Prizes to young scientists were awarded in a solemn atmosphere in the State Kremlin Palace. The event was attended by Vladimir Putin, President of Russia.

In the Instrument Engineering nomination, the title and award in the amount of 2.5 million rubles were received by leading employees of NT-MDT, the ELMA Technopark resident, which develops devices and creates unique materials for nanotechnologies, as well as scientific and technical process software.

Young scientists managed to find a universal solution for nanotechnology, which surpassed all that had been invented and done before. They designed a scanning near-field optical microscope with a nanoscale spatial resolution within sight ranges.

The result was obtained by combining two existing techniques: atomic force microscopy and near-field optical microscopy in accessible and infrared spectral intervals using different methods for detecting the useful signal. As a result, three patents for the production of new items were received. Another application deserving the attention of domestic science is being reviewed by experts. There is a hope that it will be also rated positively.