264 Physics and Astronomy PhD Degree Programs

The multidisciplinary doctorate degree in microsystems engineering builds on the fundamentals of traditional engineering and science combined with curriculum and research activities addressing the numerous technical challenges of micro- and nano-systems.

Deepening physical knowledge and integrating this knowledge into the educational process.

The program offers training in theoretical physics, astronomy, and astrophysics. The graduate acquires a wide range of theoretical knowledge and practical experience in solving difficult physical problems. A graduate of astronomy gains also experimental skills, all graduates manage a variety of numerical and computational methods. In addition to mathematical methods, graduates also get a physical intuition that is extremely important in scientific research and for the solution of unexpected technical obstacles and problems.

The goal of the doctoral study program (DSP) is to educate excellent experts in the physics of nanostructures and nanomaterials suited for the future carrier in basic and applied research in nanotechnologies. The main pillars of the DSP are the theoretical and experimental condensed matter physics and physics of surfaces, advanced experimental and theoretical methods for studying the nanostructures, and smart technologies for preparation of nanostructures and nanomaterials. The DSP is of highly interdisciplinary nature and fits the cutting-edge topics of current physical and material sciences like spintronics, nanoelectronics, nanomedicine, and quantum computing. It is the only DSP in the Faculty of mathematics and physics, which integrates various areas of physics and materials research with outreach to chemistry, biology, and medicine. In coherence with the tradition of the education, in the Faculty of mathematics and physics, the ultimate goal of the education in the DSP is to provide a deep theoretical background for understanding the key physical principles and phenomena underlying the unique properties of nanostructures and nanomaterials.

The study program covers all aspects of plasma physics and with extensions to theoretical physics (elementary processes) and to some topics of astrophysics (interplanetary space plasma, dust/ice cloud problems in the solar system) and nuclear fusion. Studies include also borderline disciplines such as plasma chemistry, plasma interaction with solid surface and complex plasma. The program prepares professionals with a broad foundation in mathematics, physics, and computer modeling of physical processes and with deep knowledge of plasma physics.

The study program provides advanced theoretical and practical knowledge in the area of surface science, physics of interfaces and thin film physics, areas supporting contemporary nanotechnology. It includes the study of surface processes and structures at an atomic scale using a number of various experimental techniques for surface imaging and analysis. The study covers also borderline disciplines related to surface chemistry (surface catalysis, electrochemistry, on-surface synthesis). The program prepares professionals with a broad foundation in mathematics and physics and with deep knowledge in the area of surface science and physics of thin films.

The program is based on an interdisciplinary education at the interface of physics, chemistry, and biology from the physical point of view and is focused on physical experimental and theoretical approaches. The program prepares experts for independent scientific work in solving tasks of basic and applied research in the interdisciplinary fields between physics, chemistry, and, according to the theme of dissertation work, biology.

Physics at Westlake University has developed rapidly in recent years.  Great progress has been made in theoretical physics, condensed matter physics, atomic and molecular, and optical physics, and there are plans to develop high-energy physics and astrophysics directions. Physics students receive solid training in mathematics and theoretical and experimental physics. They will develop a wide range of interests and skills through coursework, experimentation, and participation in academic seminars and academic presentations.

The study program is focused on the problems of didactics of physics and general problems of physics. It stems from scientific disciplines such as physics, didactics of physics, pedagogy, and psychology. The main goal is to provide students with a complex overview of the didactics of physics, teach them independent scientific practice in this field and allow for a deeper understanding of some parts of physics. This program naturally follows the master’s program Physics Education for Secondary Schools which, out of the whole Charles University, can be studied solely at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics. It is therefore natural that this faculty also has a doctorate program focused on didactics of physics and general problems of physics. This study program is unique by being the only one at our university to offer doctorate-level studies in the field of didactics of physics.

The doctoral program in Physics, Astrophysics and Applied Physics provides advanced research training in a wide range of areas of experimental, theoretical and applied physics, including astrophysics, cosmology, astroparticle physics, condensed matter, quantum optics, nuclear physics, particle physics, plasma physics, theoretical physics, nanotechnology, quantum Information, accelerator physics, biophysics, electronics, environmental physics and medical physics.

The main objective of the PhD Program in Physics is to facilitate the advancement of scientific knowledge and research in Physics. Further, the Department’s PhD program strives to provide transferable skills such as clear and concise oral and written scientific communication, use of relevant information technology and experience with methods of information retrieval.

The Doctoral School of PhD in Physics covers the fields that are the subjects of research in the Institute of Physics; namely, laser physics, including THz and X-ray laser research, nonlinear optics, generation of ultrashort laser pulses, laser-based acceleration of particles, quantum informatics, theoretical atomic and molecular physics. World-leading research on high-energy THz pulses and their applications has a strong tradition at the Institute. There is a close collaboration between the doctoral school and three institutes of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences: both the Institute for Solid State Physics and the Institute for Particle and Nuclear Physics of the Wigner Research Center, and the Institute for Technical Physics and Material Science, further the Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI-ALPS) institute in Szeged, as well as several international scientific collaborators and local industrial partners. Students will be able to synthesize theoretical and empirical studies, conduct their own research, and present them both orally and in written form.

The program provides advanced theoretical knowledge of the physics of the Earth and planetary bodies and trains students in theoretical and numerical solutions of the forward and inverse problems. The graduate is able to carry out independent scientific research focused on the physical processes in the Earth, planets, and satellites. He/she can pursue a career in the research institutions focused on Earth and planetary evolution, but also in industrial research focused on the issue of continuum mechanics.

The Department of Applied Physics (AP) focuses on five research areas: (1) Green Energy & Carbon Neutrality, (2) Machine Learning & Computational Physics, (3) Nanomaterials & Micro/Nanoelectronics, (4) Photonics, Plasmonics & Optoelectronics, and (5) Quantum Physics & Devices. Through our long-term drive for academic excellence, AP has achieved outstanding results, including publications in internationally renowned journals, awards by local and international institutes, patents, elected fellowships in well-recognised international academic societies, and grants from government and industrial bodies.

The Department, like almost all physics departments in Italy, lives in symbiosis with the most important Italian research organizations (CNR, INFN, INAF, ...). Its activity is also in close connection with the LENS (European Laboratory of Non-Linear Spectroscopy): an infrastructure of excellence, unique in Italy, which is also located on the campus.

The doctoral program is developed in the prestigious field of Nuclear and Particle Physics, which tries to understand the structure of matter by studying its most elementary components in terms of nuclei, particles and the interactions between them.

The study within this program is based on teaching the theoretical and experimental aspects of nuclear or particle physics, supported by a detailed understanding of quantum mechanics, quantum field theory, and phenomenology of nuclear and subnuclear processes. Particular emphasis is placed on mastering relevant theoretical computational methods and familiarization of the data acquisition and analysis, including effective control of information technology. Students should employ and develop these skills in their own scientific work, which is an important part of the doctoral program.