Of all the Physics sub-fields, condensed matter has probably had the greatest impact on our daily lives. It has spawned high technology developments from semiconductor electronics (used in modern computers, phones and other electronic products) to modern plastic and other exotic composite materials. Condensed matter is the area of physics most closely related to high technology and industrial applications. Its breadth and utility encourage interdisciplinary interactions with many other groups on and off the UMD campus.

See: Quantum Materials Center

Personnel

Research Areas

  • Ferroelectrics
  • Magnetic Oxides
  • Mesoscopic Physics
  • Microwave Properties of Materials
  • Nanoscale Electronics
  • Nano-optics
  • Nanostructures
  • Quantum Computation
  • Scanning Probe Microscopy
  • Semiconductor Device Physics
  • Spin Quantum Computation in Solids
  • Statistical Mechanics at Surfaces
  • Strongly Interacting Electron Systems
  • Superconductivity
  • Synthesis of Novel Materials
  • Thin Film Science
  • Topological Phases of Matter
  • 2D Magnetic Materials and Phenomena

Related Centers and Institutes:

Maryland Nanocenter

Condensed Matter Theory Center

Laboratory for Physical Sciences

Joint Quantum Institute

Condensed Matter Experiment News

  • New Design Packs Two Qubits into One Superconducting Junction

    Quantum computers are potentially revolutionary devices and the basis of a growing industry. However, their technology isn’t standardized yet, and researchers are still studying the physics behind the diverse ways to build these quantum devices. Even the most basic building blocks of a quantum computer—qubits—are still an active research topic.…

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  • How Does Quantum Mechanics Meet Up With Classical Physics?

    In physics, there is a deep disparity between the quantum and classical perspective on physical laws. Classical mechanics is used to describe the familiar world around us. This is the physics that you may have been exposed to in high school or early college where you calculate the trajectory of…

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  • Distinguished University Professor Ellen Williams Retires

      Ellen D. Williams, a Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Physics and the Institute for Physical Science and Technology at the University of Maryland and director of the university’s Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center (ESSIC), retired on December 30, 2023, after 42 years at the university. Following her official retirement, Williams is now a research professor…

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