phd in physics in france

• Université Grenoble Alpes
• CSV Doctoral School
• EEATS Doctoral School
• I-MEP² Doctoral School
• ISCE Doctoral School
• LLSH Doctoral School
• MSTII Doctoral School
• PHILO Doctoral School
• PHYS Doctoral School
• SE Doctoral School
• SHPT Doctoral School
• SG Doctoral School
• SJ Doctoral School
• STEP Doctoral School
• fr Français

Learning by Research

• Doctoral College Organization
• Doctoral Schools
• The doctorate
• Doctorate Enrolment
• Subjects & Funding
• Research at UGA
• Grenoble Alpes, an Innovation Ecosystem
• Re-enrolment
• PhD Student Space (ADUM)
• PhD Students Rights & Representatives
• Social and combating inappropriate behavior
• PhD Student Training
• Thesis Monitoring Committee (CSI)
• Thesis Defense
• PhD Alumni Network
• International Partnerships
• International PhD Students Welcome
• Joint PhD (cotutelle)
• Call for International Projects
• PhD Students Associations
• Exceptional Campus
• Pratical Life

Doctoral College

• Preparing a PhD
• International
• Campus Life

Doctoral School of Physics (ED PHYS)

Organization

8 spécialities.

• Astrophysics and dilute media,
• Nanophysics,
• Applied physics,
• Physics of condensed matter and radiation,
• Physics of materials,
• Physics for life sciences,
• Subatomic physics and astroparticles,
• Theoretical physics.

Partner Research Labs

Careers in..., contact information, key figures.

• 390 PhD students
• 100 PhD defenses supported per year
• 35 theses in cotutelle
• 30 host laboratories
• Download the Doctoral School of Physics Booklet  [pdf, 250Ko]

• Legal notices
• Personal details
• Website accessibility: not compliant

What are you looking for ?

• ENLIGHTEN THE FUTURE

Doctoral Studies

With its 21 doctoral schools, Université Paris Cité offers many doctoral students the opportunity to train through research in all major disciplinary fields. At the national level, once fully operational, Université Paris Cité will offfer 5% of all PhD degrees in France.

Université Paris Cité is committed to a doctoral policy aimed at research training and training by research. It trains future researchers and teacher-researchers as well as future high-level executives.

Astronomy and Astrophysics Ile-de-France – ED 127 Director : Mr. Thierry FOUCHET Contact : Mrs. Jacqueline PLANCY

Environmental Sciences Ile-de-France – ED 129 Director : Mrs Pascale BOURUET-AUBERTOT Contact : Mrs Laurence AMSILI-TOUCHON

Doctoral School of Computer Science, Telecommunications, Electronics of Paris (EDITE) – ED 130 Director : Mr. Carlos AGON Contact : Mrs Rose NAHAN

Language, Litterature and Imagery : civilisations and humanities – ED 131 Director : Mr. Mathieu DUPLAY Co-director : Mrs Emmanuelle ANDRE Contact : Mrs Robin CHEVALIER

Cognition, Brain, Behaviour (ED3C) – ED 158 Director : Mr Alain TREMBLEAU Deputy director UPCité   :Mrs Thérèse COLLINS Contact : Mrs Hélène JOUANNE

Cognition, Behaviour, Human behaviour (3CH) – ED 261 Director : Mrs Karine DORE-MAZARS Contact : Mrs Lucie ALEX

Legal, political sciences, economics and management – ED 262 Director  : Mrs Anémone CARTIER-BRESSON Contact : Mrs Josie YEYE

Mathematical science Paris Centre – ED 386 Director : M. Elisha FALBEL Co-director  : M. Pierre-Henri CHAUDOUARD Contact : Mrs Amina HARITI

Physical Chemistry and Analytical chemistry – ED 388 Director : Mrs Alexa COURTY Contact : Mrs Konnavadee SOOBRAYEN

Pierre Louis Doctoral School of Public Health in Paris : Epidemiology and Biomedical Information Sciences – ED 393 Director  : Mr. Pierre-Yves BOËLLE Contact : Mrs Koltoum BEN SAID

Research in Psychoanalysis – ED 450 Director : Mrs Mi-Kyung YI Co-director : Mr Thamy AYOUCH Contact : Mr Ali BRADOR

Frontiers of Innovation in Research and Education (FIRE) – ED 474 Director : Mrs Muriel MAMBRINI-DOUDET  Co-directeur David TARESTE Contact : Mrs Elodie KASLIKOWSKI

Earth and Environmental Sciences and Physics of the Universe – ED 560 Director : Mr. Fabien CASSE Contacts : Mrs Alissa MARTEAU

Hematology, Oncogenesis, and Biotherapies – ED 561 Director  : Mr. Raphaël ITZYKSON Contacts : Mr Maxime DA CUNHA / Mrs Aurélie BULTELLE

Bio Sorbonne Paris Cité – ED 562 Director : Mrs Caroline LE VAN KIM – Co-Director : Mrs Chantal DESDOUETS Contacts : Mr Louis DUVAL-KISTER

Drug Toxicology, Chemistry and Imaging (MTCI) – ED 563 Director  : Mrs Marie-Christine LALLEMAND Contact : Mrs Elisabeth HOMBRADOS

Physics in Ile de France – ED 564 Director  : Mr Frédéric CHEVY Co-director : Mr Philippe LAFARGE Contact : Mrs Monia MESTAR

Sports, Motricity and Humain mobility sciences (SSMMH) – ED 566 Director  : Mrs Isabelle SIEGLER Co-director : Mr. Bernard ANDRIEU Contact : Mrs Marie-Pierre RICHOUX

Language Sciences – ED 622 Director : Mrs Caterina DONATI Contact : Mrs Chafia AIT-HELAL

Knowledge, Science, Education – ED 623 Co-Director : Mr. Fabrice VANDEBROUCK Co-Director : Mrs Anne BARRERE Contact : Mrs Agathe TRAN

Social Sciences – ED 624

Department 1 Director : Mrs Véronique PETIT Contact : Mr. Jérôme BROCHERIOU

Department 2

Director : Mr Antoine REBERIOUX Contact : Mrs Sarah RAHMANI

More information :

Doctoral School website for more information The following content is in French French higher education system chart

• UFR Droit Economie Management
• UFR Médecine
• UFR Pharmacie
• UFR Sciences
• UFR Sciences du Sport
• AgroParisTech
• CentraleSupélec
• ENS Paris-Saclay
• Institut d'Optique
• Polytech Université Paris-Saclay
• Accessibility

Physics in Ile de France

• The doctoral school
• Thesis subjects, admission and competition
• Registration

The Doctoral School, or "École Doctorale Physique en Île-de-France" ,  is formally hosted by

• Université PSL ,

and driven jointly with the universities:

• Sorbonne Université ,
• Sorbonne Paris Cité (USPC) ,
• Paris-Saclay (UPSaclay) .

The broad scientific scope of the EDPIF includes the physics of fundamental interactions, quantum physics of dilute or condensed matter, statistical physics, soft matter and biophysics, as well as fundamental topics in optics, acoustics and hydrodynamics.  Though the School is oriented toward both experimental and theoretical fundamental physics, it is nevertheless open to related applications.

The EDPIF hosts more than  500 PhD candidates preparing their doctorate in its  40 laboratories throughout the Paris region (both center and south area),  and comprises more than 800 researchers involved in thesis supervision.

