Current Members
Prof. Dr. CANAN VARLIKLI
Canan Varlikli (Group Leader), received her BSc and MSc degree from Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir in 1995 and 1998, respectively. She has been awarded with NATO A2 scholarship, completed some part of her PhD thesis in Prof. Dr. C.S. Foote Laboratories in University of California at Los Angeles, CA, USA (2001-2002) and obtained her Ph.D. degree in 2003. She held postdoctoral researches in Imperial Collage London, Electronic Materials Section, UK and University of Patras, Engineering Science Department, Patras, Greece. She acts as the group leader since 2005. Research interests comprise: New materials for light absorption, emission and amplification; DSSCs; OPVs; OLEDs; Photophysical studies of organic semiconductors; Heterogeneous photocatalysis and adsorption for water purification.
PhD
HAKAN BOZKURT
Hakan Bozkurt, received his B.Sc. degree in Physics from Ege University in 2013. He joined the VRG as one of its most dedicated members and earned his M.Sc. in 2018 with a focus on QLED applications of ternary quantum dots. He is among the most experienced device physicists in the group. In 2024, he completed his Ph.D. with a specialization in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) and currently serves as a Research Assistant at the Department of Photonics, Izmir Institute of Technology (IZTECH).
PhD Candidates
HATİCE İLHAN
Hatice İlhan, graduated from Department of Physics at IZTECH (2016). She joined VRG in 2018. She earned her MSc in 2020 with her studies on dye assisted photocatalytic degradation of pollutants. She continues her PhD @ IZTECH Photonics Science and Engineering.
MSc Candidates
BUĞRA ŞEN
Bugra Sen, graduated as an honor student among the first graduates of the Department of Photonics, IZTECH (2023). He joined VRG after graduation and currently pursuing his MSc degree in Photonics Science and Engineering with a focus on carbon-based photodetectors.
UMUT BARAN GÜNDÜZ
Umut Baran Gunduz, graduated from the Department of Photonics, IZTECH (2025). He joined VRG in 2022 and is currently pursuing his M.Sc. degree in Photonics Science and Engineering, focusing on enhancing OLED performance through plasmonic nanoparticle effects.
EFSA KARAKURT
Efsa Karakurt, graduated as an honor student among the first graduates of the Department of Photonics, IZTECH (2023). She joined VRG after graduation and currently pursuing her MSc thesis on QD-doped optical fibers.
BSc Candidates
ZEYNEP SAATCİ
Zeynep Saatci
TÜBİTAK 2209-A
(Production Optimization of Laser-Induced Graphene (LIG) Derivatives: Electrical and Structural Characterization and Artificial Intelligence-Supported Design)
İREM SACİN
Irem Sacin, graduated as an honor student from IZTECH in 2025. She is currently continuing work based on her undergraduate project on ‘Enhanced Broadband Organic Photodetectors Based on a P3HT:PDI:PCBM Ternary Bulk Heterojunction’.
AYBALA KALE
Aybala Kale, currently completing her BSc. degree in Photonics at IZTECH and is working on her undergraduate project on photodetectors.
ELİFSAN HAZAR
Elifsan Hazar, continues her undergraduate education in Photonics at IZTECH and she is working on her graduate project on luminescence down converters.