Non-linear Dynamics, and Complex Network Theory. We employ theoretical calculations, extensive computational simulations, and data analysis.

Research areas: theory and simulation of neural networks and self-organized criticality; analysis and simulation based on experimental data; development of tools and applications of the theories/analyses using Arduino.

Contact: | https://neurophysicslab.com

Some of our recent articles for further reading:

Xu, J, et al (2024): Shortcutting from self-motion signals: quantifying trajectories and active sensing in an open maze. eLife 13:RP95764 https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.95764.1
Trinh, A-T, et al (2023): Adaptive spike threshold dynamics associated with sparse spiking of hilar mossy cells are captured by a simple model. J Physiol, 601: 4397-4422. https://doi.org/10.1113/JP283728
Carvalho, TTA, et al (2021): Subsampled Directed-Percolation Models Explain Scaling Relations Experimentally Observed in the Brain. Neural Circuits 14:576727. https://doi.org/10.3389/fncir.2020.576727
Girardi-Schappo, M, et al (2021): Altered communication dynamics reflect cognitive deficits in temporal lobe epilepsy. Epilepsia, 62: 1022-1033. https://doi.org/10.1111/epi.16864
Girardi-Schappo, M, et al (2020): Synaptic balance due to homeostatically self-organized quasicritical dynamics. Phys. Rev. Research, 2, 012042. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.2.012042

Prof. Carlos Eduardo Maduro de Campos

Open positions
Master’s: 2
PhD: 2

I am a professor in the Physics Department at UFSC and a member of the Graduate Program since 2006. I am always open to advising students in our program at the master’s and doctoral levels on problems in condensed matter. The central research project focuses on the study of Chalcogenic Nanomaterials produced by Mechanochemical Synthesis (ball milling) and their Structural and Microstructural, Magnetic, Optical characterization, etc. As part of the project, students will carry out experimental work using equipment available at UFSC and at Synchrotron laboratories (in Brazil and abroad), as well as computational work using the best software packages and databases available worldwide. Among the equipment, we highlight: the ball mill, X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Raman spectrometer, calorimeter, electron microscopes, and XRD beamlines. Among the software packages, TOPAS (“TOtal Pattern Analysis Solution”) and the Crystal Structure Database portal, known as BDEC, supported by CAPES, stand out.

Research topics: Nanomaterials; Mechanochemical Synthesis (ball milling); Structural and Microstructural Characterization by X-ray Diffraction; Rietveld Method; Characterization of Thermal (DSC), Optical and Vibrational (Raman) Properties; High Pressures (diamond anvil cells) and High Temperatures (HTK16) – Phase Transitions;

The group includes several students at different levels of training and collaborators who are willing to cooperate and share their knowledge with new members. The described research project involves collaboration with researchers from Brazil (UFSC, UFRGS, UDESC, UFRJ, etc.) and abroad: Max Planck “Institute for Solid State Research” in Stuttgart and Max Planck “Institute for Coal Research” in Mulheim (both in Germany), “Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering” at the University of Trento (Italy), Synchrotron Radiation Division at Lund University (Sweden), among others. Interested students should contact me to schedule a meeting.

Professor’s page: https://pcemc.paginas.ufsc.br/

Prof. Gustavo Nicolodelli

Open Positions
Master’s: 2
PhD: 1

I am looking for new Master’s and PhD students to carry out their respective dissertations and theses in my group. I work in the field of optical instrumentation and applications of optical spectroscopy for the analysis of soils, plants, fertilizers, food, glass, and rocks, among others. Currently, I seek new challenges and motivated students for the study of optical techniques, Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS), and 3D Fluorescence (or EEM), combined with multivariate analysis methods such as Machine Learning and PARAFAC. Students will be able to perform LIBS measurements via remote access in partner laboratories and fluorescence measurements at LAMPEF-UFSC. They will also work on developing analysis routines for the generated database. At present, I focus on various applications, with special attention to cementitious and agro-environmental materials. Students will have the opportunity to interact with researchers from France and Italy, with whom I collaborate, as well as apply for exchange programs and scientific missions abroad.

Below is a list of representative articles from the group. If you are interested in learning more about these topics, send an email to

Here are some recent publications.

