Physics Topic Areas

Physics research at the Department broadly falls into four main subject areas. Our physics faculty are a diverse group of researchers cooperating across a broad range of specialties to solve novel problems in collaboration with other Western researchers as well as those from external universities, government, and industrial research laboratories. 

Please select the topic you would like to learn more about:

Magnified CellsCondensed Matter Physics

Theoretical studies ranging from the quantum properties of solids to dynamics of complex fluids and researching engineered materials from optoelectronic devices to new polymers. 

Imaging Dye Reaction

Medical Physics

The application of physics concepts and methods is invaluable in the study, diagnosis, and treatment of human disease.

PEARL Lidar Station

Planetary Science

This encompasses a rich and diverse set of disciplines ranging from the study of planet formation and planetary systems, to comets, meteors, and asteroids, and Earth's atmosphere.

Free energy landscape of NRF2 hairpin structure folding

Scientific Computing

Scientific Computing is the study of algorithms and their implementations for computations involving mathematical symbols as well as numbers.

Phase-field-modeling-of-materials-circle-125x125.png

Soft Matter and Biological Physics

With research topics ranging from colloids and polymers to complex fluids and living organisms, soft matter and biological physics are inherently multidisciplinary and related to each other.

String theory graphic

Theoretical Physics

Research in our department spans both high-energy physics and materials physics.