The Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the Section of Physical-Technical and Mathematical Sciences of the NAS of Ukraine, the Department of Physics and Astronomy of the NAS of Ukraine, and the B.I. Verkin Physical-Technical Institute of Low Temperatures of the NAS of Ukraine with deep sorrow announce that on February 16, 2026, the heart of the outstanding Ukrainian scientist in the field of experimental physics, a renowned specialist in magnetism and optics of magnetically ordered systems, chief research fellow of the B.I. Verkin Physical-Technical Institute of Low Temperatures of the NAS of Ukraine, laureate of the State Prize of Ukraine in Science and Technology, laureate of the K.D. Sinelnikov Prize of the NAS of Ukraine, academician of the NAS of Ukraine Mykola Fedorovych KHARCHENKO stopped beating.
Mykola Fedorovych Kharchenko was born on October 21, 1939, in the settlement of the state farm named after HTZ in the Chutiv district of Poltava region (now the village of Vasylivka, Poltava district, Poltava region). In 1960, he graduated from the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of Kharkiv State University with a degree in "Physics." Since 1961, his scientific life and creative activity have been inseparably connected with the B.I. Verkin Physical-Technical Institute of Low Temperatures of the NAS of Ukraine, where he advanced from engineer to head of department.
In 1969, Mykola Fedorovych defended his dissertation to obtain the degree of Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, and in 1984 – his doctoral dissertation in the specialty "Solid State Physics." In 1974, he was awarded the academic title of Senior Research Fellow, and in 1993 – the title of Professor. In 1995, M.F. Kharchenko was elected Corresponding Member of the NAS of Ukraine in the specialty "Experimental Physics," and in 2009 – Full Member (Academician) of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in the specialty "Experimental Physics."
Mykola Fedorovych was a scientist of world renown, who made a significant contribution to the development of modern concepts of the physics of magnetism and magnetic phenomena in solids. His fundamental research over decades defined important directions in the development of magneto-optics, domain structure physics, and phase transitions in magnetically ordered media.
Among the most notable results of Mykola Fedorovych, which gained wide international recognition, are the discovery of the linear magneto-optical effect and quadratic magnetic rotation of the plane of light polarization. He was the first to perform optical visualization of collinear antiferromagnetic domains, developed methods for their reorientation in antiferromagnets with different magnetic symmetries, and convincingly demonstrated the possibility of forming an antiferromagnetic domain structure with a predetermined configuration.
Among the classical scientific achievements of Mykola Fedorovych are also the detection of magnetic-field-induced spin-reorientation transitions in collinear ferrimagnets, establishment of new patterns of formation and evolution of two-phase magnetic domain structures with four types of domains during spin-reorientation magnetic phase transitions. He discovered modulated incommensurate phases in strongly anisotropic antiferromagnets and paramagnetic magnetoelastics with antiferrodistortive ordering under the influence of a magnetic field, revealed ultrasoft ferromagnetism in antiferromagnetic magnetoelectric crystals, as well as established the effect of enhancement of magneto-optical effects induced by a magnetic field in nanofilms and obtained a number of other important results.
The scientific output of M.F. Kharchenko includes about 200 scientific articles and reviews. He is a co-author of the monograph "Magneto-optics and Spectroscopy of Antiferromagnets," which was later republished by Springer-Verlag. Mykola Fedorovych gave invited talks at numerous international conferences, led scientific teams that received international grants, and enjoyed unquestionable authority in the world scientific community.
Alongside active scientific work, Mykola Fedorovych devoted many years to scientific-organizational activities. He was the head of the section "Physics of Magnetic Phenomena" of the Scientific Council at the Department of Physics and Astronomy of the NAS of Ukraine on the problem "Low Temperature Physics and Cryogenic Technology," a member of the specialized section of the Committee for State Prizes of Ukraine in Science and Technology, head of the scientific council of the B.I. Verkin Physical-Technical Institute of Low Temperatures of the NAS of Ukraine on the problem "Low-Temperature Magnetism and Optics of Ferroics." He was a member of the editorial boards of the journals "Low Temperature Physics," Ukrainian Journal of Physical Optics, "Physics and Chemistry of Solids," and a member of the specialized academic council D 64.175.02 at the B.I. Verkin Physical-Technical Institute of Low Temperatures of the NAS of Ukraine.
The role of Mykola Fedorovych in training and mentoring scientific personnel is hard to overestimate. For many years, he actively collaborated with V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, lectured, taught special courses, and headed the branch of the Department of General Physics at the B.I. Verkin Physical-Technical Institute of Low Temperatures of the NAS of Ukraine. Among his students are an academician of the NAS of Ukraine, several doctors of sciences, and about ten candidates of sciences. In 1997, Mykola Fedorovych was awarded the title of "Soros Professor."
The high level of scientific achievements of M.F. Kharchenko was recognized by prestigious awards: the K.D. Sinelnikov Prize of the NAS of Ukraine, the Prize of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR and the Polish Academy of Sciences, the State Prize of Ukraine in Science and Technology. In 2012, he was awarded the Order "For Merit" III degree.
The bright memory of Mykola Fedorovych Kharchenko – an outstanding scientist, principled and demanding researcher, a person of high intelligence, a wise mentor, deeply devoted to science – will forever remain in the hearts of colleagues, students, followers, and all who had the honor to know, work with, and communicate with him.
Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
Section of Physical-Technical and Mathematical Sciences of the NAS of Ukraine
Department of Physics and Astronomy of the NAS of Ukraine
B.I. Verkin Physical-Technical Institute of Low Temperatures of the NAS of Ukraine