Pioneering Physics Research at Florida State University
The Florida State University (FSU) Department of Physics is a nationally recognized program offering a broad spectrum of research opportunities and educational experiences to both undergraduate and graduate students. Anchored by strong national and international collaborations and numerous interdisciplinary projects, the department's research spans diverse areas, providing students with flexibility in their selection of dissertation research and future career paths. With more than 60 faculty members and over 300 students, the department fosters a vibrant community dedicated to scientific discovery and innovation.
Foundational Programs for Aspiring Physicists
The undergraduate program at FSU develops students' foundational research and critical-thinking skills. Undergraduates can pursue majors in physics, physics and astrophysics, or physical science, while also having the option to minor in physics or astrophysics. These programs provide a solid foundation for future studies and careers in physics and related fields.
The Ph.D. program emphasizes research and ingenuity, equipping students with the skills and training necessary to become active members of the global scientific community. Through a combination of coursework, teaching experience, and directed research, students gain the knowledge and experience to excel in academia, national laboratories, nonprofit organizations, or industry.
Cutting-Edge Research Facilities
FSU’s Department of Physics offers unique experimental research facilities. The department is home to state-of-the-art experimental facilities to support faculty and student research projects, including the John D. Fox Superconducting Linear Accelerator Laboratory and the National Science Foundation-funded, FSU-headquartered National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL). The active expansion of the faculty in recent years has been accompanied by the addition of several forefront research facilities. Fabrication of research equipment is carried out by members of the departmental machine shop. This well-equipped shop employs six full-time instrument makers and machinists who do work of excellent quality. The principal departmental building (Physics Building), contains classrooms, offices, teaching laboratories, and a number of research laboratories.
John D. Fox Nuclear Accelerator Laboratory: This laboratory focuses on low-energy nuclear physics and nuclear astrophysics, allowing researchers to explore questions at the intersection of these fields. The experimental nuclear physics group runs the John D. Fox Nuclear Accelerator Laboratory, which explores questions at the intersection of nuclear physics and astrophysics.
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National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL): As the largest and highest-powered magnet lab in the world, the NHMFL provides unparalleled opportunities for research in various fields. It is funded by the National Science Foundation and headquartered at FSU.
Diverse Research Areas
The FSU Department of Physics boasts a diverse range of research areas, attracting talented faculty and students from around the world. These areas include:
Condensed Matter Physics
Condensed matter experimental physics investigates the physical arrangement and behavior of materials in their condensed phases (liquids, solids, liquid crystals, etc.). Florida State University’s specialized research tools allow scientists to conduct experiments under extreme conditions or at atomic length scales. These specialized research tools allow the synthesis of highly ordered materials and fabrication of nanoscale devices and permit measurements over extraordinarily large temperature (mK to ~1000 K), magnetic field (approaching 100 Tesla), pressure (up to 109 pascals), and spatial (down to 10-10 m) ranges. Condensed matter physicists at Florida State University have strong collaborations with theorists and experimentalists at the university and elsewhere. There is also strong interaction with biologists, chemists, engineers, and materials scientists at FSU, both through CMMP and INSI, and through the NHMFL's magnetic and electron resonance programs.
High-Energy Experimental Physics
High-energy experimental physics seeks to understand the fundamental constituents of matter (quarks, leptons, and bosons) and their interactions through experiments using high-energy particle accelerators and detectors. Doing so allows us to understand the universe at its smallest, fundamental scale, paving the way for new discovery. The high-energy experimental physics program at Florida State University was established in the late 1950's by professor Joseph Lannutti, the first such program in the southeast. The group is currently engaged in major programs at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), near Chicago, and at the European Center of Nuclear Research (CERN) just outside Geneva, Switzerland.
At Fermilab, the world's highest energy (1.96 TeV) proton-antiproton collider is used to study the fundamental structure of matter. The detector, called DØ, was built by an international team of scientists, of which FSU researchers are active members. Principal research interests are the physics of the top quark, where critical contributions were made to its discovery and measurement, as well as study of the physics of photons, electroweak bosons, and jets. Researchers are also leaders in the search for, and eventual discovery of, new phenomena - such as those arising from supersymmetry and the leptoquark hypothesis - that are not predicted by the Standard Model of particle physics.
