2008  PhD in Physics at University of Perugia (Italy). Thesis: "Nonlinear Piezoelectric Generators for Vibration Energy Harvesting". Advisor: Prof. Luca Gammaitoni.

2002  Master Degree in Physics at University of Camerino (Italy) with Full Marks (110/110). Experimental Thesis: Aumento del fattore giromagnetico nel sistema elettronico bidimensionale GaAs-Ga1_xAlxAs in campo magnetico (G-factor Enhancement in Bidimensional Electron System GaAs-Ga1_xAl_xAs Under Magnetic Field) . Advisor: Prof. Serguei Tchoudinov.

Research Interests

My main research interests concern: Energy Harvesting, Nonlinear Stochastic Dynamics; Noise in Physical Systems, Micropowering; Electromagnetic and Piezoelectric Microgenerators and storage systems for Wireless Sensors Networks; low temperature physics, heterostructures; quantum vacuum energy conversion techniques. 

Research Projects

• A Novel Velocity Amplifier for Enhanced Energy Harvesting (Stokes Institute, University of Limerick, Ireland): Ongoing project funded by Enterprise Ireland on novel energy harvesting technology for low-milliwatt mobile electronics and WSNs.
• PhD project (NiPS lab at University of Perugia, Italy): Vibration Energy Harvesting is one of the most important current challenge. Kinetical energy from human movements, vibrating buildings, bridges, machinery, planes, cars can be converted into electrical energy to power Wireless Sensors Networks as well as all microwatt-milliwatt mobile electronics. Many problems still affect the efficiency of the early commercial generators: narrowbandwidth, low power density, MEMS scaling, inconstant vibrating source.  In order to address these difficulties the proposed idea is to recur to nonlinear systems. The exploitation of nonlinear  dynamical systems such as stochastic Duffing bistable oscillators allow to transfer and convert energy from a wide band of mechanical vibrations. In fact, unlike linear resonating transducers, bistable oscillators do not need to be tuned on the driving frequency. Moreover, bistable stochastic oscillators adsorbs more power at low frequencies, which is an advantage particularly for small size generators. As a result, an enhancement by up to a factor six of the generated elecrical power has been demonstrated compared to linear generators, considering white Gaussian and exponentially correlated noise as source.
  • PhD final presentation
• VIRGO Project (INFN-CNRS Pisa & NiPS lab, Italy): R&D for new low thermal noise material for the mirror suspensions of Virgo interferometer for Gravitaional Wave detection at low temperature. Simulations and FEA of eddy currents dissipative effects of electromagnetic actuators on mirrors of the VIRGO interferometer.

Talks at Conferences & Meetings

• March, 2007 NiPS Laboratory Workshops, Castello di Monterone (PG) Talk title: N.i.P.S Laboratory Workshop Perugia, 10-03-2007 Castello di Monterone (PG)
• October, 2006 LIGO-Virgo Thermal Noise Workshop Virgo Detector Meeting, Cascina (PI) Talk title : Eddy currents on Virgo Mirror, simulation and tests
• October, 2005 2nd ILIAS-GW Meeting, Palma de Mallorca. Talk title Thermomechanical properties of silicon fibers for 3rd GW detectors
• June, 2005 Crystal (prin 2002), Perugia Talk title: Studio misure di proprietà meccaniche e angolo di perdita su sistemi monocristallini e amorfi a temperature criogeniche
• May, 2005 SIGRAV school, Cascina (PI) Talk title: Development of New Material for Low Thermal Noise Suspension in Advanced GW Detector Development of New Material for Low Thermal Noise Suspension in Advanced GW Detector

Training

• July 2006 Advanced course on Finite Element Analysis with COMSOL Multiphysics, Brescia, Italy
• may 2005 SIGRAV – International school about gravitation waves, Virgo Laboratories, Cascina (PI)

Personal Skills

• SPOKEN LANGUAGES   Italian (mother tongue);   English  (fluent).
• SOFTWARE 
  • OS Windows, MAC, Linux.
  • Programming and Scientific Software: MATLAB, FEA with COMSOL multiphysics, LABVIEW, Pro Desktop, MATHEMATICA, MAPLE, Office, Origin, C++, Visual Basic, Universal Mechanisms. 
• HARDWARE AND EXPERIMENTAL  
  • Cryogenic systems (Oxford, Janis), Experimental techniques under strong magnetic field
  • Analog electronics, signal processing, monitoring, spectral analysis, transducers, filters, rectifiers.
  • Vibration analysis methods, laser displacement sensors, electron scanning microscope. 
  • Designing and Prototyping by means CNC machines, Pro Engineer.

