EUGENE KOTOMIN 

Latest Curriculum Vitae and the List of Publications in Adobe PDF.

TITLE: Ph D, Dr Sc in Physics, Dr habil. phys.

AFFILIATION AND ADDRESS:
Institute of Solid State Physics,  the University of Latvia, 8 Kengaraga str.,  LV-1063  Riga,  LATVIA. 
PHONES: +371-7187480 (office), 371-7-325744 (home)
FAX: +371-7132778, 371-2-225039
E-MAIL: kotomin@acad.latnet.lv

PERSONAL DETAILS
DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH: September 20, 1949, Vilnius, Lithuanian Republic
MARITAL STATUS: Married, 2 children
 

EDUCATION

1966-1971 B.S.+M.S. degrees: Dept. of Physics, Latvian State University, 19 Rainis blvd., Riga LV-1058, Latvia

1973-1974 Visiting Fellow, Dept. of Quantum Chemistry, Leningrad University. Advisor: Prof. R.A. Evarestov

1975 Ph D degree: Institute of Physics, The Latvian Academy of Sciences. Advisor: Prof. I. Tale
Title of Thesis: "Role of electron tunnelling in radiation- induced defect accumulation and in diffusion-controlled reactions of defects"

1988 Dr Sc (Soviet Doctor of Sciences) degree in Solid State Physics.
Title of Thesis: "Theory of defect accumulation and recombination in ionic crystals controlled by electron tunnelling".

1992 Dr habil. in physics, University of Latvia, Riga

ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

1971-1974 Engineer and Research Associate, Institute of Solid State Physics, Latvian State University, 8 Kengaraga Str., LV-1063, Riga, Latvia

1975-1979 Assistent Professor, Dept. of Semiconductor Physics, Latvian State University, Riga

1980-1985 Scientist and Senior Scientist at the Institute of Solid State Physics

1986 Senior Visiting Fellow, Dept. of Theoretical Chemistry, Turin University, Italy. Advisor: Prof. C.Pisani

1987 Associate Professor, Dept. of Semiconductor Physics, Latvian State University

1987-1991, A lecturer in general physics, University of Latvia, Riga

1988-present Leading Research Scientist and head of the theoretical laboratory at the Institute of Solid State Physics attached to the University of Latvia, Riga

1996 Full Professor of the University of Latvia

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES, FELLOWSHIPS

05-06.1989 Invited Professor, Inorganic Chemistry Dept., University of Turin, Italy

05.1990, 03.1991 Visiting Scientist, University of Bayreuth, Germany

12.1990 Visiting Scientist, Ben-Gurion University, Israel

09.1991-02.1992 CCP Fellow at the University of Western Ontario, Canada

10-11,1992 Visiting Scientist, Max-Planck-Institut (MPI) fur Metallforschung, Stuttgart

05-06.1993 NUFFIC Fellow, ECN Institute, The Netherlands

11.1993-06.1994 DFG Fellowship at the MPI fur Metallforschung, Stuttgart

09.1994-09.1995 Visiting Professor at the Aarhus University, Denmark

07.1996-09.1996  Visiting Professor at University of Aarhus, Denmark

09.1997   Visiting Scientist at University of Madrid, Spain

03.1998    Visiting Professor at Tsukuba Science City, Japan

08.98-08.1999   DFG Visiting Professor at Universität Osnabrück, Germany
 

Member of the Organizing Committee of the following Conferences:

- Quantum Chemistry of Solids; Riga 1985, 1990,

- European MRS, Strasbourg, 1995

- Radiation Effects in Insulators (REI-8), Catania, 1995; REI-9, Tennessee, 1997

Invited talks at the following International Conferences:

- Radiation Effects in Insulators (REI-7), Nagoya, 1994

- Nato Advanced Research Workshop on Computer Modelling of Processes in Electronic and Space Materials, Wroclaw, 1996

-2nd International Conference on Excitonic Processes in Condensed Matter, Kurort Gohlich, Germany, 1996

- Defects in Insulating Materials (ICDIM-96), Winston-Salem, 1996

- Advanced Optical Material and Devices, Riga, 1996
 

Member of the:

- New York Academy of Sciences, 1992-1995,

- American Physical Society, 1992-1995,

- Materials Research Society, 1992-present,

- American Geophysical Union, 1995-present,

- Association of Latvian Scientists, 1991-present,

- Council for Dissertations of Latvian University, 1987-1991
 

RESEARCH SUPPORT AND AGENCY

1992 International Science Foundation (ISF) grant

1993 ISF travel grant

1994 Two-year ISF research grant

1994-96 European Community Human Capital and Mobility network grant

1996-1998 Volkswagen research grant (Germany)
 

TEACHING EXPERIENCE
I worked for four years as assistent Professor, two years as associate Professor and for another four years as a lecturer at the University of Latvia. During this period I lectured at both undergraduate and graduate levels giving courses on "General Physics", "Quantum Chemistry of Solids", "Theory of Defects in Solids", "Theoretical Characterization of Bulk and Surface Defects in Solids". Also during my appointment at Aarhus University in 1995 as a Visiting Professor I gave a course to Ph D students on "Static and Dynamic Properties of Defects in Solids".

