Photographs depicting microstructures in cutouts of numbers on PF 2026 of the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences are selected from images submitted to the FZU photo competition. Every year, FZU employees and secondary school and university students can participate in this competition. The photographs that received the highest number of points from the expert jury were used to compile the FZU calendar for 2026, in addition to the PF.
Lucie Krejčová: Crack
The image shows a nickel–titanium (NiTi)alloy and prominently displays its crystalline structure, which the author has highlighted in colour. Cracks and other defects guide microscopists, aiding in better focusing and visualization of the specimen microstructure.
Pooja Devi: UV Glue
The image captures dried UV glue under a microscope. The effect stems from oxygen inhibition, where oxygen molecules in air trap free radicals needed for chain-growth polymerization. The image shows that even degraded molecules that can no longer be used still look beautiful.
Adam Lorenc: Polycrystalline Silicon Carbide
Silicon carbide (SiC) synthesized on a graphite substrate using a sublimation method. Graphite withstands extreme temperatures (above 2000 °C) and serves as a neutral base for crystal growth. The method verifies whether the process is set correctly—whether it forms SiC rather than free carbon or silicon.
Natalia Podoliak: Structures Created in a Ferroelectric Nematic Liquid Crystal
Liquid crystals under a microscope show striking colours and shapes. Recently discovered polar liquid-crystalline phases react strongly to an applied electric field. The image shows a structure formed under an alternating electric field.