The department conducts research in the following areas: atomic and molecular spectroscopy; mathematical processing of spectroscopic experiment; quantum dynamics and quantum optics; coherent and nonlinear optics; nanooptics and spectroscopy of nanostructures.

Nanooptics and spectroscopy of nanostructures. Theoretical and experimental methods of scanning near-field optical microscopy are developed which allows exploring optical properties of micro- and nanostructures with ultra-high spatial resolution >10 nm. The effect of giant amplification of the electromagnetic field near metal nanosized probe enables the realization of single-molecule spectroscopy. Near-field Raman spectroscopy is used for non-destructive local chemical analysis of objects (nanotubes, fullerenes, thin film composite, etc.) at the nanometer scale in air under normal conditions. Experimental studies of near-field nonlinear optical processes are carried out (CARS generation of higher harmonics, etc.). In theory, we investigate the possibility of using laser traps to capture metal nanoparticles in liquid media. Research of surface plasmons is carried out, which are used in near-field optical lithography. Using gap-modes spectroscopy the possibility of obtaining sub-probe spatial resolution is investigated. With the use of atomic force microscopy and lateral force microscopy elastic and adhesive characteristics of micro- and nano-objects in air and in liquid medium are investigated, in order to obtain new data on the intermolecular interaction of organic, bioorganic, polymer compounds and biological structures (blood cells and tissue). Theoretical research of photonic crystals is aimed at the study of the mechanisms of photonic band gap formation in various matrices and the interaction of light with the simulated nano-objects.

Atomic and molecular spectroscopy. Local conformational dynamics of polymers used in the development of advanced composite materials for various branches of science and technology is studied by the methods of vibrational spectroscopy. The nanostructure of void volume and secondary relaxation transitions in glassy polymers for porous and non-porous separating membranes with predetermined transport (diffusion, penetration, gas separation) properties are investigated by the IR spectroscopic method of conformationally heterogeneous probes. Intermolecular interactions in the low molecular weight and high molecular environments, as well as the influence of supercritical fluid processing on the structure and properties of natural and synthetic polymeric materials are studied.

Quantum dynamics and quantum optics. Methods for quantum dynamics are developed that allow to describe the evolution of quantum systems whose interaction is non-local in time. The relationship between the non-local interactions and quantum paradox (effect) Zeno is investigated. Quantum electrodynamical effects in atomic spectra and quantum dynamics of atomic systems, interacting with the radiation field and the environment are explored. Dressing of atomic states by an intense laser radiation field and the Lamb shift of the Mollow spectrum are studied using the methods of quantum electrodynamics and quantum optics. New methods of effective quantum field theory are developed which open up new possibilities for constructing the theory of nuclear forces, quantum field theory of the interaction of radiation with an intense external field, the theory of muon atoms and study the structure of the vacuum in the field of the nuclei with supercritical charge. Spontaneous emission from atoms and dynamics of photons in photonic crystals are investigated.

Mathematical processing of spectroscopic experiment. New approaches and methods of mathematical processing and interpretation of spectroscopic experiments are developed. A number of algorithms for the study of complex signals and images on the basis of spectral analysis, wavelet analysis, fractal analysis methods and nonlinear dynamics of neural networks was created. A complex of programs on the basis of computer mathematics can solve direct and inverse problems of applied spectroscopy with features (fractal noise, fractional-power trends, gaps in data and others). Evolutionary algorithms (genetic algorithm, particle swarm, ant colonies, and others) are proposed for the solution of inverse ill-posed problems in applied spectroscopy, including the separation of complex contours to spectral components.

Coherent and nonlinear optics. The main directions of scientific research: optical echo spectroscopy, photon spectroscopy of the impurity crystals, pulsed coherent optical and acoustic spectroscopy, new physical principles of optical information processing, optical superradiance and other collective phenomena in solids and gases, the development of the physical principles of optical phase memory and quantum computers, four-dimensional optical and acousto-optical holography, laser cooling of solids and development of optical refrigeration, the study of the physical principles of gamma-gamma optics and lasers. One of the most significant results of the research in recent years is the researches of femtosecond echo spectroscopy of doped polymer films.

Laboratories:
1. Research Laboratory of Quantum optics, Nanophotonics and Optical spectroscopy of the department of optics and nanophotonics. The main research areas are: theoretical and experimental study of the interaction of atoms and molecules with radiation, interaction of intense laser radiation with matter, spontaneous emission from atoms in photonic crystals, quantum electrodynamical effects in atoms under extreme conditions, optical properties and optical spectra of micro- and nanostructures and development of the technology of growing photonic crystals.

2. Laboratory of Coherent Optics and Optical Spectroscopy created at the department of optics and nanophotonics in collaboration with the nonlinear optics laboratory of Kazan E.K. Zavoisky physical-technical institute. The main scientific activity of the research laboratory is: experimental and theoretical study of physics of optical coherent phenomena and development of methods of coherent spectroscopy.