I have supervised 10 B.S. and M.S. theses and three Ph D theses.
 

PUBLICATIONS
I am author and co-author of 3 books and more than 290 papers and conference abstracts, including 7 review articles (see list of publications).
 

RESEARCH INTERESTS
My recent scientific activities are concerned with the theory of defects in solids, with ab initio and semiempirical calculations of the electronic structure of perfect insulating crystals, surfaces and defects, with mechanisms of defect creation under irradiation, defect diffusion, and recombination, with the kinetics of bimolecular and tunnelling reactions. That is, I study problems related to theoretical condensed matter physics and radiation physics of insulating solids, as well to theoretical quantum chemistry of non-metallic crystals with special emphasis on the materials science aspects.
In particular, I have developed a phenomenological theory of diffusion- controlled bimolecular reactions in solids and liquids incorporating electron tunnelling, studied self- organisation effects in chemical reactions, established the essential role of electron tunnelling and elastic interaction of radiation defects in insulating solids during their accumulation under irradiation. I have performed ab initio calculations of pure and CO-, SiO- and Ag-covered oxide crystalline surfaces as well as semiempirical INDO calculations of the electronic structure of numerous point defects and relevant processes in ionic solids.
 

CURRENT RESEARCH INTERESTS AND PLANS
My recent scientific activities are concerned with the theory of defects in solids, with {\it ab initio} and semiempirical calculations of the electronic structure of perfect crystals, surfaces, interfaces and defects therein, as well as with the mechanisms of defect creation, diffusion and recombination, with the kinetics of bimolecular and tunnelling reactions; i.e. with the chemical and radiation physics of insulating solids, as well as with theoretical quantum chemistry of non-metallic crystals with special emphasis on materials science problems.

In particular, I have performed ab initio Hartree-Fock calculations on the bulk corundum crystal (Al2O3) and studied covalency effects in its chemical bonding. I have calculated also the atomic and electronic structure of self-trapped holes (small-radius hole polarons) in this crystal and proved that their formation is energetically favourable. This has, for a long time, been a matter of dispute among experimentalists. I have done ab initio calculations on the adsorption of diatomic molecules (CO, SiO) on ionic surfaces (MgO) and demonstrated that adsorption properties depend greatly on the coordination number of the surface atoms. These calculations were used as a reasonably realistic model for the interaction between the tip of the atomic force (tunneling) microscope and an ionic surface. Hartree-Fock simulations of the Ag/MgO interface being of both fundamental and technological importance have led us to the conclusion that the metal adsorption arises due to mainly electrostatic interaction of the substrate ions with the complicated charge redistribution in the metal layer. The latter is characterized by the electron density concentration in the gap position between nearest Ag atoms (pseudo-charge model).

I have modified the standard calculation and parameterisation schemes in the semiempirical method of the intermediate neglect of differential overlap (INDO), widely used in molecular calculations, and applied it to the electronic structure of non-metallic solids. I have used this method to perform calculations on ionic surfaces of alkali halide and metal oxide crystals, as well as the electronic and atomistic structure and optical properties of numerous electron and hole point defects therein.

In particular, I studied intrinsic electron (F, F+ , FMg ,F2 -type) and hole (V-,V0) centers in corundum and MgO crystals and demonstrated that the ground states of F-type centers are well localized whereas their excited states in MgO are essentially delocalized and the relevant energy levels lie close to the conduction band bottom. Now I study properties of hydrogen-related defects in MgO.

For the first time I have applied these quantum chemical methods to the microscopic computer simulations of processes in non-metallic solids with point defects, including primary defect creation during irradiation, hole self- and impurity-induced trapping, F-type center photoconversion and diffusion, and electron-hole defect recombination (both tunnelling and diffusion-controlled). Based on these results, I have predicted, in particular, that the recombination of primary Frenkel defects-F and H centers in alkali halides- occurs via electron tunnelling, which is non-radiative if F center is in its ground state but becomes radiative for an excited state; this has been confirmed experimentally. Our INDO calculations allowed us to develop a novel model for the electron center photoconversion (F+ -> F) in oxide materials. Using full potential LMTO ab initio formalism, I have predicted a novel local frequency of H center vibrations in KCl crystals to be checked by means of the Raman spectroscopy, and established diffusion mechanism for the radiation-induced interstitial Oi atoms in MgO crystals.

