Laser spectroscopy department

The Department of Laser Spectroscopy was originated in 1970 by Prof., Dr. Sci. V.S. Letokhov (10.11.1939 - 21.03.2009) and was headed by him practically to his last days. Since 2009 Prof., Dr. Sci. E.A. Ryabov is the Head of the Department. Originally this Department consisted of the Laboratory of Laser Spectroscopy (Prof. V.S. Letokhov, now - Dr. Sci. V.I. Balykin) and the Sector (subsequently, the Laboratory) of Spectroscopy of Excited States (Head, Dr. R.V. Ambartzumian; later, the laboratory was headed by Prof. E.A. Ryabov). The core of the department was formed by young scientists invited from the Department of Quantum Radio-physics at the Lebedev Physics Institute, RAS, and by undergraduates from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, for whom the Institute of Spectroscopy became the base training center to specialize in quantum optics. The scientific program of the laboratories was based on new ideas in the field of laser spectroscopy and selective interaction of laser radiation with matter, which outpaced similar ideas abroad. This largely determined the success of the program, despite the noticeably lower level of the scientific equipment in this country compared to that abroad. Later on, within the group of laser laboratories, the Laboratory of Picosecond Spectroscopy was organized (Head Dr. Sci. P.G. Kryukov and, at the moment, Dr. Sci. S.V. Chekalin). This laboratory successfully extended the scope of scientific projects under study and made it possible to create the full-fledged department of laser spectroscopy. Since its founding, a wide range of studies in various areas of laser spectroscopy were carried out in the department. In particular, the studies in the field of selective laser chemistry should be mentioned. The developed methods of selective action on atoms and molecules formed the basis of a number of effective methods of laser isotope separation. The new method of laser control of atomic motion were developed in the department and the first experiments on cooling, collimation, and reflection of atom beams by laser radiation were carried out here. It was also proposed and implemented selective detection of atoms and molecules by multiphoton resonant ionization of these particles, what, in turn, allowed to develop the new methods of ultrasensitive analysis. The advanced methods of pico-and femtosecond nonlinear laser spectroscopy were developed and successfully used to study ultrafast processes in condensed media. Moreover, a number of projects were carried out in the department in the field of laser opto-mass spectroscopy of organic molecules, the development of new schemes for production of laser radiation, including X-ray region, the application of lasers in nuclear physics, medicine, etc.

Department subdivisions

Laboratory of Laser Spectroscopy (head of laboratory - Prof. Dr. V.I. Balykin);

Laboratory of Spectroscopy of Excited States of Molecules (head of laboratory - Prof. Dr. E.A. Ryabov);

Laboratory of Spectroscopy of Ultrafast Processes (head of laboratory - Prof. Dr. S.V. Chekalin);

Prof. T.I.Karu (Laboratory of Laser Biology and Medicine of IPLIT RAS);