Main fields of research
- Linear electrodynamics of nanostructures;
- Nonlinear electrodynamics of nanostructures;
- Quantum optics of nanostructures;
- Nanostructured composites;
- Active nanostructures.
The works by the laboratory team lie on the border of physical and quantum electronics, solid state physics and electromagnetics. They have lead to creation and fast advance of new research discipline - nanoelectromagnetics, which unites the methods and approaches of classical electrodynamics of microwaves and modern quantum physics of condensed state and physical electronics to simulate optical and electronic properties of nanostructures. The research started back in 1996.
The recent research form nanoelectromagnetism as an independent field, that yields pioneer results on predicting of physical effects in nanostructures and simulation of response of nanostructures to electromagnetic actions. It started as a fundamental research, currently the work covers a long list of applied problems, among which, particularly, there is the problem of development of wideband protective composite covering for GHz and THz frequency ranges based in various forms of nanocarbon. The basis for electrodynamics of carbon nanotubes (CNT) was lied [G.Ya. Slepyan et al., Phys.Rev.B. 60 (1999) 17136], the effect of decelerating of surface electromagnetic wave by more than 100 times was theoretically predicted. In pioneer works on study of antenna properties of standalone CNT with limited length a qualitative explaination of experimentally registered electromagnetic properties of composite materials in THz and infrared frequency ranges was given and for the first time antenna nature of THz peak in electromagnetic response of the films and composites with CNT was experimentally shown [M.V. Shuba et al., Phys.Rev.B 85 (2012) 165435]. Cherenkov mechanism of amplification and generation of electromagnetic radiation in THz spectrum range by a flux of n-electrons in carbon nanotubes was predicted and a concept of CNT as a monomolecular running wave lamp was proposed [K.G. Batrakov et al., Phys.Rev.B 79 (2009) 125408].
In 2013 experimental studies of interaction of microwave radiation with ultrathin carbon and graphene films were started. The results show that the films of nanometer thickness made of pirolitic carbon and graphene monolayers are highly promising for microwave applications: carbon/graphene layer with a thickness from several nanometers to several dosens of nanometers can absorb up to 50% of electromagnetic radiation in GHz and THz ranges (being by hundreds of thousands of times tnihher than skin-layer) [K. Batrakov et al., Scientific Reports 4, Article no. 7191 (2014) doi:10.1038/srep07191].
New objects of research are porous carbon micro- and nano-structures, -foams, meso- and aerogels, hollow spheres [D. Bychanok et al., APL 108 (2016) 013701]. The variety of porous structures of carbon (random, ordered, 3d-regular lattices etc.) provide plenty of ways to manufacture the materials and metamaterials with unique electric and electromagntic properties.
The Laboratory of nanoelectromagnetics posesses the following equipment:
- Scalar spectra analyser in the frequency range 26-37 GHz (Elmika, Lithuania)
- THz spectrometer T-Spec (EKSPLA, Lithuania)
- Gas-phase chemical reactor (СVD-4) (NIIC SB RAS, Russia)
- A device for CVD synthesis of graphene and other 2D carbon films of large square (25-30 cm², currently being accepted).
The laboratory team took part and continues to take part in the works under several projects of FP6 и FP7 EU research framework programs and "Horizon 2020" progam, aslo in ISTC and NATO Science for Peace program. The project was completed "Institutional Development of Applied Nanoelectromagnetics: Belarus in ERA Widening" (FP7-266529 BY-NanoERA), which for the first time had a belarusian scientist as a coordinator (S.A. Maskimenko). The team of INP BSU is the only representative from the CIS countries in megaproject of European Union GRAPHENE FLAGSHIP "Graphene-Based Revolutions in ICT And Beyond, Multi-layered sandwich graphene device", projects FP7- 604391 and Horizon 2020 696656. Currently the laboratory is working on the projects ЕС FAEMCAR, CANTOR, NAmiceMC, ЕС COEXAN project. The project of the federal target program of Ministry of education and science of Russian Federation "The development of new generation of ultralight/thin conducting materials based on graphene and nanoscale forms of carbon for microwave and THz devices" is performed jointly with Ryazan State Radio Engineering University. A joint Belarusian-Chinese scientific-educational laboratory of carbon nanomaterials was established (INP BSU- Harbin University of Science and Technology). S.A. Maksimenko was elected SPIE Fellow, the first of belarusian scientists, for the works in the field of nanoelectromagnetism, he is an associate editor of Journal of Nanophotonics. In 2011 K.G. Batrakov, P.P.Kuzhir, S.A.Maksimenko and G.Ja.Slepyan from the laboratory became winners of A.N. Sevchenko Award for the series of works "Electrodynamics of nanostructures".
Laboratory was an organiser of international conference "Fundamental and Applied NanoElectroMagnetics"(FANEM 2012), and conference that took place under the name NATO Advanced Research Workshop.