Commentary

Natural Sciences Center of General Physics Institute   Vitaly I. Konov   General Physics Institute   Email: vik@nsc.gpi.ru

Natural Sciences Center (NSC) was founded in 1997 by the Nobel Laureate Prof. Alexander Prokhorov. Its aim is to carry out interdisciplinary research at the interface of physics and other natural sciences - chemistry, biology, medicine and ecology with the specific focus on nano scale materials and devices. Our main research areas and some of the important results include:

• Laser-matter interaction. The unique technologies for surface and bulk micro and nanostructuring of diamond by intense femtosecond laser pulses with formation of graphitic regions and their subsequent removal by additional chemical etching.

• Scanning probe (TEM) nanolithography.

• Field electron emission from nanomaterials. Size effect (the dependence of the electron work function on the dimensions of nanophase material surrounded by an insulator or vacuum) was discovered.

• Synthesis, parameters control and processing, photonic applications of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT). It is shown that SWNT is an effective non-linear material allowing to obtain intense pico and femtosecond laser pulses.

• CVD synthesis of mono, micro and nanocrystalline diamond films and plates. Highly conductive nitrogen-doped nanocrystalline films were produced.

• Optical sensors. Ultra sensitive low coherence interferometric device (Picoscope) has been developed and applied for immuno-analysis.

• Sinthesis and biomedical applications of nanoparticles. Successful application of nanoparticle photosensitizars in laser photodynamic therapy in dentistry has been demonstrated.

Essential part of NSC activities is transformation of ideas and data from fundamental science research into innovations and creating spin-off companies. We look forward to develop some new research collaboration and business partnerships at NGC/CSTC 2009 meeting.