More details at : https://www.edpif.org/fr/edpif/index.php

Admission via the doctoral school competition

Ongoing admissions.

The admission to the doctoral school Physique en Ile de France is carried out in 2 ways :

- admission via the doctoral school competition

- ongoing admissions

Thesis proposals are visible :  here .

Candidates can apply to this proposals :  here .

Candidates must upload a number of documents. This must be done before the deadline, April 30, 2019 at midnight. Candidates admitted to the hearing are selected on the basis of their applications on 17 May 2019. The hearings will take place in Paris on 4 and 5 June 2019. The results are validated by the ED Board on June 7, 2019. The candidates are then informed of the result.

Once admitted, candidates will be able to register administratively from 2 September 2019.

A large number of proposals are funded by various organizations. Thesis proposals are visible  here . Candidates can apply to this proposals  here .

In order to comply with the rules of the Université Paris-Saclay, candidates must pass an oral exam in front of an audition committee.   This audition committee is made up of at least 2 senior rechearchers (the thesis supervisor cannot be one of these 2 persons).

The hearing shall consist of:

10 minutes of presentation by the candidate of his/her titles and works as well as a brief description of his/her thesis subject.

5 minutes of questions by the committee.

At the end, the committee writes a report whose model is downloadable below (in French). The committee sends the report by e-mail to the  doctoral school .

Registration in 1st year

Registration 2nd year, registration 3rd year, registration 4th year.

Steps to follow :

- to be admitted at the Ecole doctorale (please check the admission page)

- register at the University Paris-Saclay via the ADUM portal which will generate the necessary documents for your administrative registration. - also fill in your form on the EDPIF website.

- You are part of one of the few multi-site doctoral schools, i.e. one that straddles several universities. By default, ADUM tends to consider that your doctoral school is'Paris-Saclay only' and therefore some procedures are not quite the same as in other doctoral schools.

- Unfortunately, you will often have to rewrite the same thing twice on the ADUM and EDPIF sites, all computerized. You will find many informations in the   EDPIF Doctorant guide .

Procedure :

In a first step, create your account on the ADUM platform :   ADUM  and "créer un compte". Once this is done, please fill in all that is asked of you.

If some items are too complex to complete at this time, write NA. Of course, fill everything concerning the title of your PhD, the name of your supervisor, the lab...

Remarks : 1) You ares asked to upload many documents. Feel free to ask your supervisor for help since many parts are in French.

2) You can then download, print the paper documents and have the 3 documents signed :

- formulaire d'inscription - convention de formation - charte du doctorant

To obtain the signature of the doctoral school's management, you can send these documents by post (not very recommended) to :

Other possibility : make an appointment with M. Marino Marsi to sign the documents.

1)  Make sure that you have organized your follow-up committee well at the end of the first year of your thesis and that you have written your first year scientific report. The blank documents are available on your page on the EDPIF website. If you are unable to upload the report of the follow-up committee, please send it, in pdf format, to Sabine Hoarau :  mail .

2)  Visit your personal account on  ADUM . Generate the files that have to be signed :

- Autorisation d'inscription - Convention de formation

sign them, ask your thesis supervisor and lab director to do so.

3)  Take an appointment with M. Marsi for the signature of the documents.

1)   Make sure that you have organized your follow-up committee well at the end of the second year of your thesis and that you have written your second year scientific report. The blank documents are available on your page on the EDPIF website. If you are unable to upload the report of the monitoring committee, please send it, in pdf format, to Sabine Hoarau:  mail .

2)  Visit your persona page on  ADUM . Generate the files to be signed :

- Autorisation d'inscription

sign them, ask your supervisor and lab director to do so.

3)  Take an appointment with Ms  Véronique Terras  for the signature of the documents.

Doctoral students who defend before December 31 2019 do not have to register in 4th year. Registration in 4th year is compulsory for doctoral students who defend in 2020.  

Registration :

1)  Make sure that you have organised your follow-up committee at the end of the third year of your thesis and that you have written your report at the end of the third year. If you are unable to upload the follow-up committee report, please send it in pdf format to Sabine Hoarau :  mail .

2)  Go to your personal ADUM page. Generate the files to be signed. Be careful that you have to request for a derogation to extend the duration of the thesis.

3)  make an appointment with Ms Véronique Terras to sign the documents.

The thesis defense procedure at the University Paris-Saclay is detailed on the page of the University Paris-Saclay : PhD defense

Please note that the first steps begin three months at the latest before the planned date of defense.

The person from the doctoral school to contact for your thesis defense is Ms Véronique Terras.

The reference documents for the definition of the rapporteurs, the jury and others are here.

There are 3 documents to print and have signed: 1)  Désignation des rapporteurs 2)  Proposition de jury 3)  Autorisation de soutenance

They are generated by triggering the defense procedure on your account on the ADUM-Paris-Saclay website. The appointment of the rapporteurs must be signed when your thesis is written, before sending it to the rapporteurs. The jury proposal can be signed at the same time. The authorization for the defense can only be signed when the reports have been received by Véronique Terras. If the jury proposal was not signed the first time, it must be signed at the same time as the authorization for the defense.

Help to better predict the respective dates of submission of the choice of rapporteurs, the authorization of defense and the date of the defense itself is available here, tab 'soutenance/defence' (bottom/left of the spreadsheet).

Reminders :

- The authorization of defense must be signed 4 weeks before the date of defense.

- At least half of the jury members must be outside Paris-Saclay (and outside the ED perimeter). No derogation will be granted for rapporteurs.

- The community of the doctoral school supervisors consists of barely 30% women for experimenters and less than 10% among theorists. For theoretical doctoral students, the presence of a woman among the jury members is strongly encouraged. For experimentalist doctoral students, the jury must include at least one woman for a jury of 4 to 6 members and 2 women for a jury of 7 or 8 members.

- Your thesis may be written in English. In this case, it must include a summary of at least 4 pages in French (ask help to your supervisor!).

- Avoid starting a post-doc abroad or starting your new job 3 days after the defense. Indeed, after the defense, you must submit your second version of the thesis so-called "second dépôt" (the final version of your manuscript) on ADUM. The doctoral degree certificate can only be given to you when this second deposit is made. A delay of a good week after the defense is therefore necessary to obtain it. This document can sometimes be crucial to start your new work or even cross some borders. Thank you for taking that into account.

- When you have finished your thesis, remember to update your contact information on your EDPIF form as well as your ADUM form. The doctoral school is evaluated and we need to know what you do after your thesis.

Mme Terras Véronique [email protected] Centre national de recherche scientifique (CNRS) Laboratoire de physique théorique et modèles statistiques (LPTMS)

Marsi Marino [email protected] Université Paris-Saclay Laboratoire de physique des solides (LPS)

Mme Hoarau Sabine [email protected] Université Paris-Saclay Laboratoire de physique des solides (LPS)

• Skip to main navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to search
• Arts and Humanities
• Health sciences
• Science and Engineering

Covering the vast domains of research in physics

Our research activities are conducted in our research units or on large instruments and infrastructures installed in France and worldwide (synchrotron and neutron light sources, laser and XFEL installations and platforms, etc.).

Our research teams involve about 1200 permanent members including lecturers, researchers and technical and administrative staff. Our research falls within the following areas:

Statistical & quantum mechanics and quantum information : activities include theoretical and statistical mechanics, classical or quantum systems, in or out of equilibrium, with numerous applications in mathematics, computer science, data science, cognitive science and biology.  