CABRAL, JS, et al. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy in cementitious materials: A chronological review of cement and concrete from the last 20 years. TRAC-TRENDS IN ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, v. 160, p. 116948, 2023.
Nicolodelli, G, et al. Differentiation of latex biomembrane with collagen and non-collagen using laser induced breakdown spectroscopy. Materials Today Communications, v. 30, p. 103099, 2022.
DE MORAIS, CP, et al. Direct determination of Cu, Cr, and Ni in river sediments samples using double pulse laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy: Ecological risk and pollution level assessment. SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT, v. 1, p. 155699-1, 2022.
CIOCCIA, G, et al. Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Associated with the Design of Experiments and Machine Learning for Discrimination of Brachiaria brizantha Seed Vigor. SENSORS, v. 22, p. 5067, 2022.
MATOS, MC, et al. Dissolved organic matter in bovine slaughterhouse wastewater using fluorescence spectroscopy associated with CP/PARAFAC and PCA methods. APPLIED OPTICS, v. 61, p. 6590-6598, 2022.
PEREIRA DE MORAIS, C, et al. Total phosphorus determination in eutrophic tropical river sediments by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy techniques. Analytical Methods, v. 13, p. 77-83, 2021.
DE MORAIS, CP, et al. Optimization of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy parameters from the design of experiments for multi-element qualitative analysis in river sediment. SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA PART B-ATOMIC SPECTROSCOPY, v. 177, p. 106066, 2021.
MARANGONI, BS, et al. Multi-elemental analysis of landfill leachates by single and double pulse laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. MICROCHEMICAL JOURNAL, v. 165, p. 106125, 2021.

Professor’s page: https://ppgfsc.posgrad.ufsc.br/gustavo-nicolodelli/

Prof. Alejandro Mendoza Coto

My name is Alejandro Mendoza Coto, I am a professor in the Physics Department at UFSC and a member of the Graduate Program. I am currently selecting two students from our program to pursue their master’s/PhD under my supervision, working on problems in condensed matter. The proposed research project focuses on the study of exotic phases in strongly interacting bosonic systems produced in optical cavities. As part of the project, students will carry out analytical and computational work (simulations and numerical calculations) using a set of techniques that are well established in the literature or under development within the group. These techniques include field theory applied to condensed matter, renormalization group, density functional theory, variational optimization methods, and solving the Gross-Pitaevskii equation in different scenarios, among others.

The group includes several members and collaborators who are willing to cooperate and share their knowledge and technical expertise with new members. The described research project is part of an international collaboration with researchers from Florence University (Italy) and the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems (Germany), among others. Students who are interested should not hesitate to contact me to schedule an interview.

Below are some publications that illustrate the group’s research lines:

Supersolid dipolar phases in planar geometry: Effects of tilted polarization. PRA 111 (6), 063311 (2025)
Low-energy excitations in bosonic quantum quasicrystals. PRL 134 (13), 136003 (2025)
Self-induced Bose glass phase in quantum quasicrystals. Results in Physics 65, 107991 (2024)
Exploring quantum phases of dipolar gases through quasicrystalline confinement. PRL 133 (19), 196001 (2024)
Exploring quantum quasicrystal patterns: A variational study. PRB 105 (13), 134521 (2022)

Contact email:

Prof. Emmanuel Gräve de Oliveira

I have been a faculty member of the Graduate Program in Physics at UFSC since 2014. The research my collaborators and I carry out is theoretical, in the field of High-Energy Particle Physics. The conceptual foundation of this area is quantum field theory, which combines quantum mechanics and special relativity. When strong interactions are involved, the theory becomes extremely broad and, in most cases, no analytical solutions are known.

Our emphasis is on phenomenological applications of Quantum Chromodynamics to high-energy collisions, both in accelerators, such as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), and in experiments with cosmic-ray detectors. In all projects, our priority is to understand the underlying Physics in depth and to develop a strong physical intuition. In particular, we are pursuing (and have already obtained) relevant results on the structure of the proton, the dynamics of quarks and gluons, and the description of nuclei.

I am currently available to supervise Master’s and PhD students. If you are interested, we can schedule an informal conversation to assess whether our goals align. I recommend that prospective students start with a light and exploratory reading of some of my articles, which are available on my Lattes CV. Students are expected to have a good command of English (or be actively learning it) and be willing to program, since most problems only admit numerical solutions, although nothing excessively advanced.

Learn more: https://egdeoliveira.sites.ufsc.br/

Prof. Leonardo Negri Furini

In our lab we develop plasmonic systems applied to Raman spectroscopy in a phenomenon called surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). In this process, we are looking for understanding interface phenomena through molecular vibrational spectra and improving sensors and platforms with practical applications. Moreover, we propose theoretical models by computational packages to help in experimental results interpretation. Also, we are initiating a new research line involving a novel class of fluorescent molecules with unusual properties.