Publications

• Gammaitoni, L., Cottone, F., Neri, I. & Vocca, H. Noise Harvesting.  AIP Conference Proceedings, 2009, Vol. 1129, pp. 651-654

• Cottone, F., Vocca, H. & Gammaitoni, L. Nonlinear Energy Harvesting. Physical Review Letters, 2009, Vol. 102

• Travasso, F., Amico, P., Bosi, L., Cottone, F., Dari, A., Gammaitoni, L., Vocca, H. & Marchesoni, F. Low-frequency internal friction in silica glass.     EPL - Europhysics Letters, 2007, Vol. 80, pp. 5

• Alshourbagy, M., Amico, P., Bosi, L., Cagnoli, G., Campagna, E., Cottone, F., Dari, A., Gammaitoni, L., Lorenzini, M., Losurdo, G., Marchesoni, F., Martelli, F., Piergiovanni, F., Punturo, M., Toncelli, A., Tonelli, M., Travasso, F., Vetrano, F. & Vocca, H. Measurement of the thermoelastic properties of crystalline Si fibres. Classical and Quantum Gravity, 2006, Vol. 23, pp. S277-S285

• Acernese, F., Amico, P., Bosi, L., Cottone, F., Dari, A., Gammaitoni, L., Vocca, H., Marchesoni, F., Neri, I., Punturo, M., Travasso, F. & et al. Gravitational wave burst search in the Virgo C7 data. Classical and Quantum Gravity, 2009, Vol. 26

• Abbott, B., Amico, P., Bosi, L., Cottone, F., Dari, A., Gammaitoni, L., Vocca, H., Marchesoni, F., Neri, I., Punturo, M., Travasso, F. & et al. Astrophysically triggered searches for gravitational waves: status and prospects.  25, 2008, Vol. 11

• Acernese, F., Amico, P., Bosi, L., Cottone, F., Dari, A., Gammaitoni, L., Vocca, H., Marchesoni, F., Neri, I., Punturo, M., Travasso, F. & et al. Search for gravitational waves associated with GRB 050915a using the Virgo detector. Classical and Quantum Gravity, 2008, Vol. 25


• Acernese, F., Amico, P., Bosi, L., Cottone, F., Dari, A., Gammaitoni, L., Vocca, H., Marchesoni, F., Neri, I., Punturo, M., Travasso, F. & et al. First joint gravitational wave search by the AURIGA–EXPLORER–NAUTILUS–Virgo Collaboration. Classical and Quantum Gravity, 2008, Vol. 25

• Acernese, F., Amico, P., Bosi, L., Cottone, F., Dari, A., Gammaitoni, L., Vocca, H., Marchesoni, F., Neri, I., Punturo, M., Travasso, F. & et al. In-vacuum optical isolation changes by heating in a Faraday isolator. Applied Optics, OSA, 2008, Vol. 47(31), pp. 5853–5861

• Acernese, F., Amico, P., Bosi, L., Cottone, F., Dari, A., Gammaitoni, L., Vocca, H., Marchesoni, F., Neri, I., Punturo, M., Travasso, F. & et al. Status of Virgo. Classical and Quantum Gravity, 2008, Vol. 25


• Acernese, F., Amico, P., Bosi, L., Cottone, F., Dari, A., Gammaitoni, L., Vocca, H., Marchesoni, F., Neri, I., Punturo, M., Travasso, F. & et al.. The Virgo 3 km interferometer for gravitational wave detection. Journal of Optics A: Pure and Applied Optics , 2008, Vol. 10


• Acernese, F., Amico, P., Bosi, L., Cottone, F., Dari, A., Gammaitoni, L., Vocca, H., Marchesoni, F., Punturo, M., Travasso, F. & et al. The Real-Time Distributed Control of the Virgo Interferometric Detector of Gravitational Waves. Nuclear Science, IEEE Transactions on, 2008, Vol. 55


• Acernese, F., Amico, P., Bosi, L., Cottone, F., Dari, A., Gammaitoni, L., Vocca, H., Marchesoni, F., Punturo, M., Travasso, F. & et al. Data Acquisition System of the Virgo Gravitational Waves Interferometric Detector. Nuclear Science, IEEE Transactions on, 2008, Vol. 55

• Acernese, F., Amico, P., Bosi, L., Cottone, F., Dari, A., Gammaitoni, L., Vocca, H., Marchesoni, F., Punturo, M., Travasso, F. & et al. Analysis of noise lines in the Virgo C7 data. Classical and Quantum Gravity, 2007, Vol. 24, pp. S433-S443


• Acernese, F., Amico, P., Bosi, L., Cottone, F., Dari, A., Gammaitoni, L., Vocca, H., Marchesoni, F., Punturo, M., Travasso, F. & et al. Status of coalescing binaries search activities in Virgo. Classical and Quantum Gravity, 2007, Vol. 24


• Acernese, F., Amico, P., Bosi, L., Cottone, F., Dari, A., Gammaitoni, L., Vocca, H., Marchesoni, F., Punturo, M., Travasso, F. & et al. Status of Virgo detector.  Classical and Quantum Gravity, 2007, Vol. 24, pp. S381-S388


