phys.psu.eduDepartment of Physics | Eberly College of Science

Skip to main content Utility Menu News Events Alumni Faculty and Staff Directory About Graduate Graduate Life Applying to Penn State Admissions Frequently Asked Questions Graduate Courses Graduate Handbook Graduate Awards Penn State Graduate Student Association Physics and Astronomy for Women (PAW+) Qualifying Exams Academic Integrity & Climate Graduate Placement Undergraduate Courses Degree Information Awards Research Society of Physics Students Physics Major and Schreyers Honors College Students Student Resources Take a Professor for Lunch Undergraduate Courses Learning Assistants in Physics People News Events Research Atomic, molecular, and optical physics research Biological Physics Condensed Matter Gravitational Physics & Cosmology Particles & Fields Particle Astrophysics Machine Shop Safety Alumni and Giving Dept. of Department of Physics About Graduate Graduate Life Applying to Penn State Admissions Frequently Asked Questions Graduate Courses Graduate Handbook Graduate Awards Penn State Graduate Student Association Physics and Astronomy for Women (PAW+) Qualifying Exams Academic Integrity & Climate Graduate Placement Undergraduate Courses Degree Information Awards Research Society of Physics Students Physics Major and Schreyers Honors College Students Student Resources Take a Professor for Lunch Undergraduate Courses Learning Assistants in Physics People News Events Research Atomic, molecular, and optical physics research Biological Physics Condensed Matter Gravitational Physics & Cosmology Particles & Fields Particle Astrophysics Machine Shop Safety Alumni and Giving The Eberly College of Science Department of Physics "From the nano to the macro, we seek to understand the origin of the universe, the ultimate structure of matter, and the fundamental laws that govern the physical world. I'm proud to belong to an excellent and diverse community of faculty, postdocs, and students who are opening new scientific frontiers and developing ground breaking quantum technologies." Nitin Samarth, Department Head. Physics undergraduate program Develop a broad, deep, and rigorous knowledge of the quantitative problems that govern the natural world. Start now Intellectually challenging and exciting graduate research alongside leading physics faculty full of talent, enthusiasm, and imagination. Start now Physics graduate program Penn State physicists are at the frontiers of knowledge about the natural world According to a multi-year study released by the National Research Council (NRC) in 2010, we are in the top echelon (10-15) of physics departments in the United States. The 2018 US News graduate program rankings listed our gravitational physics/cosmology group and condensed matter physics group as #9 and #11, respectively. The physics department is also committed to fostering an inclusive community where people of all backgrounds feel safe and supported. Opportunities in our department The Department of Physics at The Pennsylvania State University (University Park campus) anticipates making two or more faculty appointments in condensed matter physics, AMO physics or biological physics, to start in Fall 2020. Join our Team! Physics Department The physics faculty is a community of innovative and inspiring research and instructional physicists at the frontier of science. Featured Faculty See all physics faculty Mikael Rechtsman Downsbrough Early Career Development Professor of Physics Downsbrough Early Career Professor Packard Fellow Kaufman Foundation New Investigator Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow Kavli Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences See more Maria del Carmen Carmona Benitez Assistant Professor of Physics Specialties: Dark Matter (LUX and LZ experiments) and Particle Astrophysics See more Chad Hanna Associate Professor of Physics & Astronomy Freed Early Career Professor NSF CAREER award Kaufman Foundation New Investigator See more Featured Story Read more Luiz DeViveiros: DOE Early Career Award Congratulations to Dr. Luiz DeViveiros, Assistant Professor of Physics, on his selection to the DOE Early Career Award program! Read more New era of space research launched by IceCube Observatory and global team of astronomers The first-ever identification of a deep-space source of the super-energetic subatomic particles known as high-energy neutrinos is being heralded today as inaugurating a new era of space research. See more Abhay Ashtekar: Einstein Prize Congratulations to Abhay Ashtekar, Evan Pugh Professor and holder of the Eberly chair in Physics, on winning the Einstein Prize of the American Physical Society! Read more Cui-zu Chang: ARO Young Investigator Program award Congratulations to Dr. Cui-zu Chang, Assistant Professor of Physics, on his selection to the ARO Young Investigator Program. Penn State researchers are at the forefront of gravitational wave research at the LIGO observatory. Congratulations to Prof. Chad Hanna, Prof. B. Sathyaprakash, Cody Messick, and the Penn State LIGO team for contributing in a seminal way to the major discovery in 2015 and the subsequent recognition by the Nobel prize committee. 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