Astrophysics and astro-particles : activities include the study of the distant universe and its origins. Research units rely on experimental techniques for the detection of high-energy particles or gravitational waves, contribute to the development of techniques for data processing, astrometry and metrology of the highest level and have expertise in laboratory astrophysics for the interpretation of astrophysical observations. Our research units play a leading role in the study of natural or laboratory plasmas that are investigated from the smallest to the largest scale and have applications in a variety of fields ranging from medical to energy applications.  

Physics of elementary particles and fundamental interactions : our research teams study the ultimate components of matter and subtle asymmetries between matter and antimatter. On the experimental level, they have acquired advanced skills in the fields of silicon sensors, CCDs, photometry, Big Data analysis and AI applications. On the theoretical level, they study interactions between the elementary constituents of matter, explore new directions towards solving several major problems in our understanding of infinitely small structures or the microworld, and confront the open question of reconciling quantum mechanics with gravity.  

• Atomic, molecular, optical and plasma physics : our research teams address fundamental questions of light-matter interaction, quantum states of light and precision spectroscopy. They have made significant contributions to quantum optics, quantum information and opto-mechanics. Advances in cooling and trapping neutral atoms have given rise to fundamental problems in condensed matter. Our research teams continue the long and strong tradition developed in the instrumentation and remote sensing of molecules in the Universe and in the study of the dynamics of interstellar environments, stellar plasma and magnetohydrodynamic turbulence.  
• Physics of condensed matter and materials : our teams have developed a strong tradition in the use and development of digital calculation codes for the prediction and simulation of the properties of matter. They also combine extensive experimental and theoretical expertise in the study of crystalline and disordered states at all spatial and temporal scales. This makes it possible to unveil and control the macroscopic and quantum properties at the heart of fundamental research, with a focus on applications. Particularly noteworthy is expertise in the fabrication of massive materials or in the form of thin films and nanostructures using several techniques, and in their characterisation, including a full range of spectroscopy and microscopy techniques, local probes, measurements at low temperature and under extreme conditions, and fast ion sources.  

Fluid mechanics, soft matter, biophysics, climatology : our research teams study fluids at all scales from molecules to galaxies, solid mechanics, granular media and instabilities in dynamical systems. At the interfaces between physics & biology and physics & medicine, they study biological systems, from the molecular level to integrated systems, under controlled conditions to reduce and control the complexity of living organisms, or under natural conditions.

Research Federations & Institutes Supporting the Activities of Our Research Units

• Fédération de recherche Interactions fondamentales (FRIF)
• Institut Henri Poincaré (IHP)
• Institut parisien de chimie physique et théorique (IP2CT)
• Paris Center for Quantum Computing (PCQC)
• Plasmas à Paris (PLAS@PAR)

Envoyer cette page à un ami

726 physics-phd positions in France

Filtered by.

• physics-phd

Refine Your Search

• Last-24-hours 9
• Last-3-days 5
• Last-7-days 31
• Last-30-days 218
• Uni Job 277
• Scholarship 244
• Research Job 209
• Postdoctoral 183
• Fellowship 8
• IMT Atlantique 38
• Universite de Montpellier 14
• Aix-Marseille Université 11
• Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Saint Etienne 11
• Nantes Université 11
• European Synchrotron Radiation Facility 10
• Université de Bordeaux / University of Bordeaux 8
• IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPEN) 6
• Institut Pasteur 6
• Université de Limoges 6
• Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) 5
• European Magnetism Association EMA 5
• INSA Rennes 5
• Centre de Mise en Forme des Matériaux (CEMEF) 4
• French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment (INRAE) 4
• INSA de LYON 4
• Mines Paris - PSL, Centre PERSEE 4
• Sorbonne Université 4
• TSP - Telecom SudParis 4
• University of Montpellier 4
• Université Gustave Eiffel 4
• Université de Lorraine 4
• Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour 4
• Université de Technologie de Troyes 4
• Centrale Lille Institut 3
• ESRF - European Synchrotron Radiation Facility 3
• Ecole Centrale de Lyon 3
• Ecole supérieure de physique et de chimie industrielles de la ville de Paris 3
• Grenoble INP - Institute of Engineering 3
• Nature Careers 3
• Télécom Paris 3
• UNIVERSITE ANGERS 3
• UNIVERSITE D'ORLEANS 3
• Université Grenoble Alpes 3
• Université Jean Monnet 3
• Université Savoie Mont Blanc 3
• Université d'Orléans 3
• Université de Lille 3
• Université de Strasbourg 3
• Université de Technologie de Compiègne (UTC) 3
• université de Lorraine 3
• École polytechnique 3
• Aix Marseille Université 2
• Avignon Université 2
• CEA/LITEN/DTBH/STHB 2
• CNES, ENAC, Université de Toulouse 2
• CNRS UMR 5503 2
• CY Cergy Paris Université 2
• Centre de Nanosciences et de Nanotechnologies 2
• Ecole Centrale Marseille 2
• Ecole Centrale de Nantes 2
• Ecole européenne de sciences politiques et sociales (ESPOL) 2
• Ecoles Pratique des Hautes Etudes - PSL 2
• ICON Photonics 2
• INSERM DR Grand Ouest 2
• INSERM DR IDF Centre Nord 2
• Institut de physique du globe de Paris 2
• LSPM , CNRS 3407 2
• Laboratoire I3S - CNRS (UMR 7271) 2
• Laboratoire de Génie Chimique 2
• Le Mans Université 2
• Research Institute for Environmental and Occupational Health (IRSET - UMR_S INSERM 1085) 2
• UNIVERSITÉ DE FRANCHE-COMTÉ 2
• Univ. Grenoble Alpes 2
• Université Côte d'Azur 2
• Université Paris Cité 2
• Université d'Angers 2
• Université de Nantes 2
• Université de Rennes 2
• École des Ponts ParisTech 2
• ; ICN Business School 1
• Aix Marseille University, Interdisciplinary Center of Nanoscience of Marseille (CINaM) 1
• Aix-Marseille University 1
• C2N, CNRS-Université Paris-Saclay 1
• CEA - groupe 1
• CEA Cadarache 1
• CEA List Institute 1
• CEA Liten 1
• CENTRE DE MISE EN FORME DES MATÉRIAUX (CEMEF) 1
• CINaM - CNRS - Aix Marseille Université 1
• CNRS - Institut Fresnel 1
• CNRS - Institut Lumière-Matière 1
• CNRS - National Center for Scientific Research 1
• CNRS - Sciences pour l'environnement 1
• CNRS - University of Lille 1
• CNRS - University of Orleans 1
• CNRS - University of Rennes 1 1
• Computer Science 184
• Chemistry 114
• Materials Science 69
• Economics 46
• Medical Sciences 32
• Engineering 30
• Mathematics 25
• Earth Sciences 12
• Arts and Literature 10
• Environment 8
• Humanities 5
• Social Sciences 4
• Electrical Engineering 3
• Linguistics 2
• Statistics 2
• Education 1
• Philosophy 1
• Psychology 1

PhD (M/F) The physics of an acoustic microscope using bubble probes

6 Apr 2024 Job Information Organisation/Company CNRS Department Laboratoire interdisciplinaire de physique Research Field Physics Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Country France

