The Institute for Molecular Science of the University of Valencia (ICMol) welcomed a group of participants in the fourth National Meeting of Physics Students (ENEF 2026) on Tuesday, 28 July. The event took place in Valencia from 27 to 31 July.

The visit began in the auditorium with a welcome talk by Alicia Forment Aliaga, Secretary of the Institute for Molecular Science, who introduced the institute and gave the students an overview of the research carried out at ICMol.

After the presentation, the participants were divided into three groups and followed different routes through the institute’s laboratories and facilities. During the visit, they had the opportunity to learn first-hand about several of ICMol’s research areas and to speak with the researchers working in the different spaces.

One of the routes focused on molecular spintronics, two-dimensional materials and device fabrication. The students learned about the work being carried out in these fields and visited the cleanroom, a facility used for the preparation and fabrication of devices under controlled environmental conditions.

The second route introduced the students to different materials characterisation and growth techniques. They visited the microscopy room, where they learned about atomic force microscopy, or AFM. They were also introduced to research in magneto-optics, 2D materials fabrication and crystal growth, as well as the growth of two-dimensional materials using molecular beam epitaxy, or MBE.

The third route focused on optoelectronic devices. The participants visited the characterisation laboratory and the metal oxides laboratory, where they learned about the techniques and research areas developed in these facilities.

The activity gave the students an insight into the day-to-day work of a research institute, introduced them to advanced experimental techniques and allowed them to discover some of the applications of molecular science in fields such as electronics, nanotechnology, two-dimensional materials and optoelectronics.

The visit formed part of the ENEF 2026 programme, organised by the Student Group of the Spanish Royal Society of Physics and aimed at undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students from across Spain.

PH: Foto de familia del grupo de estudiantes que han participado en la ENEF 2026 en València.