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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).

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Tracing Huge, Distant Structures in the Universe

AAS NOVA — Trying to figure out the large-scale structure of the universe is a bit like trying to map a forest from within it — except most of the trees are invisible. The luminous galaxies that populate our universe tend to be arranged along strands of invisible dark matter: a hypothetical form of matter that appears to interact with normal matter only gravitationally. While we can readily spot the galactic beacons, the underlying structure is more difficult to determine. AAS Nova spotlights a recent paper from the ODIN collaboration. Prof. Kyoungsoo Lee, of Purdue Physics and Astronomy, is a Principal Investigator for the ODIN.

Historic breakthrough in quantum mechanics and gravity research

BRIGHTER SIDE OF NEWS — Physicists at Purdue University have achieved a significant breakthrough by creating a unique experimental setup involving levitated fluorescent nanodiamonds. These tiny diamonds are not just floating in a vacuum; they’re spinning at incredibly high speeds, emitting and scattering multicolored lights as they rotate.

Purdue quantum photonics center established with $13.9 million in DOE funding

Purdue University has been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to lead the Quantum Photonics Integrated Design Center (QuPIDC) Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC). Principal investigators at Purdue include: Hadiseh Alaeian - Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Physics and Astronomy. Jonathan Hood - Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Physics and Astronomy. Sabre Kais - Emeritus Professor of Chemistry, and Electrical and Computer Engineering Tongcang Li - Professor of Physics and Astronomy, and Electrical and Computer Engineering Vladimir Shalaev - Bob and Anne Burnett Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Valentin Walther - Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Physics and Astronomy.

Big Ten Network Purdue Impact Research: Danny Milisavljevic

BIG 10 (VIDEO) — The Big Ten Network highlights Purdue astronomer Danny Milisavljevic’s research into supernovas, work with the James Webb Space Telescope, and success teaching students astronomy with virtual reality.

Purdue Science welcomes new physics faculty Claudio Chamon

WEST LAFAYETTE — Quantum science is the next frontier in scientific achievement and Purdue University is committed to blazing the trail forward in this ever-expanding realm of high-tech adventure. As quantum devices become more and more sophisticated, it is important to have top notch researchers expanding the field. Claudio Chamon, an expert in electron fractionalization and topology, will be joining the College of Science’s Department of Physics and Astronomy for the fall of 2025 and will further elevate Purdue’s standing in advanced physics research and education.

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

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