The Institute of Physics of the National Academy of Science of Ukraine was established in 1929. Now it is the oldest physical institution within the National Academy of Science of Ukraine. Olexandr Holdman, Academician of the Academy of Science of the USSR, was one of its founders and the first Director of the Institute.

At different periods, the Institute employed such famous scholars and academicians as Olexandr Kharkevych, Olexandr Leipunskyi, Olexandr Davydov, Antinina Pryhotko, Marat Shpak, Mytrophan Pasichnyk, Vadym Lashkaryov, Solomon Pekar. Now, there are about 500 employees at the Institute, including two Academicians of the National Academy of Science of Ukraine, seven Corresponding Members of the Academy, more than 50 Doctors of Science and more than 150 Candidates of Science.

The Institute's employees have greatly contributed into development of many branches of the contemporary physics. Their fundamental researches in the area of exciton physics, molecular, semiconductor and liquid crystals physics, laser sciences, nonlinear optics, holography, physical electronics, electronic-adsorption phenomenon on the metal surface, physics of plasma and ionic beams are well known. Traditionally, the Institute of Physics focuses on basic research; at the same time, some applied studies are carried out in the area of cryogenic instrument making, radiation detectors, laser systems, radiation, laser, and plasma technologies.

The Institute proceeds with basic researches in the said fields and opens new trends. Thus, recently several research teams have obtained promising results in the sphere of biophysics and nanophysics.

As a subsidiary of the National Academy of Science, the Institute is funded through the Academy and receives grants from the Ministry of Science and Education, the State Foundation of Basic Research. Scientists of the Institute actively cooperate with foreign R&D foundations; within recent years, they have won dozens of grants.

The Institute maintains fruitful cooperation with R&D institutions of the CIS states, Europe, Asia, and the USA. It puts special emphasis on widening scientific contacts with foreign states.

The Institute and its staff are open towards creative relationships with scholars form Ukraine and other states; they welcome and promote mutually beneficial cooperation.

Physics of non-metal and liquid crystals

• optics and spectroscopy of molecular, semiconductor and liquid crystals
• properties of excitons and other quasi-particles;
• quantum-sized structures;
• high temperature superconductivity;
• magnetic phenomena, including magnetic resonance, magnetic elasticity, magnetic optics;
• optical and magnetic phenomena in semi-magnetic semiconductors;
• optical and radiospectroscopy of ferroelectrics at phase transitions;
• theory of non-linear dissipative structures in condensed matter.

Physical electronics, electronic and atomic processes on solid surfaces

• physics of small particles and their ensembles
• optical and emission properties of island metal films;
• the physical phenomena in adsorbed films, adsorption of gases and metals by solid surfaces;
• electronic emission physics;
• atomic structure and phase transition in two-level systems;
• structure and properties of well-organized thin-film molecular systems;
• plasma phenomena, hot charge carriers and self-organization in semiconductors;
• phonon transport in semiconductors.

Biophysics

• physics of biological systems;
• photo-transformations in bio-molecules;
• laser photochemistry and spectroscopy of bio-molecules.

Laser physics, non-linear optics, and holography

• physics of gas, solid-state and dye lasers;
• non-linear optical phenomena in semiconductors, molecular and liquid crystals, photo-refractive materials, polymers, organic molecules;
• nonlinear laser spectroscopy of super-high resolution power;
• photo-acoustic laser spectroscopy and microscopy;
• laser motion control of free atomic and molecular particles;
• dynamic holography and optics of multi- beam processes, singular optics of laser beams;
• physics of speckle fields and holographic correlation methods of laser beams transformation;
• photopolymer materials for holography and image recording.

Physics of radiation processes

• physics of radiation and technological defects in semiconductors;
• radiation technologies of semiconductors and microelectronic elements treatment.

Physics of processes in ionic beams and ion sources

• physics and technology of intensive ionic beams and ion sources;
• physics of plasma and beam-plasma interaction;
• plasma technologies of thin-layer coating;
• sterilization of medical instruments and materials in gas discharge.