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Physical sciences

Physics is the science of how nature works at the most fundamental level, from the smallest blocks of matter and the fundamental forces, to the largest structures in the universe. Physics uses mathematics to describe experimental results, which in turn confirm or refute the theories presented. Theories can be used to make new predictions, e.g., the properties of newly developed materials. Physics is often the basis for new inventions, such as the refrigerator, the transistor, and the tv.

Features

Nicolò Maccaferri
Physics meets magic as Nicolò Maccaferri tames the light

His research lays the foundation for the light-operated and energy-efficient computers of the future.

“I was often the only female physicist among the men”

As a young woman in Poland, Aleksandra Foltynowicz broke the norms when she followed her passion for physics.

Infrastructures

Integrated Science Lab (Icelab)
We take a modelling approach for causal understanding and connect researchers from different backgrounds.
NanoLab
NanoLab is an open-access infrastructure, providing facilities in nano materials characterization.
Research area: Physical sciences
The Laserlab Umeå
The Laserlab Umeå comprises a collection of laboratories using lasers for their research.
Research area: Physical sciences

Latest news

En grupp människor som står vid en monter på KBC-dagarna 2024
KBC DAYS strengthens interdisciplinary collaboration

Researchers and staff from infrastructures and industry shared ideas and results under the theme sensing.

Delad bild med porträtt på en kvinna och en satellit
Complex interaction between comet and the solar wind

Doctoral thesis explains what happens when the solar wind meets other objects with atmospheres.

Porträttbild på leende man med skjorta och runda glasögon.
Rasmus' research can be an important tool for authorities

Develop methods for detecting harmful chemical agents in the field.

Hjullastare som gräver utan förare. Digital bild.
Self-driving machines to be safer for people and the environment

Researchers combine AI with computational physics in a new project with industry.

Stefano Corni och Nicolò Maccaferri
Seminar series sparks international research collaborations

Nicolò Maccaferri and his group had the pleasure to host Stefano Corni in the context of UCMR Seminar Series.

Illustration av hur planeten Mars samverkar med solvinden
New study uncovers unexpected interaction between Mars and the solar wind

Under certain conditions the induced magnetosphere of Mars can degenerate, a study in Nature shows.

Mikroskopbild
Experiments reveal new type of chemical reaction

The structural changes that occur in graphite during oxidation have puzzled scientists for 50 years.

From left to right: Haifeng Lin, Lakshmi Das, Hinduja Bhuvanendran, Nicolò Maccaferri
Unexplored magnetic material could change the future of data storage

Lakshmi Das receives Marie Curie Fellowship to investigate new material with ultra-fast light pulses.

En skogsmaskin kör över hinder på en grusplan.
The world's first AI-controlled forest machine trained in Umeå

The AI system has been developed on a supercomputer in several million training steps.

Delad bild med porträtt på en leende man och kvinna i kavaj.
Nobel Laureates appointed honorary doctors at Umeå University

Anne L'Huillier and Ferenc Krausz have worked with researchers at the Department of Physics for many years.

Open invitation to the IceLab Stress Response Modeling kick-off

Life science researchers invited to the launch of IceLab stress response modeling excellence center June 10-11

LEC med Universitets logotyp i lysande gulgrönt sken.
New understanding of energy losses in emerging light source

A new method for measuring efficiency losses gives a breakthrough in the development of new light sources.

Research projects

Stress Response Modeling at IceLab

A multidisciplinary complexity center formed to unveil universal principles and adaptive mechanisms in living systems under stress.

Duration 1 January 2024
Type of project Research project
Measurements of trace-gasses and retrieval of temperature and ozone profiles over the Arctic
Research area: Physical sciences
Duration 25 September 2023 until 25 September 2027
Type of project PhD project
High-speed mid-infrared photothermal imaging of fatty acids and lipid droplets in living cells
Duration 1 January 2023 until 31 December 2026
Type of project Research project
Two-dimensional time-domain vibrational spectroscopy for structural biology
Research area: Physical sciences
Duration 1 October 2022 until 30 September 2026
Type of project Research project
Understanding and controlling the dynamic p-n junction for improved LECs
Research area: Physical sciences
Duration 1 January 2022 until 31 December 2024
Type of project Research project

Research groups

Applied Optics
Combustion diagnostics, exhaled breath gas analysis and chemical imaging.
Atomically Thin & Layered Materials
Atomically thin crystalline structures such as two-dimensional (2D) materials or single- and few- walled nanotubes exhibit several interesting...
Research area: Physical sciences
Bio4Energy
The research environment Bio4Energy aims to create efficient and environmentally sound biorefinery processes
Biomedical Engineering
Medical imaging, physiological pressure and flow measurements, biomedical signal analysis.
Biophysics and Biophotonics group
Deveolops advanced optical techniques to study biological systems, including how bacteria attach to surfaces.
Britt Andersson lab
Characterization and understanding of material properties and how this can be utilized for applications.
Complex systems
For the passion of revealing stories in relational data to address research questions across the sciences, in the complex system group we develop a...
Research area: Physical sciences
Digital Physics
Read more about the research group Digital Physics.
Research area: Physical sciences
Eduardo Gracia Lab
We make the best out of the heterogeneity in nanomaterials.
Embedded System Group (ESL)
The research environment covers activities within electrical and system engineering, applied physics, and biomedical engineering.
FemHum
FemHum is a group of humour researchers who take a feminist approach. Much of our research examines humour from different perspectives of power...
Jia Wang lab
Our group studies low-dimensional semiconductor materials.
Ludvig Edman lab
Developing optoelectronics based on organic semiconductors, with focus on functionality and sustainability.
Nanomaterials and energy storage
The research of our group is aimed on synthesis of new 2D materials, study of their fundamental properties and energy storage applications. Our...
Research area: Physical sciences