The Faculty of Photonics is part of ITMO’s School of Physics and Engineering.

Faculty Mission 

The faculty aims to provide opportunities for holistic development of highly-qualified individuals and train top-tier specialists capable of adapting to the rapidly changing world and ensuring fast-track development of photonics and optoinformatics.

The Faculty of Photonics trains Bachelor's and Master's students in the field of photonics and optoinformatics.

Photonics is the science and technology of using light or photon streams in optical components, devices, and systems for generating, amplifying, modulating, distributing, and detecting optical signals. 

Optoinformatics is a relatively new field in photonics engaged in the development of optical technologies for transmitting, receiving, processing, storing, and displaying information.

Research interest of the faculty includes:

• Quantum technologies

  • Quantum communication

  • Quantum computing

  • Quantum repeaters

• Multifunctional materials

• Hybrid nanomaterials

• Femtotechnologies (including terahertz technologies and biotechnologies)

The faculty trains specialists in one of the most ground-breaking scientific fields in science and technology, which development is driven by laser, quantum, and nanotechnologies, as well as advanced optical materials. These technologies encompass a broad spectrum of areas:

• optical technologies of ultra high speed transmission of recording and storage of information;

• optical and quantum processors;

• artificial intelligence systems;

• new generation information and telecommunication systems;

• energy efficient technologies;

• advanced materials and technologies of photonics.

The Faculty's Bachelor's and Master's students receive in-depth knowledge and practical skills in the following fields:

• optical physics;

• physics of nanoscale objects;

• optical and quantum information technologies;

• optical materials science;

• systems and technologies of photonics;

• theory of information and information systems;

• computing systems architecture;

• programming technologies;

• advanced materials of photonics;

• high-tech innovation management.

Facilities and equipment

The Faculty has several dozens of educational and research laboratories and centers. Among them are such scientific institutions as the Research Institute for Nanophotonics and Optical Informatics and the International Research and Educational Center for Physics of Nanostructures.

The Faculty actively collaborates with leading companies and enterprises to help students become in-demand professionals on the market. From their second year of studies, students have the opportunity to work on current projects in the field of photonics and optoinformatics conducted by international research centers for the Russian Ministry of Education and Science, as well as Russian and international grants and contracts.

An important part of the preparation of high-quality young professionals and scientists is the organization of international youth schools and conferences in collaboration with educational and scientific partners, as well as the creation and development of youth scientific associations, and Russian and international scientific societies.

The school’s students are holders of the scholarship of the President of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Russian Federation, as well as winners of competitions for best scientific works by the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Ministry of Education and Science, and the world's major scientific societies and foundations (INTAS, SPIE, CRDF, and OSA).