Research in Physics

The University of Maryland Department of Physics is one of the largest physics departments in the country, housing 74 prestigious faculty and more than 35 world-renowned research groups and centers. Our Washington, D.C. location provides outstanding opportunities for collaboration with peer institutions, government laboratories and private industry. US News & World Report currently ranks us #1 among east coast public universities and #13 in the nation. Here is just a sample of the kind of groundbreaking work that is happening at University of Maryland Physics.

Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics
Building upon the campus’ long tradition of atomic, molecular and optical physics research, the Department recently launched a new arm of AMO research physics. Led by Nobel Laureate William Phillips, the new group is focusing its study of the structure and behavior of atoms, light and optical phenomena on Bose-Einstein condensates and laser cooling and trapping. In addition to Dr. Phillips, two of the top AMO physicists in the nation have joined the Univesity and formed a strong experimental foundation. Together these three scientists bring the extraordinary talents and key relationships with government and private laboratories of a world-class AMO team.
Contact: Dr. Steven Rolston, 1117 Physics Buidng, College Park, MD 20742, phone (301)405-5946 fax (301)405-0327

Chaos and Nonlinear Dynamics (Ranked #1 Nationally by US News)
Since the mid-1970s, when Maryland Professor James Yorke coined the term “Chaos” to describe the behavior of a class of non-linear systems, the Chaos Group at Maryland has produced extensive research in a variety of areas of chaotic dynamics, including the theory of dimensions, fractal basin boundaries, chaotic scattering and controlling chaos. Today, these principles of chaos are applied to everything from biology, economics and chemistry to engineering, fluid mechanics and other areas of physics. For example, Professor Daniel Lathrop is currently receiving international attention for his geodynamo experiment, which is using a model of the Earth with its own self-generating magnetic field to study the Earth’s magnetic field and inner core. Professor Yorke holds the Japan Prize for this work and the University of Maryland has the #1 chaos and nonlinear dynamics group in the country (according to US News).
Contact: Dr. Daniel P. Lathrop, 3319 A.V. Williams Building, College Park, MD 20742, phone (301)405-1594, fax (301)405-1678, email dpl@complex.umd.edu

Condensed Matter / Nano-Technology
The University of Maryland’s recently formed nano-technology team is exploring the a growing area of physics that allows scientists to work at the molecular level, atom by atom, to create large structures with fundamentally new properties and functions. For example, Dr. Fuhrer’s group is studying electrons and phonons in small structures, using new materials developed from “pre-assembled” nanoscale components. Dr. Williams’ group researches fundamental issues in statistical mechanics and their practical applications in nano-technology. The opportunities for electronics and technology applications in this young field are boundless and UM Physics is leading the way.
Contacts: Dr. Ellen D. Williams, Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, 2120 Physics Building, phone (301)405-8349, fax (301)405-7993, email edw@physics.umd.edu and Dr. Michael S. Fuhrer, 2308 Physics Building, College Park, MD 20742-4111, phone (301)405-6143 fax (301)405-0327, email mfuhrer@physics.umd.edu

Condensed Matter Theory
Maryland’s Condensed Matter Theory Center, directed by Distinguished University Professor Das Sarma, is one of the top centers for theoretical condensed matter research in the nation. This year, the group added Dr. Andrei Chubukov to the team, strengthening the center’s extensive exploration of a variety of areas of condensed matter, including strongly correlated systems, quasi-one-dimensional and organic conductors, High-Tc superconductors, electronic properties of low-dimensional systems, physical effects of high magnetic fields, the Quantum Hall effect, mesoscopic phenomena, nonequilibrium statistical mechanics, surface science, semiconductor physics and nanoelectronic systems. Contacts: Dr. Sankar Das Sarma, 2205 Physics, College Park, MD 20742-4111, phone (301)405-6145, email dassarma@physics.umd.edu and Dr. Victor M. Yakovenko, 2314 Physics, College Park, MD 20742-4111, phone 301-405-6151, email yakovenk@physics.umd.edu