PhD (M/F): Recycling Li-ion batteries by a solar thermochemical process

13 Apr 2024 Job Information Organisation/Company CNRS Department Laboratoire Procédés, Matériaux et Energie Solaire Research Field Engineering Chemistry Physics Researcher Profile First Stage

PhD student in Applied Physics to Environment (M/F)

/ ERC Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No Offer Description The PhD candidate will study the physical mechanisms producing chaotic advection in laminar fluid flows

PhD M/F : Hollow fiber membrane contactors for CO2 capture at low pressure in physical solvents, theoretical and experimental study

5 Apr 2024 Job Information Organisation/Company CNRS Department Laboratoire Réactions et Génie des Procédés Research Field Engineering Chemistry Physics Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1

PhD in physics of active matter (M/F): Light powered vs. fuel activated micro-swimmers

16 Mar 2024 Job Information Organisation/Company CNRS Department Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal Research Field Chemistry » Physical chemistry Physics » Chemical physics Physics » Biophysics

PhD in Soft Matter physics : Dynamics of chiral guest-host systems based on liquid crystals

highly motivated candidate with a M.Sc. in soft matter/condensed matter physics . This PhD position is a full-time employment with a monthly salary of 2135 € for 3 years, starting in September 2024

PhD thesis (M/F) in physics applied to exobiology

17 Feb 2024 Job Information Organisation/Company CNRS Department Conditions Extrêmes et Matériaux : Haute température et Irradiation Research Field Physics Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher

PhD position: Sustainable bioelectrochemical process for the degradation of halogenated "forever chemicals" (LGC Toulouse, France)

chemical stability, even earning them the title of "forever chemicals". The aim of this PhD is to develop a bioelectrochemical system for the selective degradation of halogenated MPs previous to a coupling

PhD (M/F) candidate for the development of a hybrid process of water treatment based on microalgae cultivation and 3D macroporous structures of metallic oxide nanoparticles.

at GEPEA laboratory ( Process engineering- Environment and Agrifood) (https://www.gepea.fr ) which is a mixed research unit (UMR 6144) renown in the chemical engineering domain. The PhD subject is part of

PhD position in "Gas separation with gas-liquid transfer in pressurized process " - MSCA Cofund SEED programme

/ MSCA COFUND Marie Curie Grant Agreement Number 101126644 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No Offer Description The PhD position is offered under an industrial track

Searches related to physics phd

• atomic physics
• phd physics
• atomic physic
• applied physics
• plasma physic phd
• applied physic

Support PSL

The Graduate Program in Physics offers a comprehensive curriculum of advanced study and research, from the Master's to the Doctorate degree, in fundamental physics and its applications. Through its association with ten laboratories and three LabEx laboratories at PSL, the graduate program offers a Master’s degree in which research plays a central role. Students may also choose elective courses designed to improve their transdisciplinary skills and broaden their curriculum.

Key figures

Theoretical physics and its applications

Quantum physics

Wave physics

Soft matter

Nonlinear physics and Hydrodynamics

A five-year track from Master’s to PhD

Upon entering the Master’s degree program, each student will define their scientific project with the graduate program's faculty and researchers. Students will have an academic advisor and will be heavily involved in research throughout the program.

Choose your Master’s degree and define your academic path

The graduate program offers the following Master’s degrees:

Enhance and customize your academic path: elective courses

Complementary university-wide courses.

Graduate program students at both the Master’s and PhD level have access to university-wide trainings in core competencies, both introductory and advanced, designed to supplement their academic study. Those complementary university-wide courses, available in all of PSL’s component schools, are eligible for ECTS credit.

Data science program

Career opportunities.

Trained in and through research, PSL alumni find numerous employment opportunities in the public, private and entrepreneurial sectors as well as in the academic world.

Pursue a PhD

Doctoral research is conducted in a PSL laboratory. Training is conducted in a doctoral school.

Graduate program doctoral schools

• École doctorale Physique en Ile-de-France - ED 564

Graduate program laboratories

Head of the Graduate program:

• Jean-François Allemand (ENS - PSL)
• Luca de'Medici (ESPCI-PSL)

[email protected]

Best Global Universities for Physics in France

These are the top universities in France for physics, based on their reputation and research in the field. Read the methodology »

To unlock more data and access tools to help you get into your dream school, sign up for the  U.S. News College Compass !

Here are the best global universities for physics in France

Universite paris saclay, sorbonne universite, universite de paris, universite grenoble alpes (uga), ecole normale superieure (ens), aix-marseille universite, college de france, institut national polytechnique de grenoble, ecole superieure de physique et de chimie industrielles de la ville de paris (espci), universite claude bernard lyon 1.

See the full rankings

• Clear Filters
• # 10 in Best Universities for Physics
• # 60 in Best Global Universities
• # 17 in Best Universities for Physics  (tie)
• # 48 in Best Global Universities  (tie)
• # 29 in Best Universities for Physics  (tie)
• # 46 in Best Universities for Physics
• # 186 in Best Global Universities  (tie)
• # 99 in Best Universities for Physics
• # 244 in Best Global Universities  (tie)
• # 116 in Best Universities for Physics
• # 178 in Best Global Universities  (tie)
• # 130 in Best Universities for Physics  (tie)
• # 356 in Best Global Universities  (tie)
• # 169 in Best Universities for Physics
• # 459 in Best Global Universities  (tie)
• # 176 in Best Universities for Physics
• # 512 in Best Global Universities  (tie)
• # 181 in Best Universities for Physics  (tie)
• # 341 in Best Global Universities

• DOCTORAL SCHOOLS DIRECTORY DOCTORAL SCHOOLS
• SUBJECTS (PHD, MASTER'S & POSTDOC TRAINING) SUBJECTS
• CALLS FOR PROJECTS CALLS
• Astrophysics
• Space physics
• Plasma physics
• Earth-Sun relationships
• Space Instrumentation
• Laboratory astrophysics
• Total number of PhD students registered in the school : 158
• Number of foreign PhD students : 43
• Possibility to write the dissertation in English
• English as Working language
• Methodological courses in English
• Courses and conferences in English
• Apply to predefined thesis subjects
• Required level English : B2

More information about the PhD program in "earth, climate, environment and planetery sciences" on : https://www.universite-paris-saclay.fr/en/phd-program-earth-climate-environment-and-planetery-sciences-graduate-school-earth-climate-environment-and-planetery-sciences

• Optional funding
• Contact for registration & informations [email protected]
• Groupings Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)
• Doctoral college Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)
• Description
• Laboratories

Presentation

International, application, "geoazur" - umr 7329, astrophysics, interpretation, modeling - paris-saclay - aim(umr 7158, umr-e 9005) - um 112, atmosphere, media, space observations laboratory (latmos) - umr 8190, centre for nuclear and mass spectrometry (c.s.n.s.m.) - umr 8609, dynamic meteorology laboratory - umr 8539, galaxies, stars, physics, instrumentation - umr 8111, institute for celestial mechanics and ephemeride calculation - umr 8028, institute of space astrophysics - umr 8617, laboratory for space studies and astrophysical instrumentation - umr 8109, laboratory for the study of radiation and matter in astrophysics and atmospherics (lerma2) - umr 8112, laboratory on the universe and its theories - umr 8102, paris institute of astrophysics - umr 7095, time-space reference systems - umr 8630, number of phd students 158, internationalization of the doctoral school.

• PhD student
• Faculty member
• Entrepreneur

By clicking on continue , you will visit the website of École Polytechnique, one of the founding schools of Institut Polytechnique de Paris.

