The Youth Scientific Conference of Samara National Research University has long served as the launchpad where young researchers take their first steps into the world of serious science. On April 8, 2026, during the annual Space Week (traditionally held from April 6–12), a truly historic milestone was reached: for the first time in its history, the LXXVI Youth Scientific Conference—dedicated to the 65th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s pioneering spaceflight—hosted a dedicated session of the Student Design Bureau “PhotonIks.”
The event brought together not only university students—from first-years to PhD candidates—but also talented schoolchildren. The session unfolded under the bold motto “Not Like Everyone Else!”, perfectly capturing the spirit of creative exploration, inventive drive, and scientific courage that filled the room.
Once again this year, the conference reaffirmed its status as the premier starting point for young talent at Samara University.
Presentations spanned a remarkable range—from rigorous mathematical derivations to daring engineering solutions. The session was chaired by Roman V. Skidanov, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences and Professor at the Department of Cyberphotonics.
Nikita Polevoy, a third-year student and Secretary of the “PhotonIks” scientific section, shared his impressions:
“The ‘PhotonIks’ session sparked genuine interest. Thirty-five participants of different ages, backgrounds, and specializations delivered presentations. The program was incredibly diverse. For many, this was their very first scientific talk—and I’m proud they took this important step alongside ‘PhotonIks.’ Taking your first steps in science is far more inspiring when you’re surrounded by like-minded peers.”
Following a vote by the audience, the absolute winner was Pyotr Shcherbakov, a first-year undergraduate in Photonics and Optoinformatics, for his talk titled “Processing Periodic Signals Captured by a Video Camera.” Using software-based methods, he successfully isolated periodically varying objects against a static background and demonstrated the technique’s applicability—citing biological motion tracking as a compelling example.
Sofya Podtikhova, a first-year master’s student, received the First Prize Diploma for her presentation “DOEs for Implementing Free-Space Delay Lines,” in which she detailed an innovative diffractive optical element (DOE) design. Both talks ignited lively discussions among attendees.
Equally impressive were the contributions from young researchers. Mikhail Kalakutskiy, an 8th-grade student at the Samara Multidisciplinary Technical Lyceum (SMTL), earned a Second Prize Diploma for his study “Analysis of Soil Reflection Spectra in the Visible Range.”
Taking Third Place was Aleksey Kadomin, a 9th-grader from School No. 28, who went beyond a verbal presentation on “Development of a Laser-Based Free-Space Intercom System”—he brought a fully functional prototype, allowing anyone to test it firsthand.
Additional Second Prize Diplomas were awarded to:
- Vsevolod Krechko for “Design and Simulation of a Primitive Multilayer Optical Neural Network for Handwritten Digit Recognition”
- Nikita Polevoy for “Estimating Average Radiation Flux Using Bandpass Filters”
Third Prize Diplomas went to:
- Victoria Boyko: “Calculating Scattered Fields Using Multipole Expansion”
- Aleksey Pronin: “Full-Frame Matrix Hyperspectrometer”
- Elizaveta Tsiunel: “Geometrical-Optical Modeling in KOMPAS Software”
- Artyom Chichkin: “Amplitude-Phase Implementation of DOEs for Diffractive Neural Networks”
Altogether, the “PhotonIks” session showcased an exceptionally broad spectrum of topics—from mathematical modeling of neural networks to hands-on optical engineering.
Organizers and participants alike hailed the successful debut of the Student Design Bureau “PhotonIks” at the Youth Scientific Conference. The atmosphere was charged with authentic enthusiasm; many attendees, inspired by their peers’ work, expressed a desire to collaborate on joint projects immediately after the session. And where better to bring bold, unconventional ideas to life than in “PhotonIks”?
Though the conference has concluded, for many participants it marked not an end—but an ellipsis: the beginning of a lifelong journey in science.
The scientific session of the Student Design Bureau “PhotonIks” at the LXXVI Youth Scientific Conference—held in honor of the 65th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s historic flight—was far more than a reporting event. It was a true celebration of young science, where every participant felt part of something greater, meaningful, and profoundly inspiring.