Cosmic Ray
The Maryland cosmic ray group is looking for information about the fundamental nature of our universe by studying cosmic rays – high-energy protons, electrons and heavy nuclei from extraterrestrial sources. Using instruments (i.e., ATIC and CREAM) aboard balloon experiments launched from Antarctica as well as large space experiments launched from the International Space Station, this group of physicists is making valuable measurements of subatomic particles, filling the gap complimenting the work of Maryland’s Space Physics and Particle Astrophysics groups.
Contact: Dr. Eun-Suk Seo, 3213 Computer & Space Sciences Bldg, College Park, MD 20742-4111, phone (301)405-4855, email seo@ipst.umd.edu

Dynamical Systems and Accelerator Theory
This group is carrying out long-term research in the general area of Dynamical Systems with a particular emphasis on applications to Accelerator Physics. The work is divided into two tasks: computation of charged particle beam transport and computation of electromagnetic fields and beam-cavity interactions. Work is devoted both to the development of new methods and the application of these methods to problems of current interest in accelerator physics including the theoretical performance of present and proposed high-energy machines. Contacts: Dr. Alex J. Dragt, 3124C Physics, College Park, MD 20742-4111, phone (301)405-6053, email dragt@physics.umd.edu and Dr. Robert L. Gluckstern, 3117 Physics, College Park, MD 20742-4111, phone (301)405-6054, email rlg@physics.umd.edu

Elementary Particle Theory
Maryland’s elementary particle theory group and the new Center for Particle and String Theory, directed by Dr. Gates, are working to understand the basic constituents of matter and their interactions and the natural laws put forth by pioneers such as Newton, Maxwell, and Einstein. Dr. Pati has made pioneering contributions towards the notion of a unification of fundamental particles - quarks and leptons - and of their gauge forces: weak, electromagnetic and strong. Dr. Mohapatra is responsible for the development of the left-right symmetric theories of weak interactions over the past two decades, which predicted small neutrino masses many years prior to its recent discovery, an idea with profound implications for the ultimate structure of the universe. These scientists, along with the rest of Maryland's elementary particle theory group, are consistently at the frontier of research in their field and continue to introduce theories and ideas that are unifying the large and small and are helping us better understand how the world works and provide a basis for additional experimental exploration. Contacts: Dr. S. James Gates, 4125 Physics, College Park, MD 20742-4111, phone (301)405-6025, email gatess@wam.umd.edu, Dr. Rabindra N. Mohapatra, 4120 Physics, College Park, MD 20742-4111, phone (301)405-6022, email rmohapat@physics.umd.edu and Dr. Jogesh C. Pati, 4101 Physics, College Park, MD 20742-4111, phone (301)405-6009, email pati@physics.umd.edu

Gravitation Experiment
Maryland’s experimental gravity group is involved in carrying out precision gravity experiments and developing highly sensitive gravity sensors. Having set the best limit at a 1-m distance, the Group is preparing a null test of Newton's law on a 10-100 micrometer scale, based on the gravity gradiometer technology developed in their laboratory. The expected resolution of this experiment is three to five orders of magnitude beyond the present limit. The Maryland transducer is now reading out signals from Allegro at Louisiana State University, the only remaining resonant-mass gravitational-wave detector in the US. The moving-base superconducting gravity gradiometer under development will help the fields of geophysics, resources exploration, and navigation.
Contact: Ho J. Paik, 3107 Physics, College Park, MD 20742, phone (301)405-6086, email hp1@umail.umd.edu

Gravitation Theory
Dr. Misner, co-author of one of the most-cited general relativity texts, assembled Maryland’s gravitation theory group in the 1960’s and has spent the last 40 years transforming it into the world-class group it is today. The Maryland team has explored scientific areas such as numerical general relativity, classical gravity, quantum gravity, early universe quantum processes, quantum field theory and condensed matter analogs. This year, in addition to building upon this exceptional work of the last 40 years, our first-rate physicists are joined by Professor Alessandra Buonanno, a world-leading scientist in the field of gravitational waves and an extraordinary asset to the group. This group’s strong body of work is now being tested experimentally by scientists in a variety of fields of physics.
Contact: Dr. Theodore Jacobson, 4202 Physics, College Park, MD 20742, phone (301)405-6020, fax 301-314-9525, email Jacobson@physics.umd.edu

