As scheduled, the sessions of the Fismat2023 Conference took place, in which ISM participated among the organizers and sent numerous researchers to present the results of its innovation and development activities on advanced materials (nanotechnologies) and devices for the improvement of efficiency in the production of energy from solar sources.

On September 4, the mini-colloquium "Materials & Devices for Solar and Thermal to Electrical Energy Conversion" began with the first session held in Room 24.1.4 at Politecnico di Milano. The chairman, Daniele M. Trucchi, introduced the presentations by numerous researchers:- Alireza Nojeh, British Columbia University - “Thermionic energy conversion: complex physics disguised as a simple concept”;
- Alessandro Bellucci, CNR-ISM - “Diamond-based thermionic generators and hybrid solutions for solar and thermal energy conversion”;
- Matteo Mastellone, CNR-ISM - “Periodic surface nanotexturing induced by ultrashort laser pulses for selective absorbers and defect engineered solar cells”;
- Eleonora Bolli, CNR-ISM - “Work function and negative electron affinity films for thermionic energy Conversion”;
- Stefano Iacobucci, CNR-ISM - “Relevance of low energy electron generation mechanism to the efficiency enhancement of photo-thermionic converters”;
- Luigi Vesce, Università degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata - “Ambient air meniscus coating of efficient and sustainable perovskite solar modules”.

On September 5, Chairman Alessandro Bellucci presented the contributions of the participating speakers in the second session:- Antonio Martì, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid - “Hot carrier solar cells and thermoelectric converters: the same thing?”;
- Gideon Segev, Tel Aviv University - “Operando characterization of charge extraction and recombination profiles in solar cells with nanoscale resolution”;
- Roberto Termine, CNR-Nanotec - “Different interacting Light-Matter Regimes: the Meta-Voltaic System”;
- Julien Legendre, Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon - “Near-field thermophotonic energy harvesting from heterostructure-based devices with bandgaps in the near-infrared range”;
- Francesco Rossella, Università degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia - “III-V Semiconductor nanowire thermoelectrics”;
- Alberta Carella, Università degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia - ”SnCr2S4 nanowhiskers as building blocks of ultra-low thermal conductivity materials”;
- Muhammad Isram, Università degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia - “Thermoelectric and Structural Properties of Sputtered AZO Thin Films with Varying Al Doping Ratios”.

There was a strong interaction with the audience in both sessions, which also included representatives from international scientific publishing, engaging in questions, points of reflection, discussions, and exchanges among experts, all with the aim of stimulating new developments within the scientific network.

On Thursday, September 7, the event was concluded with the presentation by Daniele M. Trucchi in the general session overseen by Chairman Prof. Giuseppe Della Valle (Politecnico di Milano) held in Room E of the Physics Department at the University of Milan. The theme of this session was "Optics and photonics - nanophotonics and metamaterials." Daniele M. Trucchi, in particular, presented the results of some research conducted by the CNR-ISM's DiaTHEMA laboratory (Diamond, Thermal & Harsh Environment Materials & Applications), of which he is responsible.
The laboratory focuses its research activities on the development of advanced thin-film materials and related prototypes for use in hostile environments. Currently, the main activities are dedicated to the development of highly efficient energy converters.
The title of the presentation was: "Defect Engineering of Wide Bandgap Semiconductors by Ultrashort Laser Nanostructuring."