MAG_lab home page

Initial information

·    Main interests: experimental research of defects in ferroelectrics, non-linear optical materials, electro- and acousto-optical crystals.

·   Main methods of investigation: electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR), optical spectroscopy, and simultaneous EPR + optical absorption spectroscopy.

·     Supplementary experimental methods used: nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), X-ray structural analyses, dielectric permittivity and conductivity measurements, electron microscopy, different kind of radiation treatment and annealing of crystals in various atmospheres.

·     Main materials studied: electro- and acousto-optical, laser crystals LiNbO₃ and LiTaO₃, pyroelectric and superionic Li₂B₄O₇, nonlinear optical materials - KTiOPO₄, BaTiO₃, Ba_xCa_1-xTiO₃, virtual ferroelectrics KTaO₃.

·    Central purpose of the investigation: determination of the structure of extrinsic, intrinsic and radiation defects and their influence on crystal properties; characterization of materials and optimization of their parameters.

·  Cooperation and consulting: research and applied laboratories of USA, Japan and Europe.

·  Initiation and organization of the detailed characterization of lithium niobate crystals of different composition doped with various impurities in Marseille, Toulon, Metz (France), Giessen and Osnabrück (Germany) in the frame of national and international projects. Dozens of articles were published as a result of scientific collaboration of these laboratories.

·  References:  several hundred citations for the last 5 years. Our discovering of the way to produce LiNbO₃ crystals with the lattice structure of a high perfection and demonstration of very promising features of this material (for both fundamental science and application) originated the booming world interest to this field. Different research and applied laboratories, and companies in Europe (Germany, France, Spain, Hungary, Portugal, Armenia, Poland, Russia, …), USA and Asia (Japan, Korea, China) started the production of such crystals by various growth techniques and very intensive characterization of their properties, which already gave extremely interesting results and extended a market of LiNbO₃ and LiTaO₃ applications.

Employment details

Beginning 1980 scientific work in the field of spectroscopy of defects and condensed matter physics: experimental investigations of intrinsic, extrinsic and radiation defects in solids, characterization of defect structure and optimization of defect related properties of ferroelectric, photorefractive, non-linear optical, photonic, electro- and acoustooptical materials.

2002-...          Associated Professor, Physics Department, Montana State University, USA

1997-2002     Research scientist, Department of Physics, University of Osnabrück, Germany

1994-1996     Research scientist, 1. Physikalische Institut der J.-L. Universität Giessen, Germany

1990-1994           Senior research scientist, head of the group; Institute for Problems of Material  Sciences,

                         Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev, Ukraine

1978-1990      Postgraduate student, engineer, junior research scientist, research scientist; ibid.

Awards,  research fellowships, scholarships
2004 Outstanding Faculty Award  (Physics Deprtment, Montana State University)

CNRS, CIES (France, 1993-1994); NATO, ESF (Europe), DAAD, DFG, BMBF (Germany, 1994-1999)

Academic education and degrees

1987    Candidate of Sciences (Ph.D., Phys. and Math.)

            Institute for Problems of Material Sciences, Kiev, Ukraine. Diploma  FM  No 030071.

Title: Influence of extrinsic and intrinsic defects, pressure and temperature on lithium niobate and tantalate properties.

1978    M.Sc. in Physics of dielectrics and ferroelectrics, Rostov-on-Don State University, USSR

Research experience

·        Nearly 20 years of scientific work in experimental research concerning spectroscopy of defects in ferroelectrics, non-linear optical materials, electro- and acoustooptical crystals.

·        Main methods of investigation: electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR), optical spectroscopy, simultaneous EPR/ optical absorption spectroscopy.

·        Supplementary experimental methods used: nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), X-ray structural analyses, dielectric permittivity and conductivity measurements, electron microscopy, different kind of radiation treatment and annealing of crystals in various atmospheres.

·        Main materials studied: electro- and acoustooptical, laser crystals LiNbO₃ and LiTaO₃, pyroelectric and superionic Li₂B₄O₇, nonlinear optical materials - KTiOPO₄, BaTiO₃, Ba_xCa_1-xTiO₃, SBN, virtual ferroelectrics KTaO₃.

·        Central purpose of the investigation: determination of the structure of extrinsic, intrinsic and radiation defects and their influence on crystal properties; characterization of materials and optimization of their parameters.

