The Department of Physics includes seven organized research units and three research groups. Click below to see the people associated with each group along with their respective research interests.
ATOMIC, MOLECULAR AND OPTICAL PHYSICS
Todd Ditmire
- Intense Ultrafast Laser Interactions
- AMO
- Experimentalist
Mike Downer
- Fermtosecond spectroscopy in condensed matter and plasmas
- Surface nonlinear optics
- Plasma-based particle accelerators
MANFRED FINK
- Electron diffraction
- Neutrino physics
Lothar frommhold (emeritus)
- Atomic and Molecular Physics
Bjorn Hegelich
- Interaction of ultra-intense electromagnetic fields with matter
- High-energy density physics
- Laser-particle interaction
Daniel Heinzen
- Experimental quantum and atom optics
- Ultracold Atomic Physics Group
JOHN KETO
- Reactions and radiative processes of excited atoms, molecules and clusters
- Laser Spectroscopy and Nanoparticle Research
ANDREW POTTER
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Condensed matter theory
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Atomic, Molecular, and optical theory
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Quantum information science and quantum computing
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Topological phases of matter
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Strongly correlated quantum materials
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Quantum dynamics, thermalization, and localization
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Quantum criticality
mark raizen
- Experimental atom optics
Greg sitz
- Experimental studies of the dynamics of gas-surface interactions
CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
Condensed Matter Home Page
james chelikowsky
- Computational materials science
- Solid State Physics
- Center for Computational Materials
alex de lozanne
- Scanning tunneling microscopy
- Atomic/magnetic force microscopy
- Nanostructures
- Thin films and devices
- High temperature superconductors
- Colossal magnetoresistance materials
alex demkov
- Condensed matter theory
- Physics of electronic materials, surfaces and interfaces
- Thin films and devices
- Novel materials
- Quantum transport
- Atomic Design Group
james erskine
- Experimental solid-state physics
- Thin film magnetism
- Surface physics
- Applications of synchrotron radiation
- Surface Physics Group
Gregory A fiete
- Condensed matter theory
- Strongly correlated electrons in lower dimensions
- Frustrated Magnetism
- Exotic quantum states
- Quantum impurity problems
- Spintronics
- Correlated Quantum Matter Theory Group
J. david gavenda (emeritus)
- Conduction electrons in metals using ultrasonic and electromagnetic waves
keji lai
- Experimental condensed matter physics
- Nanoscale electromagnetic imaging
- Complex oxides
- Nano-materials
- Transport in low-dimensional systems
- Lai Lab
XIAOQIN (ELAINE) LI
- Ultrafast nonlinear spectroscopy in condensed matter
- Quantum dynamics and control in nanostructures
- Experimentalist
allan macdonald
- Condensed matter theory
- Electronic properties of semiconductors and metals
- Spintronics
- Magnetism
- Superconductivity
- Quantum Hall effect
- Solid State Quantum computing
- Condensed Matter Theory Group
john markert
- Magnetism and superconductivity in oxides and heavy fermion systems
- High temperature superconductivity
- high pressure research
- Magnetic resonance microscopy
- Spin dynamics
- Magnetic domain dynamics
- Magnetism and Superconductivity Group
Qian Niu
- Condensed matter theory
- Quantum Hall effect
- Nanostructures and quantum devised
- Quasi-periodic systems
- Vortex dynamics
- Quantum Transport Theory Group
ANDREW POTTER
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Condensed matter theory
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Atomic, Molecular, and optical theory
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Quantum information science and quantum computing
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Topological phases of matter
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Strongly correlated quantum materials
