On 21 November 2025, the first Open Day at Science Complex 2 of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) was held, organized jointly by the Central Laboratory of Solar Energy and New Energy Sources, the Institute of Solid State Physics, the Institute of Electronics, and the Institute of Astronomy with the National Astronomical Observatory. The event, titled “Light, Energy and Technologies of the Future: from Celestial Mechanics to Atomic Dynamics”, offered scientists from the four research units the opportunity to present their achievements in various thematic areas—important not only for deepening knowledge and advancing the physical sciences in Bulgaria, but also for supporting different sectors of the economy through applied scientific developments and innovative technological solutions.
The Open Day program of the Institute of Solid State Physics included lectures with demonstrations by established researchers and young scientists, as well as visits to selected laboratories. It attracted the attention of students from Sofia schools, university students and lecturers from both Sofia and Paisii Hilendarski University of Plovdiv, representatives of the business sector, and—most notably—a large group of students from the National Vocational High School of Precision Engineering and Optics “M. V. Lomonosov”, accompanied by their teachers.
In the lecture panel, Assoc. Prof. Boyan Torosov introduced the audience to the latest quantum technologies that have led to the development of quantum computers and ongoing experiments with existing prototypes. Assoc. Prof. Blagoy Blagoev traced the development of nanotechnologies and the wide range of applications of nanomaterials, while the lecture of Assoc. Prof. Krastyo Buchkov on superconductivity as a phenomenon significant for energy, quantum technologies, and medicine concluded with a demonstration of the Meissner–Ochsenfeld effect.
The presentations of the young researchers focused on laser technologies: Georgi Vladimirov spoke about their use in detecting and studying plastic microparticles—a global environmental problem—and urged for more responsible behavior to reduce the planet’s carbon footprint. Maria-Gabriela Zheleva presented an overview of the creation of optical filters and reflective coatings and their role in scientific experiments and real-life applications.
During the laboratory visits, researchers demonstrated laser systems enabling precise material processing and the study of ultrafast dynamic processes, a magneto-optical trap for atoms, a vacuum system for producing filters, mirrors, and anti-reflective coatings used in scientific instruments and lasers, a high-precision gas chromatograph for quality control and rapid toxicological analysis, as well as microscopic equipment and biological cell models used in the development of systems for controlled and precise drug release in the body.
Throughout the lectures and laboratory tours, visitors had the opportunity to ask questions, participate in discussions, receive well-founded answers to scientific topics of interest, and see firsthand that the Institute of Solid State Physics possesses high-tech infrastructure and the capacity to train a new generation of researchers, ensuring successful scientific careers in Bulgaria.