• Acernese, F., Amico, P., Bosi, L., Cottone, F., Dari, A., Gammaitoni, L., Vocca, H., Marchesoni, F., Punturo, M., Travasso, F. & et al. Measurement of the optical parameters of the Virgo interferometer. Applied Optics, 2007, Vol. 46, pp. 3466-3484


• Acernese, F., Amico, P., Bosi, L., Cottone, F., Dari, A., Gammaitoni, L., Vocca, H., Marchesoni, F., Punturo, M., Travasso, F. & et al. Improving the timing precision for inspiral signals found by interferometric gravitational wave detectors. Classical and Quantum Gravity, 2007, Vol. 24, pp. S617-S625


• Acernese, F., Amico, P., Bosi, L., Cottone, F., Dari, A., Gammaitoni, L., Vocca, H., Marchesoni, F., Punturo, M., Travasso, F. & et al. Gravitational waves by gamma-ray bursts and the virgo detector: the case of GRB 050915a. Classical and Quantum Gravity, 2007, Vol. 24, pp. S671-S679


• Acernese, F., Amico, P., Bosi, L., Cottone, F., Dari, A., Gammaitoni, L., Vocca, H., Marchesoni, F., Punturo, M., Travasso, F. & et al. Data quality studies for burst analysis of Virgo data acquired during Weekly Science Runs. Classical and Quantum Gravity, 2007, Vol. 24, pp. S415-S422


• Acernese, F., Amico, P., Bosi, L., Cottone, F., Dari, A., Gammaitoni, L., Vocca, H., Marchesoni, F., Punturo, M., Travasso, F. & et al. Coincidence analysis between periodic source candidates in C6 and C7 Virgo data. Classical and Quantum Gravity, 2007, Vol. 24, pp. S491-S499


• Acernese, F., Amico, P., Bosi, L., Cottone, F., Dari, A., Gammaitoni, L., Vocca, H., Marchesoni, F., Punturo, M., Travasso, F. & et al. The Virgo status. Classical and Quantum Gravity, 2006, Vol. 23


• Acernese, F., Amico, P., Bosi, L., Cottone, F., Dari, A., Gammaitoni, L., Vocca, H., Marchesoni, F., Punturo, M., Travasso, F. & et al. Normal/independent noise in VIRGO data. Classical and Quantum Gravity, 2006, Vol. 23


• Alshourbagy, M., Amico, P., Bosi, L., Cagnoli, G., Campagna, E., Cottone, F., Dari, A., Gammaitoni, L., Lorenzini, M., Losurdo, G., Marchesoni, F., Martelli, F., Piergiovanni, F., Punturo, M., Toncelli, A., Tonelli, M., Travasso, F., Vetrano, F. & Vocca, H. First characterization of silicon crystalline fibers produced with the µ-pulling technique for future gravitational wave detectors. Review of Scientific Instruments, 2006, Vol. 77


• Bignotto, M., Amico, P., Bosi, L., Cottone, F., Dari, A., Gammaitoni, L., Vocca, H., Marchesoni, F., Neri, I., Punturo, M., Travasso, F. & et al. A cross-correlation method to search for gravitational wave bursts with AURIGA and Virgo. Classical and Quantum Gravity, 2008, Vol. 25


• F.Acernese, Amico, P., Bosi, L., Cottone, F., Dari, A., Gammaitoni, L., Vocca, H., Marchesoni, F., Neri, I., Punturo, M., Travasso, F. & et al. Virgo status. Classical and Quantum Gravity, 2008, Vol. 25(18), pp. 184001 (9pp)


• F.Acernese, Amico, P., Bosi, L., Cottone, F., Dari, A., Gammaitoni, L., Vocca, H., Marchesoni, F., Neri, I., Punturo, M., Travasso, F. & et al. Noise studies during the first Virgo science run and after. Classical and Quantum Gravity, 2008, Vol. 25(18), pp. 184003 (8pp)


• F.Acernese, Amico, P., Bosi, L., Cottone, F., Dari, A., Gammaitoni, L., Vocca, H., Marchesoni, F., Neri, I., Punturo, M., Travasso, F. & et al. Lock acquisition of the Virgo gravitational wave detector. Astroparticle Physics, 2008, Vol. 30


• F.Acernese, Amico, P., Bosi, L., Cottone, F., Dari, A., Gammaitoni, L., Vocca, H., Marchesoni, F., Neri, I., Punturo, M., Travasso, F. & et al. VIRGO: a large interferometer for Gravitational Wave detection started its first scientific run. 10th Int. Conf. on Topics in Astroparticle and Underground Physics, 2008, Vol. 120
  
  
• Tournefier, E., Acernese, F., Amico, P., Bosi, L., Cottone, F., Dari, A., Gammaitoni, L., Vocca, H., Marchesoni, F., Neri, I., Punturo, M., Travasso, F. & et al. The status of virgo. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 2008, Vol. 110(6), pp. 062025 (5pp)

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