Skip to main content

Department of Physics and Astronomy

The Department of Physics and Astronomy has a rich and long history dating back to the latter part of the 19th century. Our faculty and students are exploring nature at all length scales, from the subatomic (quarks and gluons) to the macroscopic (black holes and dark energy), and everything in between (atomic and biological systems).

Prospective Grad StudentsUndergraduate StudentsGraduate StudentsOur Faculty

More information

Courses
Research
Seminars and Events
Giving to Purdue

News

A cool discovery: Purdue physics team uncovers new quantum state at record-low temperatures

A Purdue University physics team has discovered evidence of a new quantum state of matter. This new state may deepen scientists’ understanding of how electrons organize in two dimensions as it supports highly unusual correlations with an exotic topological order.

TIME Best Inventions Hall of Fame

TIME — TIME has covered hundreds of inventions, from the esoteric (clouds featured more than once) to essential, including life-changing medicines, technological breakthroughs, new foods, nearly every new Apple product category, and even a few great ideas that didn’t quite catch on. As TIME publishes the 2025 list, we’re also assembling the Best Inventions Hall of Fame: the 25 most iconic inventions we covered in the past quarter century. Both the Large Hadron Collider and the James Webb Space Telescope are among the projects that many Purdue Physics and Astronomy faculty and students have worked on!

James Webb Space Telescope Delivers Stunning Views Of Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A

Space.com — The James Webb Space Telescope has captured new imagery of supernova remnant Cassiopeia A. It is 11,000 light-years away in the Cassiopeia constellation. Footage courtesy: NASA, ESA, CSA, D. Milisavljevic (Purdue University).

Qi Zhou named American Physical Society Fellow

Qi Zhou, professor in the Physics and Astronomy Department, has been elected as a 2025 American Physical Society (APS) Fellow, a prestigious recognition given to scientists who have made exceptional contributions to physics.

How Purdue University is enhancing education with extended reality

PhysAstro's Danny Milisavljevic and Purdue's Envision Center are transforming education with CollabXR, a Unity-powered XR platform boosting student comprehension. Over 100 students across disciplines benefit from immersive, collaborative learning. This open-source tool is expanding to mobile and desktop AR, redefining education!

All Departmental News

Department of Physics and Astronomy, 525 Northwestern Avenue, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2036 • Phone: (765) 494-3000 • Fax: (765) 494-0706

Copyright © 2024 Purdue University | An equal access/equal opportunity university | Copyright Complaints | DOE Degree Scorecards

Trouble with this page? Accessibility issues? Please contact the College of Science.