Luka Pirker receives the Otto Wichterle Award for research on two-dimensional materials
Our colleague Luka Pirker has been awarded the Otto Wichterle Award, one of the Czech Academy of Sciences' most prestigious distinctions for outstanding early-career researchers. He received the award on 24 June 2026 together with 22 other scientists representing a wide range of research disciplines. The award includes financial support of CZK 330,000 distributed over three years. Since its establishment in 2002, the Otto Wichterle Award has been presented to 565 outstanding researchers.
Luka Pirker's research focuses on ultrathin two-dimensional materials and their heterostructures, which have the potential to transform future electronics, sensors, and photodetectors. One of the major challenges preventing their wider application is the preparation of high-quality, continuous atomic layers. Pirker has made a significant contribution to understanding the mechanisms of metal-assisted exfoliation, a method in which a metal facilitates the efficient preparation of atomically thin layers.
His research is particularly focused on the interfaces between metals and van der Waals materials. By combining advanced microscopy and spectroscopy techniques, he investigates the properties of these materials at the nanoscale, providing new insights into processes occurring at the atomic level. His findings not only advance the fundamental understanding of the physics and chemistry of two-dimensional materials but also open new opportunities for their future technological applications.
After completing his studies at the University of Ljubljana, Luka Pirker pursued his doctoral research at the Jožef Stefan Institute, where much of his pioneering work was carried out. He has published dozens of papers in leading international journals, established strong international collaborations, and has become one of the emerging figures in the field of materials science.
The Otto Wichterle Award is presented annually by the Czech Academy of Sciences to exceptional early-career researchers who have already demonstrated outstanding scientific achievements. Named after the renowned Czech chemist Otto Wichterle, the award supports the further development of promising scientists across the natural sciences, engineering, social sciences, and the humanities.
We warmly congratulate Luka Pirker on receiving this prestigious award.