Current Grants and contracts

1. Supplement to the NSF project “Impurity locations and mechanisms of charge compensation in stoichiometric lithium niobate and lithium tantalate crystals”. NSF; $7,000, 4/1/2004-3/31/2005, G.Malovichko.

2. “Impurity locations and mechanisms of charge compensation in stoichiometric lithium niobate and lithium tantalate crystals”, NSF; $339,870, 7/1/2003-7/1/2006; PI - G.Malovichko.

3. “The EPR/ENDOR spectrometer”; NSF EPSCoR (M.Young), $57,000. 11/1/2002-11/1/2005; PI - G.Malovichko

4. “Defects and their correlation in congruent, stoichiometric and regularly ordered lithium niobate”, DFG (German Research Society); Euro 200,000; 3/16/2001-3/31/2005; University of Osnabrueck, Germany and MSU, Bozeman; Co-PI: G.Malovichko; PI: O.Schirmer, Osnabrueck, Germany.

International projects

1999 - 2000    French-German projects devoted to the improvement of nonlinear optical materials properties, sponsored by industrial partners

1997 - 1999    Bilateral German-Ukrainian project “Stoichiometric lithium niobate - new material with improved parameters for extended electrooptical applications; characterization of its defect structure”.

1996 - 1999   International project INTAS-96-0699 “Preparation and investigation of regularly ordered LiNbO₃ – the basis for tailoring fundamental material properties and advanced applications”.

1994 - 1997    International project INTAS-94-1080 “New Oxide Materials for Advanced Electrooptical Applications: Defect structure as Related to Performance”.

1993 - 1996    European Oxide Crystals Network.

1993 - 2001    Collaboration with Universities of Marseille, Toulon, Metz (France); Giessen, München (Germany), Research Institute of Solid State Physics and Optics, Budapest (Hungary), Institute of Physical Researches, Ashtarak (Armenia), Institute of Crystallography, Moscow (Russia).

Teaching experience

New course PHYS 442 “Novel materials for Physics and Engineering” was designed and proposed. This course has been already approved by all Committees at MSU and is assigned for the Spring semester 2006.

Spring 2005:      Course PHYS 545 – Condensed Matter Physics 2

Fall 2004:          Course PHYS 544 – Condensed Matter Physics 1

Spring 2004:      Course PHYS 411 Quantum Mechanics 1

Fall 2003:          Course PHYS 441 Solid State Physics

Spring 2003:      Course PHYS 545 – Condensed Matter Physics 2

Students and Advisees  

2003-2004      Undergraduate students – Ben Losby, Mark Munro, Robert Petersen

1994-2000      Universite de Metz-Supelec, France. Scientific Adviser of  Ph.D. theses.

1987-1992      Institute for Problems of Material Sciences, Kiev. Supervisor of Ph.D. and M.Sc. works.

1976-1978      Rostov-on-Don University, Acting Instructor, Physics of ferroelectrics and dielectrics.

Principal results obtained:

-  Scientific refereed articles – 48.

-  Published contributions to academic conferences – 54.

-  Invited lectures and keynote talks – 28.

·       New way for producing of regularly ordered (stoichiometric, free of intrinsic defects) LiNbO₃ (LN) crystals was developed, being the result of the close collaboration with crystal growers. Various properties of stoichiometric material were predicted, obtained and explained. This study opened a door for new advanced applications of LiNbO₃ and LiTaO₃ in integrated optics and photonics, some of them are already realized, and the others are in the process of development.

·     Several new methods for the comparison and characterization of ordered (crystals, films) and disordered (powders, ceramics) materials were suggested, based on our fundamental researches and knowledge of industrial problems and requirements.

·       Nearly thirty new paramagnetic defect centers in complex lithium oxides and other nonlinear optical materials were found, their spectroscopic characteristics were determined and models of defect structures were proposed. This pushed ahead the experimental physics of extrinsic and intrinsic defects (especially in case of lithium oxides) and stimulated a further development of theoretical investigations.

.

Professional affilation:  Optical Society of America, American Physical Society, Material Research Society.

Visiting researcher, visiting professor

Metz University, Metz, France, 1994-1998 (7 months).

Aix-Marseille 3 University, Marseille, France, 1993-1994 (12 months).

Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany, 1991-1992 (3 months).

Languages: English, German, Russian, Ukrainian.