The Faculty of Physics
The Department Members Working Paper Course of Theoretical Physics Special courses

General Information

    The idea to create the Department of Theoretical Physics at Kharkiv University was suggested by the outstanding expert in Theoretical Physics of the 20th century, the Nobel and Lenin Prizes winner, academician L.D. Landau. Having worked at Kharkiv State University from 1935 till 1937, he started here the famous school of thought in Theoretical Physics, whose achievements are known well beyond the borders of Ukraine.

   Training of students majoring in Theoretical Physics is now carried out by the Department of Theoretical Physics within the School of Physics at V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. The Department of Theoretical Physics was founded in 1944 by a disciple of Landau, a prominent scientist, the Lenin Prize winner, academician Lifshyts I.M., who had headed it until 1969. Lifshyts I.M. is well known all over the world due to his research in the Theories of Solids and Disordered Systems, as well as in Biophysics. His outstanding achievements in research enabled him to win the Lenin and Mandelshtam Prizes, as well as the Simon International Reward. As has been mentioned above, Lifshyts started the world-known Kharkiv school of thought in Theoretical Physics. Together with his disciples he created the Modern Electronic Theory of Metals, developed the basis for the Theory of Disordered Systems, within the Theory of Metals suggested an ideology, known nowadays as fermiology.

   A number of well-known experts in Theoretical Physics had worked at the department: Full Professor Kaganov M.I., Corresponding Member of the Academy of Science of Ukraine Kaner E.A., Corresponding Member of NASU (National Academy of Science of Ukraine) Kosevich A.M., academician Pastur L.A., Full Professor Tsukernyk V.M. and others. Full Professors Peschansky V.G., Kovalev O.S., Yampol’skii V.O. and others are working at the department now. Eight Full Professors, five Associate Professors, an Assistant Professor, an Senior lecturer and an engineer are working at the department. They all belong to the Landau-Lifshyts school of thought. Well known experts in Theoretical Physics from FTINT (Low Temperatures Physics and Technology Institute) NASU (National Academy of Science of Ukraine), IRE (Institute of Radio Electronics) NASU are involved into the students training and research. Lifshyts I.M., Gulida L.S., Fal'ko I.I., Pargamanik L.E., Ul'yanov V.V. headed the Department at different times with O.M.Ermolaev being its head now.
   The department conducts research in Theoretical Physics, in particular in the Theory of the Condensed State of Matter, Disordered Systems, Mezoscopics, Superconductivity, Magnetism, Quantum Theory of the Field, Gravitation, Nonlinear Physics and so on. The department annual publications amount to 100 items, including articles, reviews, monographs, textbooks.
   Over 500 graduates and post-graduates in Theoretical Physics have graduated from the department. Almost half of them graduated with the PhD degree, and 100 – with the DSc degree (Doctor of Science: a post-Doctoral degree in Ukraine). The winners of State Prizes, authors of inventions can also be found among the graduates and post-graduates.
      The department trains experts in Theoretical Physics who can do research in any field of Theoretical Physics. The department graduates and post-graduates work as research staff at the Research Centers in Kharkiv and other cities of Ukraine, as well as teach Physics at university-level higher educational establishments, technical schools, general-education schools. A certain percentage of them work in CIS countries, as well as in some of the world's leading research centers. Education at the PhD and DSc levels in Theoretical Physics is conducted within a 3-4-year training course.