Implementation of a FAIR-by-Design System for PLD and RHEED Data management in the MODA Laboratory

This thesis work is part of the NFFA-Digital Infrastructure (NFFA-DI) project, which aims to build an integrated system for research data management by applying FAIRby-design principles to all experimental and computational resources. The goal of this work is to develop a plugin for the NOMAD platform dedicated to the FAIR management of data generated by the Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) instrument, called PLD-MODA, installed in the MODA laboratory at CNR-SPIN in Naples. This is complemented by the development of a Python script designed to automate the transfer of data from the local eLabFTW instance to NOMAD. The PLD-MODA system is integrated with a RHEED (Reflection High-Energy Electron Diffraction) instrument, which enables in situ monitoring of film thickness during deposition. Currently, data related to the fabrication processes are stored by filling out experiment forms in eLabFTW, with the option of attaching RHEED files. The developed plugin enables structured management of this data, translating eLabFTW metadata into quantities that conform to the common vocabulary of NFFADI. The Python script performs data mapping, reorganizes it into the “NOMAD Archive” format, and automatically uploads it to the plugin, reducing the risk of manual errors. The methods used included the analysis of current laboratory practices, the understanding of data models of both platforms, and the design of a conversion pipeline to standardized formats (JSON and CSV). Particular attention was paid to preserving the original scientific meaning of metadata during the conversion process, ensuring that the transfer maintains the informational value of the data in full compliance with FAIR principles. The result is a fully automated pipeline for populating the NOMAD plugin fields from eLabFTW data. This solution represents a concrete example of FAIR interoperability, offering a replicable model for other instruments and laboratories. In doing so, the work contributes to the goals of the MDMC program and the NFFA-DI project in promoting open, standardized, and distributed data management