Leonid CULIUC (KULYUK)
Institute of Applied Physics of the Moldova State University Prof. Leonid Culiuc (Kulyuk) (b. 1950) graduated with honors from the Polytechnic Institute of Chisinau in 1972. He received his Ph.D. in 1976 from the Faculty of Physics of Moscow State University, where he investigated four-wave parametric processes in stimulated Raman scattering. He subsequently continued his research at the Institute of Applied Physics of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova, specializing in condensed matter physics. In 1989, he earned the degree of Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (Dr. Sci.), focusing on radiative and nonlinear optical processes in ternary and multinary semiconductors, and in 1993 he was awarded the academic title of professor. He served as Director of the Institute of Applied Physics from 1997 to 2001 and from 2005 to 2016. Then headed the Laboratory of Physics of Semiconductor Compounds "Sergiu Radautsan" until 2025. He currently holds the position of Director of the Institute of Applied Physics at the Moldova State University. In 2012, he was elected a Full Member of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova. His current research interests include the nonlinear optical characterization of surfaces and interfaces; experimental and theoretical studies of radiative processes in solids and quantum-confined systems; excitonic luminescence in two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) layered semiconductors. He has been invited as a visiting professor at several universities and research institutions, including the University of Ottawa (Canada), the University of Konstanz (Germany), the University of Lyon 1 (France), Saitama University (Japan), the Russian Technological University (RTU MIREA) in Moscow, and West University of Timișoara (Romania). Prof. Culiuc (Kulyuk) is a Laureate of the State Prize of the Republic of Moldova in the Field of Science and Technology, awarded in 1998 for his work on ternary and multinary compounds. In 2001, he was awarded the distinction of Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Palmes Académiques by the French Republic.