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At CERN, FSU researchers are members of the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment that uses proton-proton collisions at a center of mass energy of 7 TeV, the highest energy collisions ever achieved in a laboratory, using the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The CMS detector is 22 meters long, has a diameter of 15 meters, weighs 12,000 tons, and contains a 4 Tesla magnet. The group covers a diverse range of expertise ranging from detector development to the use of advanced analysis methods.
High-Energy Theoretical Physics
High-energy theoretical physics research seeks to understand the universe at its fundamental level. It uses the Standard Model of particle physics to describe how the fundamental constituents of matter (quarks, leptons, and bosons) interact via the strong, weak, and electromagnetic forces. The strong interaction of quarks is described by the theory of quantum chromodynamics (QCD), while the weak and electromagnetic interactions have been unified into the electroweak theory. Beyond the Standard Model, at sufficiently high-energy scales, new physical phenomena are expected to happen. The advent of the proton-proton Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, in Geneva (Switzerland), where the Higgs boson was discovered in 2012, has boosted high-energy physics into a new era and has provided crucial information to explore the path beyond the Standard Model.
Laura H. Febres Cordero and Reina focus on improving the theoretical accuracy of precision Standard Model calculations which are then compared with data taken at collider experiments such as the LHC. Okui's and Tobioka's research covers a broad variety of topics in particle physics and cosmology, such as exploring new mechanisms for electroweak symmetry breaking (a "superconducting" state for the weak nuclear force), analyzing phenomenological implications of supersymmetry, extra dimensions, new strong dynamics, etc., and building models of fermion flavor, neutrino masses and grand unification.
Nuclear Theory
Nuclear theory focuses on developing frameworks and models for the atomic nucleus and forces that govern it. The research conducted by the theoretical nuclear physics group at Florida State University spans over 57 orders of magnitude in baryon number and seeks new insights into baryon interactions and the fundamental nature of baryonic matter.
Core research is being undertaken in several areas:
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Hadronic structure: Understanding the structure and dynamics of hadrons in terms of their fundamental quark and gluon constituents. Professor Simon Capstick's research focuses on the properties of excited states of baryons like the proton and neutron, and their strong electromagnetic interactions.
Nuclear structure of exotic nuclei: Exploring the emergence of novel phenomena expected at the limits of nuclear existence. Assistant professor Kevin Fossez's research explores the physics of exotic nuclei as many-body open quantum systems, and notably their emergent properties far from nuclear stability. His group works on the development of ab-initio methods to increase predictive power in unknown regions of the nuclear chart and test nuclear forces in extreme conditions; novel approaches based on effective field theory to better study unique phenomena such as halo states and exotic decay modes; and new mathematical techniques in the context of AI/ML to accelerate existing methods and extent their reach.
Neutron star structure: Focusing on the identification and characterization of new states of matter and on constraining the equation of state of high-density matter. Professor Jorge Piekarewicz's main research interests focus on the behavior of nuclear matter under extreme conditions of density, such as those found in the interior of neutron stars. One of the main goals of his research is to use physical observables that may be determined from terrestrial experiments to constrain the properties of neutron stars. Professor Alexander Volya's research work focuses on novel aspects of nuclear physics and its connections to astrophysics, mesoscopic physics, fundamental science, quantum chaos, and many-body physics in general.
Experimental Nuclear Physics
The experimental nuclear physics group runs the John D. Fox Nuclear Accelerator Laboratory, which explores questions at the intersection of nuclear physics and astrophysics.
Community Engagement
The department enjoys bringing the wonders of science to the Tallahassee community. Two of its most popular events are the Circus of Physics and Saturday Morning Physics programs, which introduce children and adults alike to FSU scientists and topics in the physical sciences. These events are free for participants.
MagLab REU Program
The MagLab REU program offers a wide range of research experiences in physics, chemistry, biological sciences, geochemistry, materials science and magnet science, engineering, and computer science. Participants work closely with MagLab mentors on a research project. Students also participate in weekly seminars and colloquia that broaden their knowledge of MagLab research and future careers. Participants will receive a $6,500 stipend for their participation in the program that is given in two increments during the summer. Housing is provided through the program should you need it. We cannot reimburse housing costs that are not through our program. We can provide travel support for participants to come to the MagLab on the first day of the program and to return home on the last day of the program. For more information contact Kawana Johnson, PhD.
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