Physical Sciences

Princeton expands its commitment to research and education in quantum science and engineering
Sept. 12, 2023
Author
Written by Steven Schultz, for the Office of Communications

Princeton University is expanding its commitment in quantum science and engineering research and education, with plans for a new building, a new graduate program, and a broader leadership structure for its initiative. These expanded programs, along with ongoing recruitment of top faculty, graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, reflect…

Out of harm’s way: Physics research program supports Ukrainian students displaced by war
Sept. 12, 2023
Author
Written by Alaina O'Regan, Office of the Dean for Research

In March of 2022, a student in Ukraine sent an email to the Princeton University physics department. The 18-year-old, Oleksandr Shelestiuk, soon received a response from Chris Tully, Princeton professor of physics and researcher at the European Organization for Nuclear…

A new route to a quantum internet
Aug. 31, 2023
Author
Written by Scott Lyon, Office of Engineering Communications

While today’s classical data signals can get amplified across a city or an ocean, quantum signals cannot. They must be repeated in intervals — that is, stopped, copied and passed on by specialized machines called quantum repeaters. Many experts believe these quantum repeaters will play a key role in future communication networks, allowing…

Jeffrey Schwartz Honored as 2023 Edison Patent Awardee
Aug. 22, 2023
Author
Written by Wendy Plump, Department of Chemistry

Jeffrey Schwartz, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Chemistry, has been named an Edison Patent Awardee, the state’s highest recognition for inventors and innovators, by the Research and Development Council of New Jersey.

Schwartz is being honored for his 2014 patent, “Devices with Multiple Surface Functionality,” in…

Visualizing the microscopic phases of magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene
Aug. 16, 2023
Author
Written by Tom Garlinghouse for the Department of Physics

A study published in the journal Nature led by Princeton researchers reveals in precise detail how and why a material known as magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene forms insulating quantum phases.

Stache opens new depolymerization path with LED light and quantum dots
July 19, 2023
Author
Written by Wendy Plump, Department of Chemistry

Using photothermal energy to advance chemical recycling, the Stache Lab announces a depolymerization method that relies on heat generated by nanoparticles to affect a broad level of spatial and temporal control.

In research published this week, the team activated carbon quantum dots, which they introduced into bulk polymers, with LED…

Bernevig named EPS Europhysics Prize winner for research in condensed matter physics
July 3, 2023
Author
Written by Siya Arora for the Office of the Dean for Research

B. Andrei Bernevig, professor of physics at Princeton University, has been selected to receive the 2023 EPS Europhysics Prize by the Condensed Matter Division of the European Physical Society…

Princeton-led group prepares Large Hadron Collider for a bright future
April 26, 2023
Author
Written by Alaina O'Regan, Office of the Dean for Research

The next generation of particle physics is on the horizon as the world’s largest particle collider, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) near Geneva, Switzerland, is set to undergo major upgrades over the next several years to increase the likelihood of finding new physics and learning more about the fundamental structure of the universe.

New map of the universe’s cosmic growth supports Einstein’s theory of gravity
April 11, 2023
Author
Written by Liz Fuller-Wright, Office of Communications

For millennia, humans have been fascinated by the mysteries of the cosmos.

Unlike ancient philosophers imagining the universe’s origins, modern cosmologists use quantitative tools to gain insights into its evolution and structure. Modern cosmology dates back to the early 20th century, with the development of Albert Einstein’s theory of…

Princeton chemist and astrophysicist team up to uncover spatial patterns among galaxies
March 16, 2023
Author
Written by Wendy Plump, Department of Chemistry

In late 2021, Salvatore Torquato, on sabbatical from the Department of Chemistry, reached across the aisle as it were and invited a young astrophysicist at the Institute for Advanced Study to apply the tools of statistical mechanics to his own work on the distribution of galaxies…