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Quantum dynamics, thermalization, and localization
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Quantum criticality
chiH-kang (Ken) shih
- Nanoscale electronic materials
- Quantum engineering of metallic nanostructures
- Fundamental electronic processes in semiconductor quantum dots
- Nanoscale mchanical properties of soft matters
- Nanoelectronic Materials Research Group
Maxim tsoi
- Condensed matter experiement
- Nanostructures
- Spintronics
- Magnetism and Spintronics Group
zhen Yao
- Nanostructures and Mesoscopic physics
- Condensed matter
- Experimentalist
CENTER FOR PARTICLES AND FIELDS
CPF Home Page
TIMOTHY ANDEEN
- Experimental investigation of electroweak symmetry breaking and searches for new particles and interactions
- Computing with large datasets of structured data
Arno Bohm
- Particle phenomena in terms of algebraic and group-theoretical methods
- Mathematics of quantum physics
Charles Chiu (emeritus)
- Theoretical particle physics
- Stucture of hadrons
- Phenomenology in high energy collision phenomena
- Laser-plasma physics
- Acoustic agglomeration
Duane Dicus
- Field theory of strong, weak, and electromagnetic interactions
- Astrophysical implications of the weak force
Karol Lang
- Experimental high energy physics
- Rare decays
- Neutrino interactions
- Particle detectors
jack ritchie - director, center for particles and fields
- Experimental high energy physics
- Rare decays
Christina Markert
- Relativistic heavy ion physics
Peter Onyisi
- Experimental investigation of electroweak symmetry breaking and searches for new particles and interactions
- Computing with large datasets of structured data
roy schwitters
- High energy physics
- Large scal detectors
CENTER FOR NONLINEAR DYNAMICS
CNLD Home Page
JOSE ALVARADO
- Biological Systems Mechanics
Ernst-ludwig Florin
- Experimental biophysics/cell physics
- Membranes
- Biopolymers
- Cell mechanics
- Single molecules
Vernita Gordon
- Adhering biological membranes; spatial structure in intercellular interactions; interactions leading to biofilm formation
michael marder
- Theoretical investigations of pattern formation
- Nonlinear dynamics, especially the dynamics of fracture
- Phase transitions
William McCormick (emeritus)
- Nonlinear dynamics
- Waves and complex dynamics in chemical reaction-diffusion systems
- Experimental condensed matter physics
Mark Raizen
- Experimental atom optics
jack swift (emeritus)
- Theoretical studies of phase transitions in liquid crystsals
- Nonlinear dynamics
- Instability and pattern formation
- Chaos
- Phases transitions
Harry swinney - director, center for nonlinear dynamics
- Nonlinear dynamics
- Instabilities and pattern formation
- Chaos
- Phase transitions
RELATIVISTIC HEAVY-ION PHYSICS
RHIP Home Page
rory coker
- Nuclear reaction theory
- Medium energy nuclear reactions and scattering
CHRISTINA MARKERT
- Relativistic heavy-ion physics
C fred moore - (emeritus)
- Relativistic heavy ion physics
Peter Riley (emeritus)
- Relativistic heavy ion physics
INSTITUTE FOR FUSION STUDIES
IFS Home Page
HERBERT BERK
- Plasma confinement theory
richard fitzpatrick
- Magnetohydrodynamic stability
- Hydrodynamic stability
- Driven magnetic reconnection
- Momentum injection into fluids/plasmas via external perturbations
Kenneth Gentle
- Plasma confinement and heating
richard hazeltine
- Plasma physics
wendell horton, jr (emeritus)
- Plasma physics
- Fusion devices and space plasma
- Nonlinear theory
Philip Morrison
- Basic nonlinear plasma dynamics
- Hamiltonian dynamics of few and infinite degree-of-freedom systems
- Fluid mechanics
ANNA TENERANI
- Plasma physics
francois L WAelbroeck - director, institute for fusion studies
- Plasma Physics
CENTER FOR COMPLEX QUANTUM SYSTEMS
CQS Home Page
arno bohm
- Particle phenomena in terms of algebraic and group-theoretical methods
- Mathematics of quantum physics
James chelikowsky
- Computational materials science
- Solid state physics
Alex de lozanne
- Scanning tunneling microscopy
- Atomic/magnetic force microscopy
- Nanostructures, thin films and devices
- High temperature superconfuctors
- Colossal Magnetoresistance materials
alex demkov
- Condensed matter theory
