Physical Material Science at Sumy State University

Research on materials science for nanoelectronics, solar power engineering, microsensorics, etc. is conducted in a number of departments at Sumy State University. The corresponding directions are headed by reputable scientists Prof. Protsenko I.Yu., Prof. Pogrebnjak O.D., Prof. Opanasyuk A.S., and Prof. Denisov S.I.

Under the guidance of Prof. Protsenko I.Yu., the direction of film materials science in relation to physical processes in device structures of spintronics, micro- and nanoelectronics is developed. Using the methods of transmission electron microscopy, electron diffraction, secondary ion mass spectrometry and electrical resistance, general regularities of the formation of the structural-phase state and size effects in the electrophysical and magnetoresistive properties of single- and multilayer nanocrystalline film systems and the influence of mass transfer processes on them were established.

A number of theoretical models for multilayer film systems were proposed and tested, in particular, which take into account the effect of temperature, strain and magnetic field on electrotransfer parameters (electron mean free path, scattering coefficient, grain boundary and interface transmission coefficient, external surface reflection coefficient).

Scientists of the research group of Prof. Protsenko I.Yu. participated in numerous international projects with researchers from Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, India, Germany, and France; more than 30 individual international grants were received.

The research group led by Prof. Pogrebnjak O.D. formed the fundamental basis of modern ion-beam technologies for obtaining coatings with improved physical and mechanical characteristics. The main research area is related to the study of the phase and elemental composition, physical properties of multicomponent nanocomposite coatings and simulation of plasma-arc synthesis processes. Among recent works of the group, it is worth noting those on the deposition and study of the structure and properties of multicomponent nitride coatings and multilayer protective coatings based on nitrides and carbides of refractory and transition metals. Such coatings possess high protective and tribological properties depending on the deposition conditions and subsequent processing using ion implantation or thermal annealing, which makes them promising for use in mechanical engineering, aviation and space industry, nuclear power engineering, etc. The group of Prof. Pogrebnjak O.D. has the largest number of international collaborations implemented in 15 countries worldwide (more than 40 individual grants), including the USA, Japan, France, Portugal, Poland and so on.

Under the guidance of Prof. Opanasyuk A.S., the scientific-research laboratory of "Optoelectronics and solar power engineering" has been established and successfully functioning. The main directions of its activity are associated with the study of physical processes and phenomena in film structures of chalcogenides, chalcopyrites, kesterites and heterostructures based on them. Research is carried out to optimize the structural, optical and electrophysical characteristics of single- and multilayer systems, to study the processes of defect formation with the subsequent development of photoactive devices of microelectronics with improved characteristics. Scientists deal with both traditional (CdTe, ZnTe, CdS, CdSe, ZnS) and novel (ZnO, MgO, ZnSe, Zn₂SnO₄, SnS, SnS₂, Cu₂ZnSnS₄) semiconductor materials used to create window, absorbing and conductive layers of film solar cells, hard and optical radiation detectors, gas detectors, elements of transparent and flexible electronics. Researchers developed a technology and obtained model samples of film solar cells based on Cu₂ZnSn(Ge)S₄ and hard radiation detectors on the basis of multicomponent compounds (CdZnTe and CdMnTe), which are ready for industrial testing. Recently, a significant emphasis in the works of the research group has also been on the development of theoretical foundations and equipment for modern vacuum-free methods for obtaining semiconductor and metal layers, namely 3D printing and spray pyrolysis technique. Research is performed in cooperation with leading scientists from the USA, South Korea, Spain, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia and Sweden.

The group of Prof. Denisov S.I. is involved in the development of new and improvement of existing models of a wide range of dynamic and stochastic systems for the theoretical description of their properties, search for new effects in them and possibilities of their use in various applications. Scientists of the group for the first time elaborated a theory of the directed transport of ferromagnetic nanoparticles in suspensions, which appears as a result of the action of the Magnus force, predicted the effect of the rotational motion of magnetically isotropic nanoparticles in a rotating magnetic field, and revealed the phenomenon of magnetization of nanoparticle systems by alternating magnetic fields. These and other effects and phenomena can be used, in particular, to increase the efficiency of magnetic hyperthermia, in the technology for superdense information recording and controlled separation of nanoparticles. Special attention is also paid to the development of theoretical methods for the analysis of stochastic systems, in which the source of stochasticity is random processes of different nature, and to obtaining exact results for them. Within the framework of this direction, a theory of superslow diffusion and relaxation is developed, which can be used to describe the behavior of a number of physical, biological and economic systems, and exact stationary distribution functions are found for the class of jump processes that simulate the destruction processes of mechanical systems. Some studies are carried out in collaboration with scientists from Spain, Germany, Poland and the United States.

The "Journal of Nano- and Electronic Physics" (ISSN: 2077-6772, e-ISSN: 2306-4277), which is indexed by such abstract databases as EBSCO, ProQuest and Scopus, is published at Sumy State University. The journal accepts papers containing original results of experimental and theoretical studies in the field of nanoscience, materials science, condensed matter physics, as well as of the research aimed at developing mathematical methods for describing processes and phenomena in these areas.

The Journal covers the following areas:

• physical properties of film and nanostructured materials;
• physics of nanoscale objects;
• development of experimental research methods in condensed matter physics;
• description methods of dynamic systems and nonequilibrium processes;
• generation and propagation of electromagnetic and optical radiation;
• physics of electron and ion beams;
• applied aspects of nano- and electronic physics.

The conference "Nanomaterials: Applications & Properties" is organized and held annually at Sumy State University. The aim of the conference is to highlight new practical and theoretical results on the properties of different groups of nanomaterials and coatings, as well as their application in industry.

The main topics of the conference are:

1. Synthesis and self-organization of nanomaterials.
2. Thin films and coatings.
3. Physics and chemistry of surfaces.
4. Nanophotonics.
5. Transport properties of nanoscale systems.
6. Nanomagnetism and magnetic materials.
7. Superconductivity in nanoscale systems.
8. Nanodevices and sensors.
9. Use of nanomaterials in "green" energy engineering and the environment;
10. Nanotechnologies and nanomaterials for biomedicine;
11. Theoretical modeling of processes in nanomaterials.

More than 200 people from about 30 countries worldwide participate annually in the conference. The conference is held in collaboration with IEEE, and the conference proceedings are indexed by Scopus and other databases.

To learn more about Sumy State University click here.