Research
Laboratory of Non-Linear Crystals and Photonics
This laboratory is a result of the merging of the Laboratory of Photonics and
the Laboratory of Non-Linear Crystals. The scientific activity of the Laboratory
is connected with the basic program of the Institute for Physical Research,
“The maintenance and development of the infrastructure for scientific and
scientific-technical activity, implementation of basic and applied research”.
Main scientific directions of the Laboratory are the interaction of laser radiation
with solid and liquid crystalline media, optical holography and nonlinear optics
providing the formation photonic micro-structured materials with new features,
compact photonic devices, optical soliton generation and formation of waveguide
channels with controlled trajectory, information recording, storage and targeted
transfer, elaboration of optical sensors, as well as design and fabrication of
photovoltaic tweezers based on the principles of optical holography and
nondiffracting Bessel beam technique for trapping and manipulation of metal,
dielectric micro/nanoparticles and biological objects (lab-on-a-chip device).
The laboratory also deals with the synthesis of nonlinear optical,
acousto-optic, and laser materials for optical sensors, telecommunications,
and laser systems, and on their basis, the growth of the crystals with reproducible
characteristics and the comprehensive study of physical properties necessary from
the point of view of applications.
Investigations have an experimental character and pronounced practical applications.
The laboratory has a wide international collaboration with scientific centers of the USA,
Canada, and the European Union. The laboratory participates actively in the
implementation of many national and international grant projects.
Laboratory of Optics and Atomic Spectroscopy
Dr. Armen Sargsyan 
The laboratory conducts fundamental and applied experimental and theoretical research
in the following directions:
- - Resonant interaction of laser radiation with atomic vapor (magneto-optical phenomena; peculiarities of interaction in transient regime; degenerate mirrorless lasing; conversion of laser phase noise in atomic media, etc.);
- - Laser-optical imaging schemes (obtaining images with transmission of light through strongly-scattering/absorbing media; development of optical techniques for medical diagnostics);
- - Optical instrumentation (development of ultra-sensitive and fast photoreceiver schemes; optical sensing technologies and device development).
The laboratory conducts basic, practical experimental research in the following areas:
- - using nanocells with a thickness of L=30−1000 nm containing atomic vapors of alkali metals, resonance absorption, fluorescence, and selective laser beam reflection in strong magnetic fields are studying;
- - study of Van der Waals phenomena for a nanocell thickness L<100 nm;
- - in a strong magnetic field, electromagnetically induced transparency and absorption effects are studied;
- - unique features of magnetically induced atomic transitions (discovered by our laboratory)
- - unique, high-temperature cells made of sapphire crystals are filled with metal vapor. Al2O3 material is resistant to chemically aggressive hot alkali metal vapors. The maximum operating temperature of the cells is 500 °C, which allows obtaining very high atomic densities. Unique micro- and nanocells are made, which have a thickness in the range of 30 nm - 500 micrometers.
- - Frequency markers for atomic transitions of Cs, Rb, and K atoms are being developed, which have an advantage over those currently in use.
- - The results obtained in 2014-2024 years were published in about 60 articles in the journals included in Q1, Q2, and Q3 coefficients and were reported at several dozen international scientific conferences.
Laboratory of Crystal Optics
Field-effect transistor (FET) is the main type of transistor used in processors.
However, FET is a typical analog element. Its replacement with bistable transistors
will create a new element base for computers. Intensive work is underway to create
a bistable transistor based on transparent conductive thin films. This is due to
increased interest in ternary logic, the advantages of which in processors compared
to binary are obvious: codes are shorter, and processors can run several times faster.
On the other hand, transparent conductors and the electronic elements based
on them pave the way to “transparent electronics”. The aim of the project
is the creation and study of a transparent bistable field-effect transistor as
the basis of a new type of processors, as well as the study of the possibility
of creating multielement circuits. As a result, a pilot model of a field-effect
transistor with two stable states of the drain current will be created. Compared
with traditional transistors, such transistors have a number of advantages:
low power consumption, high switching speed, and signal-to-noise ratio.
The results obtained will allow the creation of three-level transparent transistors,
which are of great interest for an asymmetric three-level computing system.
Laboratory of Material Science
Laboratory work is carried out in the following areas of experimental research.
The peculiarities of the work of the thermoelectric single-photon detector
(TSPD) are studied by computer modeling. Research is carried out to create
prototypes of the TSPD sensitive element containing an anti-reflection coating.
The effect of boron nitride and other additives on the phase formation and
critical current density of Bi (Pb) -2223 ceramic samples is studied.