High Energy Physics
Maryland’s high energy physics group is focused on high-precision experimental tests of the Standard Model of particle physics, including a study of “CP” violation with B mesons, the search for the Higgs Boson as well as the search for new phenomena beyond the Standard Model (the traditional standards of elementary particles). The group is playing a leadership role in some of today’s most prominent high energy experiments, BaBar at the “B-factory” at the Stanford Linear Accelerator, D0 at Fermilab in Illinois. Maryland high energy physicists are also heavily involved in the new CMS experiment, which will use the world’s highest energy collider, the Large Hadron Collider located in Geneva, Switzerland, to study interactions and search for new particles. The LHC is expected to begin taking data around 2007. Contacts: Dr. Abolhassan Jawahery, 4327 Physics, College Park, MD 20742-4111, phone (301)405-6062, email jawahery@umdhep.umd.edu and Dr. Andrew R. Baden, 4325 Physics, phone (301)405-6069, email drew@physics.umd.edu

Nuclear Physics – Experimental
The experimental nuclear physics research group primarily carries out accelerator-based studies of the nucleon/nuclear many body problem in terms of nucleons, hadrons, quarks and gluons. Current research uses the Jefferson Lab electron accelerator that has sufficiently high energy to probe the transition from nucleon/meson-based to quark/gluon-based descriptions of nucleons and nuclei. As part of international collaborations, members of the group are playing leading roles in experiments designed to determine the strange quark content of the nucleon (the nucleon consists predominantly of up and down quarks) and to determine the underlying electromagnetic properties of the nucleon. Contact: Dr. Elizabeth Beise, 2215B Physics, College Park, MD 20742, phone (301)405-6109, email beise@physics.umd.edu

Nuclear Physics – Theoretical
Maryland’s Theory Group for Quarks, Hadrons and Nuclei investigates strongly interacting matter in its varied manifestations. This research focuses on how quarks pull together to make protons and neutrons and how these in turn interact to make nuclei. The ultimate goal of this research is relate observed nuclear and hadronic effects in terms of the underlying theory. Part of this effort, the so-called lattice QCD approach, is among the most challenging and important problems in computational science. The Maryland group is part of a major computational consortium aimed at lattice QCD along with M.I.T., the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator facility and a number of other institutions.
Contact: Dr. Tom Cohen, 2204B Physics, College Park, MD 20742, phone (301)405-6117, email cohen@physics.umd.edu

Particle Astrophysics
The particle astrophysics research group at Maryland holds an international leadership position in its field. The group was a prominent participant in the Super-Kamiokande experiment in Japan, which produced the first compelling evidence that neutrinos have a small but finite mass. Now, the group is leading the Milagro experiment in Los Alamos, New Mexico, which observes high energy gamma rays from space, and is playing a major role in the large, international IceCube collaboration at the South Pole, which will look for high energy neutrinos using a cubic kilometer detector located 2km beneath the surface of the ice.
Contacts: Dr. Jordan Goodman, 1117 Physics, College Park, MD 20742-4111, phone (301)405-5946, email goodman@umdgrb.umd.edu and Dr. Greg Sullivan, 4328 Physics, College Park, MD 20742-4111, phone (301)405-6035, email sullivan@umdgrb.umd.edu

Maryland Physics has a long history of dedication to the science of teaching science. The Physics Education Research Group is continuing that tradition with innovative research in a number of areas of physics education, including the use of computers in physics education, physics demonstrations and the systematic investigations into the learning and teaching of introductory physics. The results of this research are then used to design new curricula and approaches to teaching physics. The Department also implements these results in the training of pre-service teaching and a variety of outreach activities.
Contacts: Dr. Edward F. Redish, 2107 Physics, College Park, MD 20742-4111, phone (301)405- 6120, email redish@physics.umd.edu

