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Research Groups
The Department of Physics includes a number of organized research groups. Below is a list of groups, including Organized Research Units recognized by UT. (Click a link to jump to the details.)
Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
Biophysics/Biological Physics
Condensed Matter Physics
Center for Particles and Fields
Center for Nonlinear Dynamics
Center for Relativity
Institute for Fusion Studies
Center for Complex Quantum Systems
Weinberg Theory Group
Texas Center for High Energy Density Science
| Todd Ditmire | Intense Ultrafast Laser Interactions, AMO, Experimentalist |
| Mike Downer | Femtosecond spectroscopy in condensed matter and plasmas; surface nonlinear optics; plasma-based particle accelerators |
| Manfred Fink | Electron diffraction; neutrino physics |
| Lothar Frommhold | Atomic and molecular physics |
| 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 |
| Mark Raizen | Experimental atom optics |
| Greg Sitz | Experimental studies of the dynamics of gas-surface interactions |
| Peter Antoniewicz | Surface and interface physics; electromagnetic wave propagation; transport properties in solids and liquids |
| 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 |
| Frederik de Wette | Theoretical studies of crystal surfaces and thin films; lattice dynamics of high-temperature superconductors. Retired. |
| 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 | Conduction electrons in metals using ultrasonic and electromagnetic waves |
| Leonard Kleinman | Density fluctional theory; pseudopotential theory; molecular dynamics; ab initio calculations of the electronic, magnetic, and physical properties of solids, surfaces, and liquids |
| 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; spintroics; 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 devices; quasi-periodic systems; vortex dynamics.
Quantum Transport Theory Group |
| A. Wilson Nolle | Musical instrument physics; underwater acoustics; vioelastic phenomena; fluid oscillations |
| 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.
Nanoelectronic Materials Research Group |
| Maxim Tsoi |
Condensed matter experiment, nanostructures, spintronics.
Magnetism and Spintronics Group |
| Zhen Yao | Nanostructures and Mesoscopic Physics; Condensed Matter, Experimentalist |
| Arno Bohm | Particle phenomena in terms of algebraic and group-theoretical methods, mathematics of quantum physics |
| Charles Chiu | Theoretical particle physics, structure 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 |
| Gerald Hoffmann | Relativistic Heavy Ion Nuclear Physics. |
| Sacha E. Kopp | Experimental HEP; CP violation; weak decays of heavy quarks; neutrino oscillations |
| Karol Lang | Experimental high energy physics; rare decays; neutrino interactions; particle detectors |
| Jack Ritchie |
Experimental high energy physics; rare decays
Center for Particles and Fields |
| Christina Markert | Relativistic heavy ion physics |
| Peter Onyisi | |
| Roy Schwitters | High energy physics; large scale detectors |
| 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 | Nonlinear dynamics; waves and complex dynamics in chemical reaction-diffusion systems; experimental condensed matter physics |
| Mark Raizen | Experimental atom optics |
| George Shubeita | Experimental biophysics/cell physics, molecular motor proteins |
| Jack Swift | Theoretical studies of phase transitions in liquid crystals; nonlinear dynamics; pattern formation |
| Harry Swinney |
Nonlinear dynamics; instabilities and pattern formation;
chaos; phase transitions.
Center for Nonlinear Dynamics |
| Rory Coker | Nuclear reaction theory; medium energy nuclear reactions and scattering |
| Gerald Hoffmann | Relativistic heavy ion nuclear physics |
| C. Fred Moore | Relativistic heavy ion nuclear physics |
| Peter Riley | Relativistic heavy ion nuclear physics |
| Cecile Dewitt-Morette | General relativity; mathematical physics; Feynman path integrals |
| Richard Matzner |
General relativity and cosmology; kinetic theory; black
hole physics; gravitational radiation. Lead PI on the
Binary Black Hole Grand Challenge Project.
Center for Relativity |
| Lawrence Shepley | General relativity, cosmology, and Lagrangian/Hamiltonian theory |
| 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. | 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 |
| Gennady Shvets | Theory and simulations: Laser-plasma interactions, plasma-based accelerators, photonics, nano-plasmonics; Experiment: Phonon-assisted nanolithography, compact surface-wave accelerators |
| François L. Waelbroeck |
Plasma Physics
Institute for Fusion Studies |
| 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 superconductors, colossal magnetoresistance materials |
| Alex Demkov | Condensed matter theory; physics of electronic materials, surfaces and interfaces; thin films and devices; novel materials; quantum transport |
| 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 |
| Lothar Frommhold | Atomic and molecular physics |
| Daniel Heinzen | Experimental quantum and atom optics |
| Keji Lai |
Experimental condensed matter physics; nanoscale electromagnetic
imaging; complex oxides; nano-materials; transport in
low-dimensional systems
Lai Lab |
| Allan MacDonald |
Condensed matter theory
Center for Complex Quantum Systems |
| John T. Markert | Magnetism and superconductivity in oxides and heavy fermion systems, high temperature superconductivity, high pressure research, magnetic resonance microscopy, spin dynamics, magentic domain dynamics |
| Reuben McDaniel, Jr. | Managing complexity; knowledge management; health care management; organizational design |
| Qian Niu | Non-equilibrium statistical mechanics, quantum optics, stochastic processes |
| Tomio Petrosky | Senior research scientist |
| Mark Raizen | Experimental atom optics |
| Linda Reichl |
Quantum chaos; transport theory; nonlinear dynamics;
nonequilibrium statistical physics; stochastic theory.
Center for Complex Quantum Systems |
| William Schieve | 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 |
| Gennady Shvets | Theory and simulations: Laser-plasma interactions, plasma-based accelerators, photonics, nano-plasmonics. Experiment: Phonon-assisted nanolithography, compact surface-wave accelerators. |
| E.C.G. Sudarshan | Elementary particle physics, quantum optics, quantum field theory, gauge field theories, fibre bundles, classical mechanics, foundations of physics |
| Maxim Tsoi | Condensed matter experiment, nanostructures, spintronics |
| Jack Turner | Nonequilibrium statistical and thermal physics; nonlinear dynamics; physics of self-organizing systems; computational physics; computer-based education |
| Zhen Yao | Nanostructures and mesoscopic physics, condensed matter, experimentalist |
| Jacques Distler | High energy theory, mathematical physics, and string theory |
| Willy Fischler | Field theory; supersymmetry; string theory; quantum cosmology; statistical mechanics |
| Vadim Kaplunovsky | Field theory; supersymmetry; string theory |
| Can Kilic | Theoretical particle physics; extensions of the Standard Model; collider phenomenology; dark matter models and searches |
| Sonia Paban | Particle phenomenology and string theory; particle physics; theory |
| Steven Weinberg | Particle physics; unification of fundamental interactions; cosmology. Weinberg Theory Group |
| Todd Ditmire |
Intense ultrafast laser interactions, AMO, experimentalist.
Texas Center for High Energy Density Science |
| Roger Bengtson | Experimental plasma physics, plasma spectroscopy |
| Michael Downer | Femtosecond spectroscopy in condensed matter and plasmas, surface nonlinear optics, plasma-based particle accelerators |
| Gennady Shvets | Theory and simulations: Laser-plasma interactions, plasma-based accelerators, photonics, nano-plasmonics. Experiment: Phonon-assisted nanolithography, compact surface-wave accelerators. |