Laboratory of Physics of Cluster Structures

The Laboratory of Physics of Cluster Structures is a division of the Department of Solid-State Electronics of the A.F. Ioffe Institute of Physics and Technology. The laboratory is managed by the Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Professor A.Y. Vul. The laboratory was established in March 1993 on the basis of the Laboratory of Physics of doped semiconductors. The scientific core of the laboratory includes students of Yuri Vasilyevich Shmartsev (1930-1993). The laboratory's activities include the development of technology and the study of the properties of new carbon nanostructures – detonation synthesis nanodiamonds, graphene and graphene oxide; composite materials based on them, carbon nanostructure technology is one of the important areas of modern nanotechnology. Based on such structures, new elements of electronics and optoelectronics, new types of composite materials, primarily with high thermal conductivity, new types of biomarkers, selective adsorbents and catalysts are being created. Currently, the laboratory's topics cover the following fundamental and applied areas: Mechanisms of structural phase transitions in a number of nanodiamonds - bulbous form of carbon - nanographite; Magnetic properties of nanodiamonds and nanographite; Thermoelectric effects in carbon nanostructures; Spectrum of electronic states and processes of field emission of electrons in nanocarbon structures; Thermal conductivity of composite materials based on nanodiamonds; Aggregation, self-organization stability in two-phase liquid-nanodiamond systems; Methods of purification and functionalization of the surface of detonation synthesis nanodiamonds, graphene and graphene oxide; Development of technology for the synthesis of low-layer graphene by self-propagating high-temperature synthesis; Thermal conductivity and heat capacity of nanofluids with particles of low-layer graphene; Thermophysical and strength properties of composite materials synthesized from two-dimensional carbon nanostructures. Research in the laboratory is carried out in cooperation with other departments of the A.F. Ioffe Institute of Physics and Technology and scientific centers in Russia and abroad on the basis of agreements on scientific cooperation (see the section "Cooperation"). The laboratory staff were the initiators and members of the organizing and program committees of the periodic International Conference "Fullerenes and Atomic Clusters”, held since 1993 in St. Petersburg, currently - Advanced Carbon NanoStructures, were the initiators and organizers of the International Symposium "Detonation Nanodiamonds. Technology, properties, applications". The laboratory has 11 researchers - doctors and candidates of sciences, 6 engineering and technical workers. Graduate students of the Ioffe Institute of Physics and Technology and students of St. Petersburg Polytechnic and Technological Universities constantly participate in scientific research conducted in the laboratory.