Plasmas and Charged Particle Beams
Maryland’s plasma physicists, working in tandem with scientists across campus in the Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics (IREAP), are conducting experimental and theoretical research on a variety of high-profile topics in the field, such as recent discoveries about the processes behind magnetic reconnection – which is what is responsible for solar flares, magnetic storms, etc. Maryland’s plasma physicists are also conducting extensive fusion energy research through the new Department of Energy-funded Center for Multiscale Plasma Dynamics. The group also continues its long tradition of involvement in some of the field’s most interesting topics, including high-temperature plasma physics, plasma spectroscopy, relativistic microwave electronics, high-brightness charged particle beams, laser-plasma interactions, ion beam microfabrication techniques and microwave sintering of advanced materials.
Contact: Dr. Thomas M. Antonsen Jr., Energy Research Facility, College Park, MD 20742-3511, phone (301)405-1635, fax (301)314-9437, email antonsen@glue.umd.edu

Space Physics
The work of the Space Physics Research Group impacts the nation, the world and beyond. With a specialization in the measurement of space plasmas and of suprathermal and energetic ions in space, instruments developed here in College Park involve collaborators from all over the United States and Europe and eventually operate in everything from near-earth satellites to deep-space probes. UM Physics has been highly involved in experiments for the Voyager deep-space probes, the Ulysses probe to the solar poles and the Cassini probe to Saturn. The next experiment is expected to fly on the Solar-Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) mission in 2004.
Contacts: Dr. Glenn Mason or Dr. Doug Hamilton, 3261 Computer and Space Sciences Building (CSS), College Park, MD 20742-2411, phone (301)405-6199, fax (301)314-9547, email sanderson@uleis.umd.edu

Superconductivity
The Center for Superconductivity Research (CSR) at the University of Maryland is changing the face of high technology with interdisciplinary research in the fields of superconductivity, magnetism, ferroelectricity, the synthesis and characterization of advanced electronic materials and the development of scanning probe microscopies. The CSR impacts communications, digital and analog electronics, medical instrumentation and computers with discoveries such as the superconducting quantum interference device (SQuID), which allows scientists to detect errors in silicon chips without taking them apart. In addition to government laboratories, the CSR collaborates with private companies such as Motorola, Radiant Technologies, Argonne, Bellcore, NZAT and Neocera, a company founded by UM Physics faculty member that develops and sells products based upon scanning probe microscopy.
Contact: Dr. Richard L. Greene, Center for Superconductivity Research, 0372 Physics, College Park, MD 20742-4111, phone (301)405-6129, fax (301)405-3779, email rgreene@squid.umd.edu

Quantum Computing
University of Maryland scientists are working towards the development of computers that are exponentially faster than what we have today because they use quantum mechanics to do calculations. Today’s computers use a system of logic based on either zeros or ones. Theoretically, quantum computing would use a logical system based on zeros, ones or a combination of both (qubits), drastically increasing the speed of calculation. UM Physics’ research focuses on Josephson junctions, the quantum computing system that we believe has the greatest probability for realizing the full potential of quantum computing and changing the world of information technology. Maryland also has a strong team of theoretical physicists examining quantum computing problems and their potential to have a great impact upon future technologies.
Contacts: Dr. James R. Anderson, 2323B Physics, College Park, MD 20742-4111, phone (301)405-6142, email ja26@umail.umd.edu and Dr. Christopher J. Lobb, phone (301)405-6130, email lobb@squid.umd.edu

Quantum Electronics
The UM quantum electronics research group has a strong history of outstanding work, which includes leading roles in the design and development of lunar laser-ranging instrumentation such as the retro-reflector packages placed on the Moon during the Apollo missions, and the three-nanosecond pulse ruby laser and timing equipment placed at the 107" telescope at the University of Texas' McDonald Observatory. In addition to researching theoretical studies of the curved space-time gravitational theories, the quantum electronics group is working with the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and the Naval Research Laboratory on laser-ranging measurements being made to the GPS and GLONASS satellites in an effort to exhibit and study the effects of the relativity of simultaneity on the perceived time broadcast by the atomic clocks in the satellites.
Contact: Dr. Carroll O. Alley, Jr., 2201 Physics, College Park, MD 20742-4111, phone (301)405-6098, email coa@kelvin.umd.edu

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