The QMD Lab has been realised through investments supported by the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) within the framework of NFFA-DI, NQSTI, and IRIS projects.

NFFA-DI has played a significant role in strengthening the laboratory’s analytical capabilities contribuing with more than €2.07 million for the acquisition of key scientific instrumentation:

• a two-chamber diffractometer equipped with dedicated ultra-high-vacuum environments for different sample preparation approaches: a UHV chamber for metal deposition; a UHV chamber for the evaporation of organic materials;
• a circle X-ray diffractometer for the study of epitaxial films, including X-ray source and detector;
• a system for UHV sample transfer, connecting different UHV chambers, including pumps, manipulators and a vacuum suitcase, enabling the controlled transfer of samples while preserving experimental conditions.

These strategically integrated systems enhance the laboratory's ability to perform advanced materials characterisation under highly controlled environments, supporting research workflows that connect material growth, analysis, and device development.

During the inauguration ceremony, Stefano Fabris, Director of the CNR Department of Physical Sciences and Technologies of Matter (DSFTM), attended the opening session alongside representatives of the CNR, the University of Naples Federico II, local institutions, and major national research infrastructures. In the session dedicated to the role of large-scale research infrastructures, Giulio Curiel, NFFA-DI Infrastructure Manager, presented the contribution of NFFA-DI to the development of the new facility and its integration within the broader national and international research ecosystem.

The instrumentation acquired through NFFA-DI will become part of the services offered through the NFFA-DI Catalogue, making advanced diffraction and materials characterisation techniques accessible to the wider scientific community through the infrastructure’s transnational and open-access framework.

The inauguration of the QMD Lab further strengthens the network of facilities available through NFFA-DI and expands the opportunities for researchers to access state-of-the-art instrumentation for nanoscience, quantum materials, and advanced functional materials research.