- Physics of electronic materials, surfaces and interfaces
- Thin films and devices
- Novel materials
- Quantum transport
- Materials Physics Lab
GREGORY A FIETE
- Condensed matter theory
- Strongly correlated electrons in lower dimensions
- Frustrated magnetism
- Exotic quantum states
- Quantum impurity problems
- Spintronics
- Correlated Quantum Mattter Theory Group
Lothar frommhold (emeritus)
- Atomic and molecular physics
FELICIANO GIUSTINO
- Condensed matter theory
- Computational materials science
daniel heinzen
- Experimental quantum and atom optics
- Density fluctional theory
- Pseudopotential theory
- Molecular dynamics
- Ab Initio calculations of the electronic, magnetic and physical properties of solids, surfaces, and liquids
keji lai
- Experimental condensed matter physics
- Nanoscale electromagnetic imaging
- Complex oxides
- Nano-materials
- Transport in low-dimensional systems
Xiaoqin (elaine) li
- Ultrafast nonlinear spectroscopy in condensed matter
- Quantum dynamics and control in nanostsructures
- Experimentalist
Allan Macdonald - director, center for complex quantum systems
- Condensed matter theory
john t markeRt
- Magnetism and superconductivity in oxides and heavy fermion systems
- High temperature superconductivity
- High pressure research
- Magnetic resonance microscopy
- Spin dynamics
- Magnetic domain dynamics
qian niu
- Non-equilibrium statistical mechanics
- Quantum optics
- Stochastic processes
tomio petrosky
- Senior research scientist
Mark Raizen
- Experimental atom optics
Linda reichl - Co-director, center for complex quantum systems
- Quantum chaos
- Transport theory
- Nonlinear dynamics
- Nonequilibrium statistical physics
- Stochastic theory
William Schieve (emeriitus)
- Non-equilibrium statistical mechanics
- Quantum optics
- Stochastic processes
chih-kang (ken) shih
- Nanoscale electronic materials
- Quantum engineering of metallic nanostructures
- Fundamental electronic processes in semiconductor quantum dots
- Nanoscale mechanical properties of soft matters
Maxim tsoi
- Condensed matter experiement
- Nanostructures
- Spintronics
Zhen Yao
- Nanostructures and mesoscopic physics
- Condensed matter
- Experimentalist
WEINBERG THEORY GROUP
Theory Home Page
ELENA CACERES
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String theory
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Quantum gravity
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Holography
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Gauge/gravity duality
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Supergravity solutions
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Black holes
Jacques Distler
- High energy theory
- Mathematical physics
- String theory
willy fischler
- Field theory
- Supersymmetry
- String theory
- Quantum cosmology
- Statistical mechanics
KATHERINE FREESE
- Cosmology
- Astroparticle Physics
VADIM Kaplunovsky
Can Kilic
- Theoretical particle physics
- Extensions of the Standard Model
- Collider phenomenology
- Dark matter models and sesarches
RICHARD MATZNER
- General relativity and cosmology
- Kinetic theory
- Black hole physics
- Gravitational radiation
- Lead PI on the Binary Black Hole Grand Challenge Project
sonia paban
- Particle phenomenology and string theory
- Particle physics
- Theory
Steven Weinberg - Director, weinberg theory group
- Particle Physics
- Unification of fundamental interactions
- Cosmology
AARON ZIMMERMAN
- Black Holes
- Gravitational Waves
CENTER FOR HIGH ENERGY DENSITY SCIENCE
CHEDS Home Page
Todd Ditmire - Director, Center for High Energy Density Science
- Intense ultrafast laser interactions
- AMO
- Experimentalist
Michael Donovan - Associate Director, Texas Petawatt Laser
- Texas Petawatt Laser
- Optical Sciences
roger bengston (emeritus)
- Experimental plasma physics
- Plasma spectroscopy
michael downer
- Femtosecond spectroscopy in condensed matter and plasmas
- Surface nonlinear optics
- Plasma-based particle accelerators
Bjorn Hegelich
- Interaction of ultra-intense electromagnetic fields with matter
- High-energy density physics
- Laser-particle interaction
Hernan QUevedo
- high intensity laser plasma interaction
- magnetized plasmas
- experimentalist