The students will have access to the newly equipped vibrational spectroscopy lab with a Raman spectrograph and an infrared absorption spectrometer (FTIR), as well as other equipment available at LOOSA.

We have international collaborations with the University of Málaga (Málaga/Spain), the Institute of Structure of Matter (Madrid/Spain) and, more recently, with Northumbria University (Newcastle/UK), as well as national partnerships with UNESP and USP.

Further information: e https://loosa.paginas.ufsc.br

Publications:

Consequences of surface composition and aggregation conditions of Ag nanoparticles on Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) of pesticides. https://doi.org/10.3390/chemosensors13010013
Explainable Machine Learning to Unveil Detection Mechanisms with Au Nanoisland-Based Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering for SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Detection. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsanm.3c05848
Advancing on ametrine pesticide detection through surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and Ag colloid: Understanding the pH effect and the adsorption mechanism supported by theoretical calculation. https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.6719

Prof. Ivan H. Bechtold

Open Positions
Master’s: 2
PhD: 1

I am interested in receiving master and PhD students to develop projects in organic electronics. My research interests focus on the study of organic and hybrid systems for applications in optoelectronic devices such as OLEDs (organic light-emitting diodes), OFETs (organic field-effect transistors), OPVs (organic photovoltaics), memristors and biosensors. The materials used include liquid crystals, polymers, small molecules, and organometallic complexes. I am particularly interested in nanostructuring, heat treatment, and surface treatment to modify and control the photophysical and electro-optical properties of these materials to improve device performance.

Students interested in developing applied and interdisciplinary dissertation or thesis projects should contact me. The projects involve experimental research and computer simulation, collaborating with physicists, chemists, biologists, and engineers, offering a comprehensive education that develops desirable skills for academic careers and the job market.

I have several national and international collaborations, with ongoing international cooperation projects, which allow internships abroad.

L.B. Avila et al. Perylene-Based columnar liquid Crystal: Revealing resistive switching for nonvolatile memory devices. Journal of Molecular Liquids, 124757, (2024). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molliq.2024.124757
P. C. Serrano et al. Electrochemical impedance biosensor for detection of saxitoxin in aqueous solution. Anal Bioanal Chem, 413, 6393–6399 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-021-03603-1
Farias, G., et al. Reducing Lifetime in Cu(I) Complexes with Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence and Phosphorescence promoted by Chalcogenolate-Diimine Ligand. Journal of Materials Chemistry C, v. 8, 14595-14604, (2020). https://doi.org/10.1039/D0TC03660A
Salla, C.A.M., et al. Persistent solid-state phosphorescence and delayed fluorescence at room temperature from a twisted hydrocarbon. Angewandte Chemie-International Edition, v. 58, p. 6982-6986, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201901672

For more details, visit my homepage: https://ivanbechtold.paginas.ufsc.br

Prof. Felipe Arretche

My name is Felipe Arretche. I have been a professor in the Physics Department at UFSC since August 2013 and coordinator of the UFSC/UFPel Atomic and Molecular Physics Group. I work in the broad area of Atomic and Molecular Physics, modeling collisions of electrons and antielectrons (positrons) with atoms and molecules. I am interested in supervising master’s and doctoral projects on the following specific problems:

Electron-atom collisions in plasmas;
Scattering and thermalization of positrons in atomic and molecular gases;

Here is the link to my Lattes CV: http://lattes.cnpq.br/4640581642359843
and my email address:

Prof. Igor Alencar Vellame

I am a member of the “Grupo de Pesquisa da Interação entre Fótons e Íons com a Matéria” (GRIFIM) and I investigate the field of radiation materials science. Particularly, I seek enthusiastic graduate students to get involved in the following projects:

Matrices for the immobilization of nuclear waste. A study concerning the radiation effects in a solid solution of monazite crystals applying medium energy ion scattering cartography and Raman spectroscopy.
Monitoring alpha emitters in dwellings. A study concerning the development of plastic, passive dosimeters by their revelation kinetics applying optical microscopy, profilmetry and atomic force microscopy.
Color centers in ionic crystals. A study concerning the radiation effects in fluorite crystals applying thermoluminescence and scanning near-field optical microscopy.

Contact: