Department of physics of crystals

Department of Physics of Crystals was established by academician Antonina Prikhotko in 1944. Then the main research topic was low-temperature spectroscopy of molecular crystals. A cryogenic laboratory allowing for the studies at temperatures of liquefied nitrogen, hydrogen and helium has been found, the manufacturing basis of modern cryostat systems and corresponding measuring devices was organized to the first time in the world. In 50-ies – 70-ies it has grown up the leading in the USSR centre of the low-temperature spectroscopy of molecular crystals. Experimentally discovered and investigated collective character of light-induced electron excitations in molecular crystals triggered creation and provided background of the exciton theory in molecular crystals.

In addition, studies of superconducting materials with anomalously small charge density, a high-temperature superconductivity in which has become known later, have been carried out in the Department as well as a cryogenic medicine related research. For years it has been a schoolroom for many outstanding scientists; it was the Department of Physics of Crystals that gave birth to new departments: Optical Quantum Electronics (V.L.Broude, then M.S.Soskin), Nonlinear Optics (M.S.Brodyn), Photoactivity (M.T.Shpack, then G.O.Puchkovska), Resonance Phenomena (D.F.Baisa), Molecular Photoelectronics (M.V.Kuryk). Laboratory of Crystal Spectroscopy (G.V.Klimusheva) has been also established within the Department.

Investigations of liquid crystals started in the Department in the mid-80-ies have grown nowadays into its mainstream. Apparently, the most important and well-known achievement to a big extent associated with the department’s scientists has been the discovery of the “photoorientation” effect of liquid crystals on a polymer surface irradiated with polarized light that was done in collaboration with researchers from NIIOPIK (Russia). The effect of liquid crystal alignment caused by optical illumination of light-sensitive polymers provided vast opportunities for studying surface effects in liquid crystals allowing for the effective control of the principal characteristics of liquid crystal anchoring with boundary substrates. Therefore, a big fraction of recent papers was devoted to the investigations of light-induced changes of liquid crystal anchoring.

Furthermore, development together with the scientists from the Department of Gas Electronics of unconventional methods of liquid crystal alignment has brought forth different vacuum techniques utilizing anisotropic etching of substrates and deposition of new aligning layers with the beams of ions, neutral atoms, radicals and mixtures of these. Tentative studies of novel liquid crystalline materials are also carried out. Recent vigorous investigations are devoted to ionic liquid crystals on the base of metal-alkanoates focused on their structural, nonlinear-optical, thermophysical and electric properties. These materials, exhibiting the both lyotropic and thermotropic mesophases, form smectic phases as well as smectic ionic glasses, which could be employed for making unique anisotropic nano-composites. Recently a special attention is paid to investigations of low-concentrated colloids of nano-particles having different nature (ferromagnetic, polar dielectric, ferroelectric, low-dimensional conductors) suspended in liquid crystalline matrices.

Aggregation of nano-particles in such colloids proved to be infinitesimal, tiny particle dimensions prevent disturbance of liquid crystal orientation. Thus, optical quality of low-concentrated colloids appears to be not worse than that of the liquid crystalline matrix itself, while strong interaction of nano-particles with liquid crystal molecules gives rise to unique properties not inherent to the matrix. Experimental and theoretical studies of oxide superconductors have been also performing in the Department for many years.

A destructive interaction of superconductivity and charge density waves in these materials was discovered. Thermo- and electrodynamic theories of such materials were elaborated as well as a theory of Josephson and quasi-particle current in structures containing the investigated materials.

Fundamental and applied physics of liquid crystals, namely: nonlinear optics, surface phenomena, photonics, light scattering, electro- optical phenomena. Fundamental condensed matter physics, including theory of superconductivity.
The electronic properties of mesoscopic systems. Non-linear optics and photonics of polymers and molecular material layers.

  • A distributed feedback laser on the basis of controlled holographic gratings (POLIPHEM®) has been created. According to theoretical analysis the modulation of the either, refraction or amplification gain coefficients bring out a substantial decrease of the generation threshold in such systems. Lasing at about 0.56 µm wavelength has been realized with laser radiation being tuned by electric field application. S.Slussarenko.
  • A technique to produce tilted and planar alignment of liquid crystals on surfaces processed with an accelerated plasma beam was developed. Depending on the type of active particles of plasma such a treatment results in either an anisotropic etching of the orienting surface or a deposition of a new layer providing a high-quality orientation of a liquid crystal. The technique suffices the whole range of pretilt angles (0?90o) and a wide span of anchoring energies with an easy conversion for a large-area treatment required for LCD manufacturing. O.Yaroshchuk, R.Kravchuk.
  • An effect of light-induced drift of the easy orientation axis has been discovered in an azo-dye-doped nematic liquid crystal. The axis drift results from light-induced adsorption/desorption of dye molecules on/from the boundary polymer surface in the presence of light-induced torque caused by orientational ordering of absorbing molecules of the dye. E.Ouskova, Yu.Reznikov, K.Slusarenko, D.Fedorenko.
  • Liquid crystalline composites characterised with an essentially decreased off-axis haze in the electro-controlled light-scattering mode has been developed. The systems are based on polymer-dispersed nematic liquid crystals doped with inorganic nano-particles having large refractive index. It was shown that under phase separation appearing during polymerisation of pre-polymer nano-particles penetrate into the polymer matrix changing, thus, optical properties of the latter. L.Dolgov, O.Yaroshchuk.
  • An effect of the increase of the nematic liquid crystal – isotropic liquid phase transition temperature at introduction into liquid crystal of ferroelectric nano-particles has been observed. The effect is accompanied with the enhancement of liquid crystal ordering that leads to the augmentation of dielectric anisotropy and birefringence of suspensions of ferroelectric nano-particles in liquid crystals. The results obtained allow for development of liquid crystalline materials, properties of which could be effectively modified by a non-chemical way. O.Buchnev, Yu.Reznikov, O.Tereshchenko.
  • A surface-mediated efficient photorefractive effect in liquid crystals has been discovered and studied. The change of refractive index of liquid crystal under a simultaneous application of light and electric field was shown to originate from a spatial charge modulation at cell substrates. Such a spatial charge modulation brings forth an electric field component reorienting liquid crystal that, in turn, changes its refractive index. P.Korniychuk, Yu.Reznikov, V.Reshetnyak.
  • A tunnel technique of experimental determination of spin polarisation in ferromagnetics has been proposed employing counter-electrodes made from metals with charge density waves. , O.Gabovych.
  • An effect of electric field induced formation of bi-layer cell “nano-sized layer of electro-chromic dye (viologen) – lyotropic ionic liquid crystal” has been observed. Dynamic hologram recording characterised with nano-second times of the grating build up and decay was realised. The recording mechanism was shown to result from the effect of photoconversion of viologen dimmers into cation-radicals. Such materials are seemed to be promising for applications in devices for photonics, fast recording and processing of optical information. G.Klimusheva, S.Bugaychuk, Yu.Garbovsky.
  • Techniques for fabrication of new composite materials based on mesomorphic glasses of metal-alkanoates with different organic and inorganic nano-clusters were developed. Parameters of smectic structure of these systems were determined by means of small-angle x-ray scattering. G.Klimusheva, A.Tolochko, V.Kulishov.

2023

  • T. Dudok, , I. Skab, O. Mys, O. Kurochkin, Yu. Nastishin,V. Nazarenko, A. Chernenko, R. Vlokh, Optical vector vortices generated with circularly planar and circularly hybrid nematic cells, Ukrainian Journal of Physical Optics, 24(1), 22–45, (2023); DOI:10.3116/16091833/24/1/22/2023
  • Yu. Kurioz, I. Tkachenko, A. Kovalchuk, Y. Kobzar, O. Shekera, R. Kravchuk, V. Nazarenko, V. Shevchenko, Fluorinated Oligoazomethine with Azo Groups in the Main Chain as Stimuli-Responsive Photoactive Materials, Springer Proceedings in Physics, 280, 333–346 (2023);DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-18104-7_23
  • S. Bugaychuk, S. Kredentser, Yu. Kurioz, A. Gridyakina, H. Bordyuh, L. Viduta, V. Styopkin, D. Zhulai, Recording of dynamic and permanent gratings in composite LC cells containing gold nano-island films, Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals 750 (1), 23-31(2023); DOI: 10.1080/15421406.2022.2073033

2022

  • L. Hao, H. Jing, Y. Xiang, A. Iljin, Y. Wang, H. Li, Q. Li, J. Peng, M. Kohout, Transient optically induced grating and underlying transport process in bent-core nematics, Journal of Applied Physics 132, 065108 (2022). DOI: 10.1063/5.0096106
  • V. Rudenko, A. Tolochko, S. Bugaychuk, D. Zhulai, G. Klimusheva, G. Yaremchuk, T. Mirnaya, Yu. Garbovskiy, Probing optical nonlinearities of unconventional glass nanocomposites made of ionic liquid crystals and bimetallic nanoparticles, Nanomaterials, 12, is. 6. 924-1-14 (2022); DOI: 10.3390/nano12060924
  • O. Kurochkin, K. Nazarenko, O. Tereshchenko, P. Golub & V. Nazarenko, “The helical twisting power of chiral dopants in lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals”, Liquid Crystals, 1-11 (2022); DOI: 10.1080/02678292.2022.2114030
  • K. G. Nazarenko, N. A. Kasian, S. S. Minenko, O. M. Samoilov, V. G. Nazarenko, L. N. Lisetski & I. A. Gvozdovskyy (2022): Chiral ferronematic liquid crystals: a physico-chemical analysis of phase transitions and induced helical twisting, Liquid Crystals, 1-12 (2022); DOI: 10.1080/02678292.2022.2127158
  • Alexander M. Gabovich, Mai Suan Li, Henryk Szymczak, and Alexander I. Voitenko. Charge-charge interaction in three-layer systems: Classical approach // Phys. Rev. B, 2022, v. 105, N 11, p. 115415; DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.105.115415
  • Alexander M. Gabovich, Alexander I. Voitenko, A new model of a molecular rotor in the oscillating electric field // Low Temperature Physics, 2022, v. 48, N 10, pp. 819-824; DOI: 10.1063/10.0014025

2021

  • Xiayu Feng, Lu Lu, Oleg Yaroshchuk, and Philip Bos, Closer look at transmissive polarization volume holograms: geometry, physics, and experimental validation. Applied Optics, 60 (3), 580-592 (2021). doi.org/10.1364/AO.412589
  • Nych, R. Kravchuk, U. Ognysta, M. Ledney, and O. Yaroshchuk, Double-twisted nematic director configurations in cylindrical capillaries with a photocontrollable angle of twist. Phys. Rev. E. 104, 054703 (2021). doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.104.054703
  • S. Kredentser, S. Tomylko, T. Mykytiuk, D. Zhulai, V. Multian, O. Kurochkin, V. Styopkin, V. Nazarenko, N. Boichuk, S. Vitusevich & A. Senenko (2021): Electro-optical properties of a liquid crystalline colloidal solution of rod shaped V2O5 nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes in an alternating current electric field, Liquid Crystals, 1-8 (2021); DOI: 10.1080/02678292.2021.1919933
  • M. Gabovich, V. F. Semeniuk, N. I. Semeniuk, Effect of trampoline sputtering on surface morphology and coatings properties // J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys., 2021, 54 (25) 255301; doi.org/10.1088/1361-6463/abf0ee
  • Yu. Faidiuk, L. Skivka, P. Zelena, O. Tereshchenko, O. Buluy, V.M. Pergamenshchik, and V. Nazarenko, Anchoring-induced nonmonotonous velocity vs temperature dependence of motile bacteria in a lyotropic nematic liquid crystal, Phys. Rev. E 104, 054603-12 (2021); DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevE.104.054603.

2020

  • A. Gridyakina, H. Bordyuh, G. Klimusheva, S. Bugaychuk, D. Fedorenko, D. Zhulai, T. Mirnaya, G. Yaremchuk, A. olishchuk Optical nonlinearity in nanocomposites basedon metal alkanoates with hybrid metal/semiconductor and semiconductor/semiconductornanoparticles, Journal of Molecular Liquids 298, 112042 (2020)
  • Alexander M. Gabovich, Mai Suan Li, Henryk Szymczak, and Alexander I. Voitenko. Electric dipole image forces in three-layer systems: The classical electrostatic model // J. Chem. Phys., 2020, v. 152, N9, 094705; doi.org/10.1063/1.5142280
  • Kovalchuk, Y. Kobzar, I.Tkachenko, Y. Kurioz, O. Tereshchenko, O. Shekera, V. Nazarenko, V. Shevchenko, Photoactive Fluorinated Poly(azomethine) with Azo Groups in the Main Chain for Optical Storage Applications and Controlling Liquid Crystal Orientation, ACS Applied Polymer Materials 2, 455-463 (2020); doi.org/10.1021/acsapm.9b00906
  • Glushchenko, O. P. Boiko, B.Ya. Lenyk, A. Senenko, and V. G. Nazarenko, Humidity sensing with printable films of lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals, Applied Phys. Let. (2020); doi.org/10.1063/5.0008203

2019

  • V.M. Pergamenshchik, V.V. Multian, V.Ya. Gayvoronsky, S.V. Kredentser, V.G. Nazarenko, Interaction of supramolecular aggregates and the enhanced optical torque on the director in a dye doped nematic liquid crystal, Soft Matter 15 (43), 8886-8895 (2019)

