He is renowned for his contributions to creating new scientific directions, including THz 3D Zone plate, Mesatronics (mesoscale photonics), hyper cumulative shaped charge, subwavelength structured light, encompassing acoustics and surface plasmon.

[1] During this period, he also worked part-time as a laboratory assistant at the Institute of Applied Physics (Novosibirsk, Academytown), founded by his father, scientist Vladilen F. Minin, in 1966.

[6][7] This case gained significant public attention, and well-known scientists and human rights activists came forward to defend the physics brothers.

However, in July of the same year, the FSB investigators dropped the charges against Oleg and Igor, and prosecutors in Novosibirsk issued a rare apology to the scientists.

Minin has established strong research foundations in various fields of physics, holding global priority in areas such as shock wave focusing using diffractive optics,[8] explosive plasma antennas, near-field subwavelength structured light, mesoscale acoustic lenses, and hyper cumulative shaped charge.

With his brother, he also founded the new field of "freezing droplet optics" with the discovery of unusual time domain effects of Fano resonancesand photonic hook.