The Department of Physics has laboratories for experimental work in various research areas of condensed matter physics, including ferroelectric thin films, semiconductors, nanostructures, liquid crystals and astrophysics. These laboratories have a variety of preparation and characterization facilities such as the Advanced Materials Research Laboratory. Several members of the faculty use the facilities of the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center at Arecibo (commonly known as the Arecibo Observatory) for their research in astrophysics, and some also use the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) and Brookhaven National Laboratory facilities for synchrotron radiation sources. Theoretical research is conducted in the areas of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, elementary particles and high energy physics, general relativity, astrophysics, and solid state physics. It is supported by a modern library, communications infrastructure, and computing facilities. Various faculty members form part of the Laboratory of Theoretical Physics, which is a multicampus and multidepartamental organization that carries research and related academic activities in various areas of theoretical physics.
Related Web Pages
- Astrophysics Circle
- Laboratory of Theoretical Physics (LTP)
- Advanced Materials Research Laboratory (Speclab)
- Institute for Functional Nanomaterials
- Puerto Rico Space Grant Consortium
- International Year of Astronomy 2009 – Puerto Rico
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[accordion title=”Research Areas” load=”hide”]Aliev, Fouad, PhD, Leningrad State University, 1975, Professor. Experimental solid-state physics; condensed mass physics; liquid crystals; porous medium dielectric spectroscopy; static dispersion techniques and light dynamics.Ext.88466, 88461, 88463
Altschuler, Daniel R., PhD, Brandeis University, 1975, Professor. Astronomy, extragalactic radio sources; active galactic nucleus.Ext.88435
Bhuiyan, Lutful B., PhD, University of London, 1977, Professor. Statistical mechanics; chemical-physics; electrolyte structure and thermodynamics; double electric layers; theory of liquids.Ext.88438, 88440, 88441
Feng, Xianping, PhD, La Trobe University, Australia, 2000, Professor. Performed experiments on laser-matter interaction utilizing Nd:YAG short pulselasers; thin film deposition and research; Photoemission & laser characterization;Study/analyze hot and dense plasma generated by laser radiation or in plasma focus. Ext. 88464, 88429, 88473
Fonseca, Luis, PhD, University of Puerto Rico, 1985, Professor. Solid-state physics; optical and electrical properties of crystalline and amorphous materials; nanostructured semiconductors: synthesis and opto -electronic properties. Ext. 88448
Katiyar, Ram S., PhD, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore,1968, Professor. Raman and infrared spectroscopy; growth and characterization of ferroelectrics, transparent semiconductors, solid state ionics in thin film and nano-ctystalline forms for optoelectronic applications; Lattice dynamics of phonons. Ext. 88444, 88472, 88467, 88443
Martínez, Antonio, PhD, American University, 1990, Professor. Condensed matter physics; epitaxial growth of metals and widebandgap semiconductors; transport properties; surface physics. Ext. 88437, 88442
Morell, Gerardo, PhD, University of Puerto Rico, 1995. Professor. Novel nanostructured materials for technological applications. Ext. 88451
Nieves, José F., PhD, University of Pennsylvania, 1980, Professor. Theoretical particle physics. Ext.88423, 88420, 88421, 88422
Palai, Ratnakar, PhD, University of Strathclyde, UK, 2004, Professor. Nanostructure Materials, “spintronic devices”. Ext. 88465, 88430, 88460, 88462
Pantoja, Carmen, PhD, University of Oklahoma, 1995, Professor. Astronomy; spectral analysis; galaxies; cosmology. Ext. 88439, 88418
Selsby, Ronald G., PhD, Ohio State University, 1969, Professor. Chemical-physics; calculations of molecular ionization energies and electronic affinities. Ext. 88426
Ubriaco, Marcelo R., PhD, University of North Carolina, 1989, Professor. Quantum field theory; quantum group applications to quantum statistical mechanics. Ext. 88424
Velev, Julian, PhD, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 2002, Associate Professor. Condensed matter physics, (electronic structure and transport. 88432[/accordion]
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