The thermoelectric properties of narrow-band semiconductors are being studied
in order to develop thermoelectric devices (TED) based on thin films and
heterostructures. The importance of TED is mainly due to its compatibility
with modern chip technology. In resistive random-access memory (RRAM) systems,
metal-semiconductor-metal and metal-dielectric-semiconductor structures with Li,
Ga, and Ag impurities based on ZnO and lanthanum oxide (OH - La2O3) films with
a hydrogenated surface are studied. It is supposed that expected and already
obtained results will be widely used in semiconductor electronics for the
creation of RRAM memory systems based on the polaron optical conductivity and
negative differential resistance.
Laboratory of Scintillating Materials
The following fundamental and applied research is being carried out at present in the laboratory:
- - Mechanisms of defect formation in garnet and perovskite-type crystals with rare-earth activator ions important for scintillation techniques in high-energy physics and in quantum electronics.
- - The functional role of divalent and monovalent impurities (including paired introduction) in crystals with Ce3+ and Pr3+ ions (mechanisms of incorporation and charge compensation, efficiency of conversion to 4+ states, influence on optical properties and radiation hardness),
- - Composition optimization and technology development for preparation (using Bridgman and Czochralski techniques) of efficient and radiation-hard materials.
Laboratory of Laser Physics and Spectroscopy
The laboratory conducts fundamental and applied experimental research in the following areas:
- - New spectral excitation mechanisms, opportunities for further enhancement of the efficiency of modern lasers;
- - Investigation of the spectral and kinetic properties of mixed composition transparent ceramics doped with rare-earth ions for laser applications;
- - Search for the possibilities of creating cascade multiwavelength mid-infrared lasers in low-phonon crystals;
- - Study of nuclear phenomena in aqueous solutions and their possible applications caused by the influence of electromechanical fields;
- - Development of an alternative optical method for remote sensing of the environment and study of the multiple-purpose usage opportunities;
- - Growth and study of thin films and heterostructures consisting of oxides doped with various elements by vacuum electron-beam and thermal deposition methods for use in optoelectronic technologies.
Laboratory of Solid State Physics
The following fundamental and applied research is being carried out at present in the laboratory:
- - Synthesis and complex structural, optical, and magnetic study of carbon nanostructures and explanation of the origin of magnetism.
- - Synthesis and investigation of “core-shell” ferromagnetic nanoparticles for magnetic hyperthermia of cancer cells.
- - Preparation and investigation of electrode materials of new generation liquid supercapacitors based on carbon and metal-carbon nanostructures
- - Preparation and study of new generation composite concrete based on carbon and metal-carbon nanostructures.
“Center of Advanced Electron Microscopy” group operates within the laboratory.
Dr. Alexander Mukasyan
The group is aiming to conduct fine structural and morphological studies of wide variety of nanomaterials using high resolution (1.2 Angstroms) transmission electron microscope “Talos F200i” and dual beam nano-laboratory “Helios 5 CX DualBeam FIB”, which combines capabilities of scanning electron microscopy (resolution 1 nm) and focus ion beam machine (resolution 3 nm), In particular, the following characterizations of nanomaterials are carried out:
- - Morphology (size, shape) of nanomaterials,
- - Crystal structure,
- - Elemental composition,
- - Surface milling and deposition, including TEM sample preparation.
Laboratory of Theoretical Physics
The Laboratory of Theoretical Physics is involved in fundamental studies of the interaction of laser radiation and matter. Among the studied topics are:
- - modern problems in quantum communication technology, including the development of new theoretical models of feasible quantum repeaters for the deterministic generation and swapping of the entanglement, which includes the interaction of a quantum field with individual atoms in a quantum electrodynamic cavity and cold atomic ensembles, effective sources for generating single-photon pulses and time-bin entangled photons, quantum dynamics of simple optical phenomena in a quantum electrodynamic cavity, in particular the generation of quantum field subharmonics, coherent interaction of atoms with classical light for storage and retrieval of optical information, the effect of magnetic field on light-atom resonance interaction, formation of metastable molecules by Feschbach resonance via collision of two atoms and subsequent spontaneous emission,
- - specific atom-field configurations which lead to qualitatively new phenomena, scattering of atoms by standing waves, control of ultracold atom association, analytic models of quantum linear and nonlinear time-dependent few-state problems, analytic solutions of non-relativistic and relativistic wave equations, surface electromagnetic modes on smooth interfaces, theory of the Heun equations, and general mathematical methods and approaches applied in quantum and classical physics.
Scientific Group of Quantum Optics
Dr. Mikayel Khanbekyan Link...
The main focus of the group's work will be the research and development of quantum optical systems, which will be the main elements for quantum communication.
Another main area of the group's work is non-Hermitian quantum systems, singular points, and their use in sensor applications. It is planned to exploit the feature of the non-Hermitian system, the strong and anomalous parameter dependence of the system around exceptional points, which enables the creation of sensitive sensors.