I have demonstrated that electron tunnelling plays an important role in the kinetics of radiation defect accumulation; it restricts the maximum concentration of stable primary defects and determines its distinctive dependence on homologous impurity concentration as well as the temperature dependence of the defect accumulation efficiency.

At high irradiation doses both tunnelling recombination and annihilation lead to a self-organization in defect spatial distribution: a random mixture of electron and hole defects is replaced by domains containing defects of a given kind only. After the discovery of this phenomenon by means of computer simulations I have developed the relevant analytical theory based on the hierarchy of equations for many- particle correlation functions. I have studied this effects for static and diffusion-controlled reactions, for charged and neutral particles, under particle accumulation and during their recombination when a source is switched off and have shown its quite general character. This calls into question the standard criteria generally-accepted in synergetics. This phenomenon has also been confirmed experimentally. Now I study theoretically the kinetics and mechanisms of defect aggregation and colloid formation processes in ionic solids under irradiation at relatively high temperatures (above room temperature) which has several important technological applications.

I have developed a theory of defect recombination when long-range defect hops violate the standard continuous diffusion approximation and have applied it to the interpretation of results on thermostimulated luminescence.

Thus fundamental studies of both static and dynamic properties of insulating solids have been applied successfelly in a wide range of problems in materials science.

Most of my diverse interests are driven by International collaborations, including Turin University, Italy (prof.C. Pisani, Hartree-Fock calculations of solids, surfaces and interfaces), Aarhus University, Denmark (prof. N.E. Christensen, the atomic and electronic structure of solids and defects), Uppsala University, Sweden (prof. K.Hermansson, surface-induced processes), Helsinki University of Technology (prof.R. Nieminen, large-scale simulations of radiation damage of solids), University of Western Ontario, Canada (prof. P.W.M.Jacobs, diffusion-controlled processes in solids), Max-Planck- Institut fur Metallforschung, Stuttgart (prof. J.Maier, defects and diffusion in perovskites), Antwerpen University, Belgium (prof. J.T.Devreese, polaron theory in insulators), Freie Universitat Berlin (Dr M. Reichling, colloid formation in ionic crystals), Clausthal Technical University, Germany (prof. V.Kempter, surface properties of insulators) and Belfast University, Northern Ireland (prof. M. Finnis, ab initio simulations of metal/oxide interfaces).
 

LIST OF REFEREED PAPERS OF E.A. KOTOMIN

Books and Review Articles
1. Evarestov R.A., Kotomin E.A., Ermoshkin A.N. Molecular models of point defects in wide-gap solids. -Riga: Zinatne, 1983. -287p.

2. Kantorovich L.N., Kotomin E.A., Kuzovkov V.N., Tale I.A., Shluger A.L., Zakis Yu.R. Models of defect processes in wide-gap solids. -Riga: Zinatne, 1991. -320p.

3. Kotomin E.A. and Kuzovkov V.N. Modern Aspects of Diffusion-Controlled Processes: Cooperative Phenomena in Bimolecular Reactions, North Holland, Elsevier Publ. (vol. 34 in a series of Comprehensive Chemical Kinetics),1996.620 p.

4. Doktorov A.B., Kotomin E.A. Theory of Tunnelling Recombination of Defects Stimulated by Their Motion. (I). General formalism. -Phys. Stat. Solidi (b), 1982, 114, No.1, p.9-14.

5. Kotomin E.A., Doktorov A.V. Theory of Tunnelling Recombination of Defects Stimulated by Their Motion. (II). Three Recombination Mechanisms. -Phys. Stat. Solidi (b), 1982, 114, No.2, p.287-318.

6. Kalnin Yu.H., Kotomin E.A. Radiation-induced aggregation of immobile Frenkel defects in solids. -Probl. of atom. Sci. and techn., Kharkov phys.-techn. Inst., 20, 1984, p.18-34.

7. Kuzovkov V.N., Kotomin E.A. Kinetics of bimolecular reactions in condensed media. -Rep. on Progr. in Physics, 1988, 51, No.12, p.1479-1524.

8. Millers D.K., Grigorjeva L.G., Kotomin E.A., Artjushenko V.G. Butvina L.N. Radiation-induced processes in crystals and fibers made of silver halides. Latv.St.Univ. Preprint. 1988. P.70.

9. Vinetsky V.L., Kalnin Yu.R., Kotomin E.A., Ovchinnikov A.A. Radiation-induced Frenkel defect aggregation in solids. -Sov.phys.-uspekhi, 1990, 33, No.10, p.793-811.

10. Kotomin E.A., Kuzovkov V.A. Phenomenological theory of the recombination and accumulation kinetics of radiation defects in ionic solids. -Rept.Progr.Phys., 1992, 55, p.2079-2202.

(total 200 papers)


 Last modified:   5 September 1997