By clicking on continue , you will visit the website of ENSTA Paris, one of the founding schools of Institut Polytechnique de Paris.

By clicking on continue , you will visit the website of ENSAE Paris, one of the founding schools of Institut Polytechnique de Paris.

By clicking on continue , you will visit the website of Télécom Paris, one of the founding schools of Institut Polytechnique de Paris.

By clicking on continue , you will visit the website of Télécom SudParis, one of the founding schools of Institut Polytechnique de Paris.

PhD track Quantum Science and Technologies (QUANTIX)

WHY ENROLL IN THIS PROGRAM?

Get ready for a PhD by starting research at an early stage

Be closely associated with the research activities carried out in a world-renowned innovation cluster

Benefit from individual and personalized supervision by a faculty member

• Description
• Associated Laboratories
• PhD Tracks Research Projects

Quantum Technologies have seen a dramatic development in the past few years. The realization of individual quantum systems and the control of new materials with unconventional properties has paved the way to the development of machines and protocols based on the most fundamental aspects of quantum mechanics, without classical counterparts, such as the superposition of states and entanglement. The demonstration of quantum supremacy in 2019 has been a major step, but many new challenges remain to be taken for the complete deployment of Quantum Technologies, at both the fundamental level and that of practical applications.

The Quantum Science and Technologies PhD track is organized around six pillars:

• Quantum Materials
• Quantum Simulation
• Quantum Computation
• Quantum Sensing and Metrology
• Quantum Communication and Networking
• Quantum Information Processing

It aims at providing the students with a high level education at the state of the art of quantum physics and quantum information processing in direct contact with forefront research in all these fields.

• Be trained to forefront challenges in quantum science and its technological applications
• Contribute to cutting-edge research in a word-leading research center
• Discover a multidisciplinary field at the frontier of theoretical and experimental physics, computer science, and applied mathematics.
• Discover the diversity of quantum technologies in the rich scientific environment of the Plateau de Saclay
• Become a leader of the next generation of reserachers and engineers in quantum science and technologies

Partner University

• Université Paris-Saclay

The five-year curriculum of the PhD track trains students in cutting-edge research for them to pursue international careers  in prestigious universities and academic labs or leading companies in quantum technologies. 

The PhD Track provides a five-year "à la carte" integrated Master and PhD program for particularly motivated and talented students aiming at preparing a career in academia or industry through an individualized research-oriented training program in Quantum Science and Technologies. Students will be attributed an academic tutor in their field of research from the very start of their studies at IP Paris. In coordination with their tutor, students will elaborate their own personal curriculum consisting of course work and research phases corresponding to their research interests and professional project.

During their first year, students will follow a selection of high level courses focused on quantum physics and its interfaces. It may include computer science and applied mathematics courses, as well as complementary modules allowing them to broaden their general scientific culture and to acquire complementary skills. At the same time, the students are immediately members of the research team of their tutor and participate in team activities and research discussions. This includes in particular attending relevant research seminars and potentially topical workshops. During the first year, students will work on a research project, in collaboration with their host team. A significant part of the second year will be devoted to a larger-scale research work, giving rise to a Master thesis and – most likely – first research publications. This is also the occasion to consolidate their choice for the topic of their PhD.

While it will still be possible to follow selected – more specialized – scientific courses and courses in secondary skills, the last three years of the PhD Track program will be mainly devoted to research work towards the PhD degree.

In addition to the weekly laboratory work, two mandatory full-time internships take place during the spring, one at the M1 level, the other at the M2 level. The duration and corresponding number of ECTS are at least those of the main Master in which the student is enrolled. The number of ECTS can be adapted depending on the duration of the internship.

Students have the opportunity to visit international partner universities.

All relevant laboratories of IP Paris and partner institutions, in particular

• Center for Theoretical Physics (CPHT, Ecole Polytechnique
• Laboratory for Applied Optics (LOA, Ecole Polytechnique/ENSTA)
• Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics (PMC, Ecole Polytechnique)
• Laboratory for Information Processing and Communication Laboratory (LTCI, Telecom Paris)
• Laboratory for Irradiated Solids (LSI, Ecole Polytechnique)

Admission requirements

Academic prerequisites.

Completion with highest honors of a Bachelor in physics, including courses in quantum physics, at Institut Polytechnique de Paris or equivalent in France or abroad.

Evidence of research potential is essential as the main goal of such a PhD program is to train first class researchers. 

Students who have completed the first year of an equivalent program may exceptionally be directly admitted to the second year (4-year PhD program).

Language prerequisites

A certificate of proficiency in English (level B2) is required (TOEIC, IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge ESOL), except for native speakers and students who previously studied in English.

How to apply

Applications are exclusively online. You will be required to provide the following documents:

• Transcript 
• Two academic references (added online directly by your referees)  
• CV/resume 
• Statement of purpose indicating which 2 choices of research subjects among the one listed on this page under the section "PhD Track Research Projects"

You will receive an answer in your candidate space within 2 months following the closing date of the application session. 

Fees and scholarships

Estimated fees for 2022-2023 are subject to increase

• Regular fees: 243€
• Engineer students enrolled in one of the five member schools of Institut Polytechnique de Paris (Ecole polytechnique, ENSTA Paris, ENSAE Paris, Télécom Paris and Télécom SudParis): 159€
• Special cases: please refer to the "Cost of studies" section of the FAQs

Applications and admission dates

Coordinator.

• Luca Perfetti 

General enquiry

• [email protected]

When applying to the PhD Tracks in Physics, you should describe your preferred fields of study and research in your motivation letter. You are ecouraged to choose two preferred PhD Track subjects among the list below.   Since the posted offers do not cover the full spectrum of our activities , you can also visit the web pages of the 11 laboratories (CPHT, IPVF, LLR, LOA, LOB, LPICM, LPMC, LPP, LSI, LULI, Omega) affiliated to the physics department and indicate the research lines that interest you the most.

PhD Track research projects in “QUANTUM SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY”

• Correlated quantum matter and quantum information
• Ultrafast dynamics of electrons in quantum materials
• Re-using model results to determine materials properties: connector theory approach
• Collective electronic fluctuations and their influence on materials properties
• Spin-dependent charge dynamics in dilute nitride and defect-engineered semiconductor quantum structures and devices
• Electronic processes in nitride semiconductor quantum structures and devices
• Theory of Many-Body Quantum States
• Probing the quantum properties of spin defects in 2D materials
• Time-frequency quantum information processing
• Uncovering a new law of physics in quantum materials

PhD in Physics / Nanosciences / Microfluidics (M/F)

Job Information

Offer description.

ICB laboratory is a mixed research unit of CNRS and Université de Bourgogne more than 350 researchers in multidisciplinary domains including : Nanosciences, Optics, Photonics, materials science, etc. The PhD subject is proposed by department Nanoscience.

The thesis work will take place in the framework of European project Multilab, a EU-funded collaborative project associating 11 partners across Europe, either from academia or industry aiming to develop a novel low-cost on-chip multi-sensor platform or “lab-on-chip”. Multilab addresses the need for multifunctional sensors providing simultaneous access to diverse chemical & biochemical information, required in various applications including point-of-care (POC) diagnostics, environmental monitoring, agri-food products safety evaluation, industrial process monitoring and more. It targets the simultaneous quantification of different categories of analytes: virus, bacteria, protein, enzymes and RNA, which is a fundamental advantage over more classical sensors. For demonstration purpose, Multilab will target two applications: a new precise medicine method for rapid and accurate diagnosis based on a combined pathogen and host response pattern and an IoT-enabled, affordable, and reliable monitoring tool, facilitating early warning for harmful algae bloom.

