A part of the Physico-technical faculty.
Current profession: 071700 Optical interconnection physics and engineering

Bachelor and Master degree courses in:
550400 Telecommunications
Master degree program
550404 Optical location systems, optical communication systems and optical data-processing systems

The history of establishment of the chair "Physics" is linked to the Nizhny Novgorod University. In May 1930 on the basis of Nizhny Novgorod University were founded six institutes: mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering, agricultural, medical and pedagogical.

The physical laboratories were situated in the building of the former agricultural institute in the Minin place and were attended by the students of all universities of Nizhny Novgorod. The first head of the physics chair (1932-1939) had been the full professor A. N. Zilberman. In 1934 the mechanical engineering institute and chemical engineering institute joined together and got the name of Industrial institute. At the time they began to establish a new physical laboratory under the direction of N. A.Smirnov, the chair/division head, the associate professor, which was situated in the present 3^rd building of NSTU.

In 1936 the physical chair/division was provided with the dedicated physical laboratories, lecture hall with the seating capacity of 120 and a demonstration room in the main building of Polytechnic institute.

Since 1936 the head of the chair/division of physics became the associate professor A. A. Shternov, who had been working at the chair/division since 1930. That was the period of the chair/division establishment: they bought new equipment, developed the demonstration equipment.

During the hard years of World War II the chair/division staff was supplemented with the evacuated Leningrad (Saint-Petersberg) teachers. In 1942 A. A. Shternov became the dean of the radioengineering faculty. Instead of him the chair/division head became the Leningrader, full professor M. M. Glagolev. After his death at the beginning of 1944 the full professor G. D. Kokosh (a Leningrader too) made up for his absence.

In September 1944 P. P. Starodubrovsky, the full professor accepted the call to the chair of physics and had run  it within 33 years. The curriculum was improved, they worked out the teaching techniques to hold lectures, practical and laboratory training. Starodubrovsky P. P., full professor, trained a large group of lecturers: P. V. Tarasov, B. A. Panyshev, G. A. Arkhangelskaya, L. I. Lkasheva, B. A. Assonov, A. P. Vishnevsky, I. G.  Korobko.

The chair/division research trends expanded gradually, e. g., in 1955 was set up a team of researchers under direction of the V. S. Podisko, associate professor, who dealt with the crystal growth problems.

Afterward G. D. Pavlova (in 1972) and A. V. Kolina (in 1973) defended Ph. D. theses.

With the advent of I. G. Kataev, full professor, in 1965 was organized a research laboratory, in which they started intensive research in the field of physics of fast running electric and optical processes.

In 1966 was set up a team led by S. N. Postnikov, the associate professor, which researched the electric phenomena when colliding solid bodies.

In 1971 was set up a team to develop digital measuring instruments led by V. Ye. Nakonechny, the associate professor .

In 1974 was set up a team under direction of G. D. Dengin, the associate professor, researching the optimum  processing of composite signals and stochastic processes.

In 1974 the chair/division staff grew up to 50 members and they decided to set up an independent chair/division  "Atomic physics" based on the chair/division "Physics". After separation of the chair/division the laboratory of I. G. Kataev, full professor, became a part of the "Atomic physics".

V. A. Uskov, D. Sc. (Doctor of Mathematics and Physics), was invited to head the chair/division "Physics" from Gorky (Nizhny Novgorod) state university in 1978. Under his direction was set up the profession "Principal physics of microelectronics".

In 1987 the head of the chair/division became Doctor of Engineering, full professor S. B. Raevsky. Along with him appeared a number of new members. Engineering electrodynamics became predominant research trend.

They research in the fields of microwave technology, extremely high frequency (ehf) technology and optical bands.

Main research trends:

1. Research of the heterogeneous guiding structures set forth by the non-selfadjoint electrodynamic operators.
2. Analysis method development and design of functional assemblies for microwave technology, extremely high frequency (ehf) technology and optical bands.

Apart from the general physics course the chair/division staff members began to hold lectures in the subjects like "Mathematical physics methods", "Optical communication links", "Electromagnetic field theory".

In 1994 at the chair/division was established (for the first time in our country) a new profession "Optical communication physics and engineering". The students started to graduate from Technical university with the profession. At the chair/division were set up new university laboratories in connection with the establishment of a new profession:

1. Laboratory of the "Oscillatory and wave processes" course.
2. Laboratory of the "Elements of physical (wave) and quantum
3. optics" course.
4. Laboratory of the "Solid-state physics" course.
5. Optoelectronics laboratory.
6. Integrated optics laboratory.
7. Fiber-optics communications laboratory.
8. Electromagnetic field theory laboratory.
9. Auxiliary laboratory of mechanics.

Apart from the general physics the chair/division staff members began to hold the lectures in the following subjects.

1. Solid-state physics.
2. Mathematical physics methods.
3. Oscillatory wave processes.
4. Thermodynamics and statistical mechanics (statistical physics).
5. Specific sections of theoretical physics.
6. Circuit philosophy (circuit theory; electrical circuit analysis; network theory).
7. Physical quantum optics elements.
8. Electrodynamics and radio wave propagation.
9. Optoelectronic and UHF devices.
10. Integrated optics (microoptics).
11. Radio optics.
12. Optical links (lines) and passive elements of fiber-optic communication lines.
13. Measurements in optical communication.
14. Antennas and microwave technology.
15. Crystallography.
16. Tensor analysis and vector analysis.
17. Communication circuits for professions of "Networking and switching systems".
18. Waveguide engineering of optical bandwidth for professions
19. Electromagnetic field theory for the evening faculty of electronic engineering

Chair/division teaching staff:

2 staff full professors:

• S. B. Raevsky, Doctor of Engineering, full professor, Honored Worker of Science of Russian Federation, full member of RAIN of Russian Federation;
• A. A. Radionov, Doctor of Engineering

2 part-time full professors:

• A. I. Pikhtelev, Doctor of Engineering, full professor, Honored Worker of Science of Russian Federation, full member of Academy of natural sciences of Russian Federation (AEN RF), prize winner of the State prize;
• O. P. Pavlovsky, Doctor of Engineering

The chair/division employees published the following monographs:

Yu. A. Illarionov, S. B. Raevsky, V. Ya. Smorgonsky "Raschet gofrirovannykh i chastichnykh zapolnennykh volnovodov", Moskva, Sovetskoe radio, 1980;

G. I. Veselov, S. B. Raevsky "Sloistye metalo- diehlektricheskie volnovody". Moskva, Radio i svyaz, 1988

13 Ph. D. theses and 1 doctoral dissertation have been defended for the last 10 years.

The most essential developments accomplished by the chair/division staff members:

1. The design calculation of the first domestic series of elliptic rectangular corrugated waveguides.
2. The discovery and research of the complex resonance.
3. The research of the wave propagation effects in the repeated guiding structures described by non-selfadjoint operators.
4. Creating algorithms and design calculation programs for electronic parts of microwave and extremely high frequency ranges.

The chair/division head S. B. Raevsky, full professor is the editorial staff member of two scientific magazines, member of the Training techniques and methodology board for the research trend "Microwave wireless devices - technology and application in the national economy" of the Academy of engineering sciences of Russian Federation.