2018

  • O. Buluy, N. Aryasova, O. Tereshchenko, Yu. Kurioz, V. Nazarenko, A. Eremin, R. Stannarius, S. Klein, C. Goldmann, P. Davidson, I. Dozov, Yu. Reznikov, Optical and X-ray scattering studies of the electric field-induced orientational order in colloidal suspensions of pigment nanorods, Journal of Molecular Liquids 267, 286-296 (2018)
  • O. Kurochkin, O. Buluy, J. Varshal, M. Manevich, A. Glushchenko, J.L. West, Yu. Reznikov, V. Nazarenko, Ultra-fast adaptive optical micro-lens arrays based on stressed liquid crystals, Journal of Applied Physics 124 (21), 214501 (2018)

2015

  • G. Klimusheva, T. Mirnaya, Yu. Garbovskiy, Versatile nonlinear optical materials on mesomorphic metal alkanoate: design, properties and applications, Liquid Crystals Reviews 3 (1), 28 – 57 (2015)

2013

  • T. Turiv, I. Lazo, A. Brodin, B. Lev, V. Reiffenrath, V. Nazarenko, O. Lavrentovich, Effect of Collective Molecular Reorientations on Brownian Motion of Colloids in Nematic Liquid Crystal, Science 342, p. 1351 (2013)

2012

  • O. Yaroshchuk and Yu. Reznikov, Photoalignment of liquid crystals: basics and current trends, J. Mater. Chem., 22, 286-300 (2012)
  • Shuang Zhou, Yu.A. Nastishin, M. M. Omelchenko, L. Tortora, V. G. Nazarenko, O. P. Boiko, T. Ostapenko, T. Hu, C. C. Almasan, S. N. Sprunt, J. T. Gleeson, and O.D. Lavrentovich, Elasticity of Lyotropic Chromonic Liquid Crystals Probed by Director Reorientation in a Magnetic Field, Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 037801 (2012)

2010

  • V.G. Nazarenko, O.P. Boiko, H.-S. Park, O.M. Brodyn, M.M. Omelchenko, L. Tortora, Yu.A. Nastishin, and O.D. Lavrentovich, Surface Alignment and Anchoring Transitions in Nematic Lyotropic Chromonic Liquid Crystal, Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 017801 (2010)
  • V.G. Nazarenko, O.P. Boiko, M.I. Anisimov, A.K. Kadashchuk, Yu.A. Nastishin, A.B. Golovin, and O.D. Lavrentovich, Lyotropic chromonic liquid crystal semiconductors for water-solution processable organic electronics, Appl. Phys. Lett. 97, 263305 (2010)

2006

  • F. Li, O. Buchnev, C. Cheon, A. Glushchenko, V. Reshetnyak, Yu. Reznikov, T. J. Sluckin and J. L. West, Orientational Coupling Amplification in Ferroelectric Nematic Colloids. Phys.Rev.Lett. 97, 147801 (2006)
  • G. Klimusheva, S. Bugaychuk, Yu. Garbovskii, O. Kolesnik, T. Mirnaya, A. Ishchenko, Fast dynamic holographic recording based on conductivity ionic metal –alkanoate liquid crystals and smectic glasses, Optics Letters, 31, 235-237(2006)

2005

  • Yu. Nastishin, H. Liu, T.Schneider, V.Nazarenko, R. Vasyuta, S.V.Shiyanovskii and O.D.Lavrentovich, Optical characterization of the nematic lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals: light absorption, birefringence, and scalar order parameter, Phys. Rev. E 72, 041711 (2005)

2004

  • I. Smalyukh, S. Chernyshuk, B. Lev, A. Nych, U. Ognysta, V. Nazarenko, Ordered droplet structures at the liquid crystal surface and elastic-capillary colloidal interactions, Physical review letters 93 (11), 117801 (2004)
  • S. Gottardo, S. Kavalieri, O.Yaroshchuk, and D. Wiersma, Quasi two-dimensional diffusive random laser action. Phys. Rev. Lett., 93, 263901 (2004)
  • O. Yaroshchuk, R. Kravchuk, A. Dobrovolskyy, L. Qiu, O. Lavrentovich, Planar and tilted uniform alignment of liquid crystals by plasma-treated substrates. Liq.Cryst., 31(6), 859-869 (2004)
  • I. Muševič, M. Škarabot, D. Babič, N. Osterman, I. Poberaj, V. Nazarenko, A. Nych, Laser trapping of small colloidal particles in a nematic liquid crystal: clouds and ghosts , Physical review letters 93(18), 187801 (2004)

