The main objective of the Theoretical Physics Department is to educate students as Physicists capable of conducting research and development studies in any field of theoretical physics. Graduates of the department are working employees of research institutes in Kharkiv and other cities of Ukraine, professors of physics at universities, academies, colleges and schools. Some of them work in the CIS countries and leading research centers in the world. Preparation of highly qualified specialists is performed through postgraduate school specialty "Theoretical Physics"
General Information
Brief History
History of the department could begin with the foundation of the Kharkov University in 1805, as at that time one of the departments of physical and mathematical sciences was the Department of Theoretical and Experimental Physics, however, the staff of the department does not pretend to such continuity (this applies to other departments of the same name), otherwise we could soon be celebrating its 210th anniversary of the department. Now our department is only 70 years old!
The idea of creating a modern department of theoretical physics at Kharkov University belongs to a prominent theoretical physicist of the XX century, Academician L.D.Landau. He worked at the Kharkov University from 1935 to 1937. In Kharkov, Landau created the famous scientific school of theoretical physicists whose achievements are known far beyond the borders of our country.
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Academician I.M.Lifshits (1917-1982) is the winner of the Lenin Prize (1967), State Prize of USSR in Science and Technology (1985), co-author of three Certificates of Fundamental Discoveries.
He was awarded the Order of Labor Red Banner, two medals.
Winner of L. Mandelstam and F. Simon awards.
Member of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States, a member of the Trinity College, Cambridge.
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| 4th Year Students with Staff, Division of Physics, Faculty of Physics& Mathematics, 1948 |
Modern Department of Theoretical Physics was founded in the spring of 1944 by I.M.Lifshits, a future academician. It was called the "Department of statistical physics and thermodynamics." The name "Department of Theoretical Physics" appeared in 1979, ie 35 years after its founding, but it did not affect the essence, but only emphasized that the Department trains theoretical physicists, who can work in any direction of theoretical physics. In 2008, in connection with the celebration of the 90th anniversary of I.M. Lifshits and significant achievements of the department staff by order of the rector of the department became the first "named" Department of the Kharkov National University and is now called the "I.M.Lifshits Department of Theoretical Physics.
The most significant scientific achievements of Lifshits and his school:
Construction of the modern theory of solids, in particular the electron theory of metals, the theory of disordered condensed systems. In the theory of metals, I.M. Lifshits and his students have created an ideology that is now known throughout the world as fermiology. They are constructed the theory of the Haas - van Alphen effect in metals with an arbitrary energy spectrum of electrons, the theory of galvanomagnetic phenomena in metals with an arbitrary spectrum of conduction electrons, the theory of cyclotron resonance in metals, the theory of thermodynamic, kinetic, high-frequency phenomena in magnetic materials.
Corresponding Member of NASU. E.A.Kaner (1931-1986) is the co-author of two discoveries (author's certificates, 1966, 1970), Laureate of State Prize of Ukraine in Science and Technology (1980).
Corresponding Member of NASU A.M.Kossevich (1928-2006)is the co-author of the discovery (author's certificate No 182 ), Laureate of State Prize of Ukraine in Science and Technology (1978), the National Academy of Sciences Award of K.D.Sinelnikov (1999), Honored Scientist of Ukraine (1997), Excellence in Education of Ukraine (1998), Laureate of State Prize of Ukraine in Science and Technology (2001), Honorary Doctor of Kharkiv (2004).
At the department worked well-known theoretical physicists: academician LA Pastur,academician O.G.Sitenko, corresponding member of NASU E.A. Kaner, corresponding member of NASU A.M.Kossevich, Corresponding Member. of NASU I.O.Kulik, Prof. M.Ya.Azbel, Prof. F.G.Bass, Prof. A.Ya.Blank, Prof..L.German, Prof. V.M.Gvozdikov, Prof. L.I.Glazman, Prof. R.N.Gurzhi, Prof. D.G.Dolgopolov, Prof. M.I.Kaganov, Prof. V.M.Tsukernik, Assoc.Prof. T.S.Chebanova, Assoc.Prof. V.M.Pyzh, researchers O.B.Zaslavsky, O.L.Mashkevich and many others.