The thesis will be oriented towards the technological development required in Multilab. The role of ICB laboratory in this context is to develop the microfluidics part of the lab-on-chip that will be associated with waveguide-based photonic chips fabricated by other partners.

The thesis subject includes design, flow simulation, fabrication, testing and validation of microfluidic modules. In addition the fabricated modules will be integrated with sensor chips fabricated in Multilab and tested in real conditions. The core activity will be to develop the fabrication method based on lithography followed by molding into polymers and to align and assemble those microfluidic layers with the photonic sensor-chip. Hot embossing of thermoplastic laminates will be prioritized, although the use of other techniques is not excluded. With the aim to optimize the interaction of the biological molecules with the sensors' surface, different micro-channel designs will be tested with the help of simulation softwares (finite-element method COMSOL or other softwares) to simulate laminar and locally turbulent flow in order to optimize the flow geometry near the detection spots. Microfluidic design will be tested starting from simple planar designs to more complex micro-3D-printed structures with the goal to make internal stirring even more efficient . Such 3D structures can be fabricated by two-photon polymerization (TPP) 3D micro-lithography , which will be available in the lab from the end of 2024. Testing the lab-on-chip configurations will involve developing an opto-microfluidic experiment based on confocal microscopy where flowing solutions of nanoparticles can be used to visualize the flow within microchannels . This experimental approach will be helpful to confirm the fluid flow simulations. More advanced testing of the performance of the biosensor with the photonic chip and microfluidics is a final objective which will be performed in collaboration with other Multilab partners. Access and training on ICB's Platform ARCEN-Carnot providing a large range of micro-nano-fabrication and nano-characterization facilities will be provided, as well as platform Smartlight for the coming TPP lithography.

Requirements

Additional information, work location(s), where to apply.

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

• View all journals
• Explore content
• About the journal
• Publish with us
• Sign up for alerts
• 17 April 2024

CERN’s impact goes way beyond tiny particles

• Nikki Forrester 0

Nikki Forrester is a science journalist based in Davis, West Virginia.

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

You have full access to this article via your institution.

The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) detector enabled the discovery of the Higgs boson at CERN, Europe’s particle-physics lab near Geneva. Credit: Richard Juilliart/AFP via Getty

Roughly 100 metres underground, in a tunnel that crosses the border between Switzerland and France, lies the largest machine ever built. The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) compresses and collides tiny bits of matter to recreate the fundamental particles that appeared just one-trillionth of a second after the Universe was created.

It’s all part of a day’s work at CERN, Europe’s particle-physics laboratory near Geneva, which is home to the LHC. The lab, which celebrates its 70th anniversary this year, continues to attract scientists who are eager to uncover the nature of particles that comprise matter. Along with more than 2,600 staff members and 900 fellows, CERN hosted nearly 12,000 visiting scientists from 82 countries in 2022. According to indexed papers on the Web of Science database, the researchers publish, on average, around 1,000 papers each year that explore the origin of the Universe, antimatter, dark matter, supersymmetry and beyond. And their ranks include eminent scientists such as Tim Berners-Lee, credited with inventing the World Wide Web, and physicist Peter Higgs, who died on 8 April.

Peter Higgs obituary: physicist who predicted boson that explains why particles have mass

“Particle physics is basically exploring back in time,” says Alain Blondel, a particle physicist who has worked at CERN and the University of Geneva in Switzerland. “The science we do, together with cosmology, astrophysics and many other fields, explores how the Universe was born and how it works. These are questions that have fascinated people for generations”.

Discoveries made at CERN, such as the production of antihydrogen and the development of the World Wide Web, have affected not only the scientific world, but society as a whole. Yet, the inaccessibility of CERN to the majority of the public has led to an almost mythical perception of the organization, says Andri Pol, a photographer based in Switzerland. Pol spent two years capturing the inner workings of CERN for his 2014 book Inside CERN . “You jump into another world and you feel like an alien,” he says. “I don’t know anything about physics, chemistry or mathematics. But you feel the creativity. There’s a lot of energy not only in the machines, but also the people.”

Retaining and attracting scientific talent was a key driving force behind the creation of CERN. During and after the Second World War, many scientists fled Europe to pursue careers in the United States. In the early 1950s, a small group of European scientists put forth a proposal to create a physics laboratory to unite scientists throughout Europe. On 29 September 1954, 12 member states signed a convention establishing CERN near Geneva (see ‘CERN’S growth’).

Source: CERN

Part of the decision to build CERN in Switzerland was the country’s central location in Europe and its neutrality during the war. In fact, CERN’s convention states, “The Organization shall have no concern with work for military requirements.”

“CERN has this aspect of science for peace,” says Rainer Wallny, a physicist at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich who chaired the Swiss Institute of Particle Physics in 2020–21. “You are not doing anything military related; you work for the curiosity.”

Now, CERN is governed by a council of 23 member states that provide financial contributions and make decisions regarding the organization’s activities, budget and programmes. CERN’s projected annual revenue for 2023 was 1.39 billion Swiss francs (US$1.53 billion), all of which it spends.“I think it is a great model for international collaboration,” says Wallny. “It has a lot of facilities available that are beyond the scope of individual user groups. No one has a particle accelerator in their backyard.”

The LHC, which is the most powerful particle accelerator in the world, consists of a 27-kilometre ring of superconducting magnets. Inside, two particle beams shoot trillions of protons towards one another at nearly the speed of light, causing some to collide and transform their energy into new particles. Along with the LHC, CERN has eight other particle accelerators, two decelerators, an antimatter factory and a vast array of engineering and computing infrastructure.

These resources bring together thousands of scientists from around the world to tackle big questions in particle physics. Research efforts at CERN led to the discovery of weak neutral currents in 1973, the W and Z bosons in 1983 and three types of neutrino in 1989 1 – 3 . These findings provided support for the standard model of physics, a theory developed in the 1970s that describes the fundamental particles of the Universe and the four forces that shape their interactions. Then, in July 2012, scientists at CERN found evidence for the last key force in the standard model — the Higgs boson 4 .

“I’m fascinated by the concept of having these large, international collaborations working on a scientific puzzle,” says Lea Caminada, a particle physicist at the University of Zurich and the Paul Scherrer Institute in Villigen, Switzerland. Caminada and her research group develop pixel detectors for the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS), a particle detector experiment at the LHC that does research on the standard model, dark matter and extra dimensions. “Doing high-energy physics is unique. It’s really the energy frontier, and there is no other facility in the world where you can do this,” she says.

The CMS collaboration involves more than 5,900 physicists, engineers, technicians and students from 259 institutions across 60 countries. The collaboration publishes around 100 papers each year and celebrated its 1,000th publication in November 2020. But organizing and contributing to large-scale projects is no simple feat. “It’s not always easy to work at CERN. It’s very hard to organize experiments this big,” Caminada says. For instance, she explains, everyone involved in the CMS experiment can review manuscript drafts and provide feedback before submission of a paper. “But I think it creates opportunities for people in different countries.”

