The Yurii Simonov Memorial Prize winner 2014

The Yurii Simonov Memorial Prize 2014 for seasoned researchers was awarded to Dr. hab. sci. Veaceslav Ursaki (Institute of Electronic Engineering and Nanotechnologies, Academy of Sciences of Moldova) for the series of publications under the general title "Order disorder effects and pressure induced phase transitions in A^IIB^III₂X^VI₄ compounds". This study generalizes the most stable as-grown structures of A^IIB^III₂X^VI₄ compounds with S and Se as X, their high pressure phases, and their structures upon decompression. It was shown that most of thioindates are cubic spinels, selenoindates are of either tetragonal structures or rhombohedral layered structures, while most of gallates and aluminates crystallize in tetragonal structures (defect chalcopyrites or defect stanites). New insights were brought into the pressure induced disordering processes, and the scheme of pressure induced phase transitions was revealed by means of Raman scattering study, XRD experiments and optical measurements under hydrostatic pressure in this class of compounds. Understanding of structure-property relationship in these materials can have profound implications in many fields, particularly in improving their optoelectronic applications.