Solid State Radiation Physics laboratory was founded in 1973. The main focuses of the laboratory were the study of the influence of radiation (particularly the influence of fast electron beams) on the properties of solid materials and application of synchrotron radiation for the study of solid state optical properties.
A team of 4 young physicists (Hrant Yeritsyan, Rafael Melkonyan, Norair Grigroyan and Aram Sahakyan) organized by Hrant Yeritsayn in 1969, became the core of the laboratory. These people were enthusiasts devoted to their work.
Summing up the works of the laboratory within these 30 years, it is noteworthy that more than 150 scientific works and reports were published and presented to International conferences. The laboratory prepared 4 Doctors of Physical-Mathematical Sciences and 14 PhDs, which are now employed by YerPhI and other scientific centers of Armenia.
In 1980’s, “the radiation physics laboratory” (the early name) was performing various activities and employed a staff of 40 researchers and supporting personnel. From this period special contribution made by Rafael Melkonyan, Slavik Airapetyan, Volodya Gevorkyan, Sergey Babayan, Yuri Nazaryan, Hrachia Abgaryan, Ruben Atabekyan, Rafael Ezoyan, Anzhela Aslanyan, Felix Karapetyan and Levon Tolabchyan is acknowledged and appreciated.
At present highly qualified specialists make the core of the laboratory. Among them Hrant Yeritsyan, Aram Sahakyan, Vachagan Harutunyan, Sergei Nikogosyan, Norik Grigoryan, Eleonora Hakhverdyan, Aghasi Hovhannisyan and others have to be mentioned. All researchers are involved in International projects.
Special attention is given to the study of optical properties of solids in soft X-ray vacuum ultraviolet spectral region using synchrotron radiation (SR). Due to its unique properties (continuous distribution, high intensity, polarization), synchrotron radiation attracts attention of scientists specialized in vacuum ultraviolet and X-ray spectroscopy. It should be noted that among the pioneer investigators of synchrotron radiation in Soviet Union were specialists of accelerator “ARUS” (1971). Since 1972 works on spectroscopy of laser crystals and semi-conductor compounds using SR have been intensively carried out in our laboratory. Next year, the employees of Central Institute of Electronic Physics of Academy Sciences of German Democratic Republic and Leipzig University took also part in these investigations within the framework of International cooperation between the USSR State Committee of Atomic Energy and Ministry of Energy of German Democratic Republic. Within the framework of the cooperation, a spectrometer for soft X-ray range was manufactured in German Democratic Republic and mounted in SR-3 channel of accelerator “ARUS” at Yerevan Physical Institute. Using the spectrometer, spectroscopic properties of various materials were measured during 5 years. After shutdown of accelerator “ARUS” and ageing of the channel itself, the works proceed in facilities, located in DESY’s HASYLAB station, in Hamburg, Germany. Apart from research work, at its early period of work the team also performed contractual projects covering issues of radiation stability of semiconductors and semiconductor-based equipment. These were joint projects carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of Electronic Industry and the Ministry of Defense of the USSR, in the framework of a common program of radiation stability studies under open space conditions.
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