At the department work now former students of I.M. Lifshits and his followers: Prof.M.M.Bogdan, Prof.A.S.Kovalev, Prof.I.V.Krive, Prof.V.V.Ulyanov, Corresponding member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Prof.V.A.Yampol’skii and other.
In teaching and scientific work allways are involved well-known theoretical physicists from ILTPE NASU, IRE NASU, NSC KIPT, and others well known institutions.
The department was headed by Academician I.M.Lifshits, Assoc. Gulida, Assoc. I.I.Fal'co, Prof. L.E Pargamanik, Prof. V.V.Ulyanov, Prof. A.M.Ermolaev.
Former Heads of the Department
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| I.M.Lifshits | L.S.Gulida | I.I.Fal'ko | L.E.Pargamanik | V.V.Ulyanov |
| 1944-1968 | 1969-1973 | 1974-1979 | 1980-1981 | 1982-1993 |
From 1993 to 2013 the department was headed Prof. A.M.Ermolaev
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| Prof. A.M..Ermolaev with former students of the Theoretical Physics Dept. during traditional "Day of University Graguates", 2010 |
Since June 2013, acting. head of the department became Assoc. G.I.Rashba..
Modern Time
Research fields of the department staff is theoretical physics, in particular the theory of condensed matter, theory of disordered systems, mesoscopics, superconductivity, quantum theory of magnetism, quantum field theory, gravity, nonlinear physics, spintronics, and the normal low-dimensional magnetic nanosystems, in particular, carbon nanotubes and semiconductors, which are advanced materials for modern nanotechnology. Publications of the department of nearly 100 papers per year (articles, reviews, monographs, textbooks).
The most significant scientific achievements of recent years:
Building a theory of magnetoimpurity electron states in solids, the theory of thermodynamic, kinetic, magnetic, high-frequency acoustic characteristics of superconductors with magnetoimpurity electron states. The theory of collective excitations in conductors with magnetoimpurity electron states, new types of electromagnetic, magnetoplasma, spin and elastic waves in such conductors, diagnosis of these waves. The creation of new methods in the theory of quantum spin systems, the concept of the spin-coordinate correspondence. The discovery of new classes of exact solutions of the Schrödinger equation. Construction of a theory of superconductivity of layered systems. The theory of thermodynamic, kinetic, high-frequency phenomena in mesoscopic systems. The theory of nonlinear phenomena in solids. Theory of hard superconductors. Characteristics of two-dimensional electron gas, quantum dots, wires, carbon nanotubes and semiconducting nanotubes in a magnetic field.
The scientific work of the department staff covers almost all important areas of modern theoretical physics. This is the theory of condensed matter, quantum field theory, gravity, the theory of low-dimensional magnetic systems, the electron theory of metals, the theory of layered systems, mesoscopics, electronic nanosystems on curved surfaces, the dynamics of the crystal lattice, nonlinear physics,the theory of superconductivity, the theory of spin systems, fractals, quantum Computer and others. These areas are the theoretical basis of modern nanotechnology. In particular, the theory of nanosystems on curved surfaces is the basis of the modern trends of nanotechnology, which was called carbon and nano-scale semiconductors nanotechnologies.
In 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 I.M.Lifshits Theoretical Department have got the best reiting among the Nature Sciense Departments at V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University.
Prof. I.V.Krive is Laureate of Ukrainian State Award in Science and Technology (2006).
Prof. V.G.Peschansky is Laureate of Ukrainian State Award in Science and Technology (2008).
Prof.V.A.Yampol'skii is Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine(2009) .
Prof. A.M. Ermolaev - Excellence in Education of Ukraine (2008), Laureate of Ukrainian State Award in Science and Technology (2013).
Prof. A.S. Kovalev is Laureate of Ukrainian A.S.Davydov award in theoretical physics (2006), Letter of commendation from Ukrainian parliament (2010) and Laureate of Ukrainian State Award in Science and Technology (2013).
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| 4th Students with Prof. A.M..Ermolaev and Associate Prof. G.I.Rashba after Bachelor Exams, 2010 |
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| MS students with O.M.Ermolaev after lecture, 2012 |