A fount of knowledge

Thea Klæboe Åarrestad’s first experience at CERN was during an undergraduate internship in July 2012. During the paid programme, she took three weeks of classes, met with fellow physicists and attended lectures from specialists in the field. It also happened to be the year CERN announced the discovery of the Higgs boson. “Peter Higgs was there. The press of the free world was there. People were sleeping in lines outside the main auditorium to catch the speech,” she says.

The Gargamelle chamber at CERN, operational during the 1970s, detected neutrinos. Credit: CERN PhotoLab

Åarrestad went on to earn her PhD from the University of Zurich in 2019, where she worked on the CMS experiment at CERN, and then became a research fellow at CERN from 2019 to 2021. “My daughter was five months old when I started commuting to CERN. I spent eight hours on the train every day,” she says. “My friends questioned whether I could do exactly the same work for a company, and I can honestly say no, I can’t.”

Now, as a particle physicist at ETH Zurich, Åarrestad studies how to use machine learning to improve data collection and analysis methods at CERN. “The environment there is fantastic. You go for a coffee and everyone has ideas and thoughts to discuss. I was always very passionate about physics, and being at CERN just made me even more passionate about it because I shared it with so many others,” she says.

Reverberating impacts

The impact of CERN goes well beyond the smashing together of tiny particles. “Such a vibrant intellectual node radiates out to the universities,” says Wallny. He often sends his graduate students to CERN, where they can gain experience in a large, international setting. “There’s a lot of education happening, and not just in science and engineering. You interact with people from other cultures and learn how to express yourself in English,” he adds.

According to Wallny, lessons from organizing large-scale collaborations at CERN can also be applied to other areas of science, such as quantum computing. “In these large experiments, you have to invent your own governance. You have a bunch of usually quite anarchistic academics who still have to play by some rules. You have to give yourself a constitution and a collaboration board. These approaches can easily be copied in other emerging fields of science,” he says.

Investing in projects such as CERN has benefits for society that expand beyond the bounds of academia. Massimo Florio, an economist at the University of Milan in Italy, calculates the costs and benefits of large-scale research infrastructure projects. In 2018, Florio and his colleagues evaluated how procurement orders from CERN for the production of the LHC affected knowledge production, patent filings, sales and profits for more than 350 supplier companies 5 .

Nature Spotlight: Switzerland

“There is clear evidence that after they got an order from CERN, even 10 years later, it was transformative for them,” says Florio. “Even if you give zero value to the discovery of the Higgs boson, the knowledge generated along the way has immediate benefits to society.”

Over the past 70 years, technologies developed at CERN to tackle technical and computing challenges have been applied throughout the world. Perhaps the most notable is the World Wide Web, which was developed by computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee in 1989 to rapidly share knowledge among scientists. In medicine, the technologies from particle accelerators and detectors are used in positron emission tomography scanners and radiation methods for cancer treatments, such as hadron therapy 6 .

Satisfying curiosity

As CERN embarks on its eighth decade of research, the organization is planning to upgrade its accelerators to add to knowledge about the fundamental particles that make up the Universe. Towards the end of 2025, the LHC will be shut down and upgraded to a high-luminosity LHC over about four years. The upgrades aim to increase the machine’s luminosity tenfold, which would result in a larger number of collisions, allowing scientists to observe new events and rare events, such as those producing a Higgs boson, in more detail. “If we’re ever going to produce new physics, we need a lot of data. And in order to get a lot of data, we need more collisions,” says Åarrestad. She notes that upgrades to the LHC will result in almost quadruple the number of collisions that occur now.

Feasibility studies are also being conducted for the potential development of the Future Collision Collider (FCC), a massive, 91-kilometre particle accelerator 7 . A later phase of the proposed FCC is a hadron collider that could have roughly seven times the collision energy of the LHC. But there are concerns about the costs and environmental impacts of the FCC proposals 8 , as well as particle-physics research more broadly. “There are a lot of humans that would benefit from that money. It costs energy and affects the environment to do fundamental physics,” says Åarrestad. “But I think it is something we should continue in the future despite the cost and the energy consumption, because in the end, as humans, what are we if we’re not curious about where we’re from?”

Furthermore, says Pol, basic research often leads to real-world advances. “Sometimes, something new comes out of basic, theoretical research — one never knows. So, you have to give people who are really skilled a chance to try and find out what makes us what we are,” he says.

That sentiment holds for non-scientists, as well. While working on a contribution to the 2023 book Collisions: Stories from the Science of CERN , Lucy Caldwell, a novelist and playwright based in Ireland, had the opportunity to visit the organization. There, she met several scientists and published a fictional piece on the basis of her experiences. “As humankind, we tend to tell the same stories over and over in different variations,” she says. “Being able to go somewhere like CERN and talk to the scientists right at the cutting edge of knowledge gives you, as a writer, new images, new words and new concepts. It gives you ways to make old stories fresh again and ways to tell new stories. And I think that’s important for all of us.”

Nature 628 , S1-S3 (2024)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-01100-w

This article is part of Nature Spotlight: Switzerland , an editorially independent supplement. Advertisers have no influence over the content.

Haidt, D. in 60 Years of CERN Experiments and Discoveries (eds Schopper, H. & Di Lella, L.) 165–183 (Advanced Series on Directions in High Energy Physics, World Scientific, 2015).

Google Scholar  

Di Lella, L. & Rubbia, C. in 60 Years of CERN Experiments and Discoveries (eds Schopper, H. & Di Lella, L.) 137–163 (Advanced Series on Directions in High Energy Physics, World Scientific, 2015).

Mele, S. in 60 Years of CERN Experiments and Discoveries (eds Schopper, H. & Di Lella, L.) 89–106 (Advanced Series on Directions in High Energy Physics, World Scientific, 2015).

The ATLAS Collaboration Phys. Lett. B 716 , 1–29 (2012).

Article   Google Scholar  

Castelnovo, P. et al. Res. Policy 47 , 1853–1867 (2018).

Dosanjh, M. et al. Front. Oncol. 6 , 9 (2016).

Article   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Blondel, A. & Janot, P. Eur. Phys. J. Plus. 137 , 92 (2022).

Janot, P. & Blondel, A. Eur. Phys. J. Plus 137 , 1122 (2022).

Download references

Related Articles

Partner content: Claudin-1-targeted therapies break barriers in precision oncology

Partner content: Cutting-edge diabetes technology to make lives easier

Partner content: From wristwatches to comets and back again

Partner content: How do you know how a medical implant will behave before it's manufactured?

Partner content: Quantum-as-a-service is already solving industry problems

Partner content: The dawn of next-generation synthetic lethal drugs

• Particle physics
• Institutions

The economic commitment of climate change

Article 17 APR 24

Revealed: the ten research papers that policy documents cite most

News 15 APR 24

Last-mile delivery increases vaccine uptake in Sierra Leone

Article 13 MAR 24

Obituary 12 APR 24

A supercollider glimpses a gathering of three particles never seen together before

Research Highlight 21 MAR 24

China’s giant underground neutrino lab prepares to probe cosmic mysteries

News 15 MAR 24

Exclusive: official investigation reveals how superconductivity physicist faked blockbuster results

News 06 APR 24

Larger or longer grants unlikely to push senior scientists towards high-risk, high-reward work

Nature Index 25 MAR 24

A fresh start for the African Academy of Sciences

Editorial 19 MAR 24

FACULTY POSITION IN PATHOLOGY RESEARCH

Dallas, Texas (US)

The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UT Southwestern Medical Center)

Postdoc Fellow / Senior Scientist

The Yakoub and Sulzer labs at Harvard Medical School-Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Columbia University

Boston, Massachusetts (US)

Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital

Postdoc in Computational Genomics – Machine Learning for Multi-Omics Profiling of Cancer Evolution

Computational Postdoc - Artificial Intelligence in Oncology and Regulatory Genomics and Cancer Evolution at the DKFZ - limited to 2 years

Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg (DE)

German Cancer Research Center in the Helmholtz Association (DKFZ)

Computational Postdoc

The German Cancer Research Center is the largest biomedical research institution in Germany.