2003

  • Yu. Reznikov, O. Buchnev, O. Tereshchenko, V. Reshetnyak, A. Glushchenko, J. West, Ferroelectric nematic suspension, Applied Physics Letters 82 (12), 1917-1919 (2003)
  • E. Ouskova, O. Buchnev, V. Reshetnyak, Y. Reznikov, H. Kresse, Dielectric relaxation spectroscopy of a nematic liquid crystal doped with ferroelectric Sn2P2S6 anoparticles, Liquid Crystals 30 (10), 1235-1239 (2003)

2002

  • A.M. Gabovich, A.I. Voitenko, M. Ausloos, Charge-and spin-density waves in existing superconductors: competition between Cooper pairing and Peierls or excitonic instabilities,Physics Reports 367 (6), 583-709 (2002)

2001

  • V.G. Nazarenko, A.B. Nych, B.I. Lev, Crystal structure in nematic emulsion, Physical review letters 87 (7), 075504 (2001)
  • A.M. Gabovich, A.I. Voitenko, J.F. Annett, M. Ausloos, Charge-and spin-density-wave superconductors, Superconductor Science and Technology 14 (4), R1 (2001)

2000

  • J. Zhang, V. Ostroverkhov, K. Singer, V. Reshetnyak, Y. Reznikov, Electrically controlled surface diffraction gratings in nematic liquid crystals, Optics letters 25 (6), 414-416 (2000)

1997

  • A. Glushchenko, H. Kresse, V. Reshetnyak, Yu. Reznikov, O. Yaroshchuk. Memory effect in filled nematic liquid crystals. Liq. Cryst. 23 (2), 241-246 (1997)
  • F. Simoni, O. Francescangeli, Y. Reznikov, S. Slussarenko, Dye-doped liquid crystals as high-resolution recording media, Optics letters 22 (8), 549-551 (1997)

1995

  • D. Voloshchenko, A. Khyzhnyak, Y. Reznikov, V. Reshetnyak, Control of an easy-axis on nematic-polymer interface by light action to nematic bulk, Japanese journal of applied physics 34 (2R), 566 (1995)

1993

  • T. Marusii, Y. Reznikov, Photosensitive orientants for liquid crystal alignment, Mol. Mat 3, 161-168 (1993)

1992

  • A. Dyadyusha, T. Marusii, V.Y Reshetnyak, Y. Reznikov, A. Khizhnyak, Orientational effect due to a change in the anisotropy of the interaction between a liquid crystal and a bounding surface, JETP lett 56 (1), 17-21 (1992)
  • (left to right) Curieuse Y.I. explores fotooriyentovani Cell polarizing microscope Y.A. Reznikov, Fedorenko D.V. conduct research director reorientation dynamics svitloindukovanoyi liquid crystal cell.

  • (left to right) graduate Korniychuk P.P., trainee Buchnyev O.S., Tereschenko O.H.
    liquid crystal cell to produce

  • (left to right) Yaroschuk O.V. postgraduate Dolgov L.O. and Kravchuk R.M. (seated)
    conduct measurements of the angle perednahylu director of liquid crystal cells.

  • Uskova O. asks the speaker at 3-one Christmas Conference liquid crystals (2003).

  • Slyusarenko S.S. reports on 3-one Christmas Conference liquid crystals (2003).

  • Preparing for Christmas 3-one conference with liquid crystals (2003).
    (From left) Kravchuk R.M., Fedorenko D.V., Ryeznikov J.O.,
    trainee Buchnyev O.S., Buluy O. G., Tereschenko O.H.

  • Head of department Dr. Sci. Physics Vassili G. Nazarenko

  • DFK employees: Senior researcher S.A. Bugaychuk, Junior researcher D. Zhulay, Leading Researcher G.V. Klimusheva

  • Leading researcher. O.M. Gabovich

  • Leading Researcher O.I. Voytenko

  • Chief Engineer-Technologist of the Department V.M Boychuk

  • Senior researcher Yu.I. Kuryoz

  • Senior researcher O.V. Yaroshchuk

  • Researcher O.G. Tereshchenko

  • Researcher O.V. Kurochkin

  • Researcher D.V. Fedorenko

  • Researcher A.G. Ilyin and Senior researcher S.A. Bugaychuk

  • Researcher S.V. Tomilko

  • Junior researcher R.M. Kravchuk

  • Researcher S.V. Kredentser

  • Chief Engineer-Technologist L.M. Bugayova