Dr. Habil. Phys., PhD. Smagul Karazhanov

Dr. Smagul Karazhanov received his Master’s degree from Karakalpak State University in 1986, his PhD in Materials Science in 1993, and his Dr. Habil. Phys. degree in 2001 from the Institute of Physics and Technology, Tashkent, Uzbekistan. He is currently a Senior Researcher at the Institute for Energy Technology (IFE), Norway, and the ERA Chair and Leading Researcher at the Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia (ISSP UL) within the Horizon Europe project Smart Windows for ZeroEnergy Buildings. 

His research focuses on smart windows, solar cells, hydrophobic and antisoiling coatings, antiice and photocatalytic surfaces, and advanced chromogenic and mixedanion materials. He is internationally recognized for the discovery of photochromic properties of yttrium oxyhydride (YHO), a breakthrough that opened a new class of inorganic photochromic materials and led to a spinoff for commercialization. 

Dr. Karazhanov is the author of over 200 journal articles and book chapters in leading journals and frequently serves as corresponding author, leading conceptual development, methodology, and funding acquisition. He is widely invited to contribute to special issues and books, including an Elsevier volume on Smart Chromogenic Materials. His leadership roles include serving as ERA Chair, coordinating research teams, and organizing scientific training and workshops.