PhD / PostDoc Medical bioinformatics (m/f/d)

The Institute of Medical Bioinformatics and Systems Medicine / University of Freiburg is looking for a PhD/PostDoc Medical bioinformatics (m/w/d)

Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg (DE)

University of Freiburg

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Quick links

• Explore articles by subject
• Guide to authors
• Editorial policies

Rochester News

• Science & Technology
• Society & Culture
• Campus Life
• University News

Physicists reach milestone in understanding the universe’s fundamental forces

• Facebook Share on Facebook
• X/Twitter Share on Twitter
• LinkedIn Share on LinkedIn

Rochester researchers involved with CERN make groundbreaking measurements of the electroweak mixing angle, strengthening an understanding of particle physics.

In the quest to decode the mysteries of the universe, researchers from the University of Rochester have been involved for decades with international collaborations at the European Organization for Nuclear Research, more commonly known as CERN.

Building on their extensive involvement at CERN, particularly within the CMS (Compact Muon Solenoid) Collaboration, the Rochester team—led by Arie Bodek , the George E. Pake Professor of Physics —recently achieved a groundbreaking milestone. Their achievement centers on measuring the electroweak mixing angle, a crucial component of the Standard Model of Particle Physics. This model describes how particles interact and precisely predicts a plethora of phenomena in physics and astronomy.

“The recent measurements of the electroweak mixing angle are incredibly precise, calculated from collisions of protons at CERN, and strengthen an understanding of particle physics,” Bodek says.

The CMS Collaboration brings together members of the particle physics community from across the globe to better understand the basic laws of the universe. In addition to Bodek, the Rochester cohort to the CMS Collaboration includes principal investigators Regina Demina , a professor of physics, and Aran Garcia-Bellido , an associate professor of physics, along with postdoctoral research associates and graduate and undergraduate students.

Discoveries at CERN

Located in Geneva, Switzerland, CERN is the world’s largest particle physics laboratory, renowned for its groundbreaking discoveries and cutting-edge experiments.

Rochester researchers have a long history of work at CERN as part of the CMS Collaboration, including playing key roles in the 2012 discovery of the Higgs boson —an elementary particle that helps explain that origin of mass in the universe.

The collaboration’s work includes collecting and analyzing data gathered from the Compact Muon Solenoid detector at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator. The LHC consists of a 17-mile ring of superconducting magnets and accelerating structures built underground and spanning the border between Switzerland and France.

The primary purpose of the LHC is to explore the fundamental building blocks of matter and the forces that govern them. It achieves this by accelerating beams of protons or ions to nearly the speed of light and smashing them into each other at extremely high energies. These collisions recreate conditions similar to those that existed fractions of a second after the Big Bang, allowing scientists to study the behavior of particles under extreme conditions.

Unraveling unified forces

In the 19th century, scientists found that the different forces of electricity and magnetism were linked: a changing electric field produces a magnetic field and vice versa. The discovery formed the basis of electromagnetism, which describes light as a wave and explains many phenomena in optics, along with describing how electric and magnetic fields interact.

Building upon this understanding, physicists in the 1960s discovered that electromagnetism is connected to another force—the weak force. The weak force operates within the nucleus of atoms and is responsible for processes such as radioactive decay and powering the sun’s energy production. This revelation led to the development of the electroweak theory, which posits that electromagnetism and the weak force are actually low-energy manifestations of a unified force called the unified electroweak interaction. Key discoveries, such as the Higgs boson, have confirmed this concept.

Exploring electroweak interaction

The CMS Collaboration recently performed one of the most precise measurements to date related to this theory, by analyzing billions of proton-proton collisions at the LHC at CERN. Their focus was measuring the weak mixing angle, a parameter describing how electromagnetism and the weak force blend together to create particles.

Previous measurements of the electroweak mixing angle have sparked debate within the scientific community. However, the latest findings closely align with predictions from the Standard Model of Particle Physics. Rochester graduate student Rhys Taus and postdoctoral research associate Aleko Khukhunaishvili implemented new techniques to minimize systematic uncertainties inherent in this measurement, enhancing its precision.

Understanding the weak mixing angle sheds light on how different forces in the universe work together at the smallest scales, deepening an understanding of the fundamental nature of matter and energy.

“The Rochester team has been developing innovative techniques and measuring these electroweak parameters since 2010 and then implementing them at the Large Hadron Collider,” Bodek says. “These new techniques have heralded a new era of precision tests of the predictions of the Standard Model.”

For more details on the research, check out the CERN news release , the CMS results summaries , and the CMS physics briefing .

More in Science & Technology

• See us on twitter

Stanford Biomedical Physics (BMP) PhD Program

Medical Physics Track Under BMP PhD Program

Program Overview

The Departments of Radiology and Radiation Oncology are proud to offer a new PhD program in Biomedical Physics (BMP). This program, supported by and integrating faculty from these two departments, was formally approved by the university in May 2021 and welcomed its first class of students in fall 2022. This program aims to offer unique interdisciplinary training in physics and engineering applied to solve clinical problems. This burgeoning translational field integrates topics including medical physics, diagnostic imaging, and molecular imaging and diagnostics. Synergistic with multiple departments and institutes from the School of Medicine, Engineering, and Humanities and Sciences, the BMP program leverages Stanford’s outstanding faculty, research, and resources to create a world-class training program. It targets physics, bioscience, and engineering students seeking to become the next generation of leaders focused on addressing the technical challenges of clinical medicine.

Students admitted to the BMP PhD program can choose to complete a CAMPEP curriculum that will allow them to pursue medical physics residencies and certification by the American Board of Radiology (ABR) in preparation for a career in clinical physics. This subtrack of BMP is offered in collaboration with the Medical Physics Certificate Program.

Admission Requirements and Process

Prerequisites

All students pursuing the BMP PhD program will have to complete the requirements for the BMP PhD program. Undergraduates with a major or minor in physics or equivalent of a minor in physics are encouraged to apply if interested in pursuing the Medical Physics Track.

Degree Requirements

• The Medical Physics Track follows the BMP PhD degree requirement described on Stanford Bulletin , but with different course requirements. In addition to 3 listed core courses, students are required to finish 4 more courses including:
• BMP 251 Medical Physics and Dosimetry
• BMP 252 Radiation Therapy Physics
• BMP 269A Medical Imaging Systems l, and
• BMP 269B Medical Imaging Systems lI

Students must complete the BMP requirements and also take the required CAMPEP courses.

Medical Physics CAMPEP students

Enrolled in Program

No graduates at this time.

Admissions and Graduation Data

Physics and Astronomy

Graduate Students Successfully Defend Theses

Congratulations to four graduate students in the Department of Physics and Astronomy who successfully defended their doctoral theses in March and April!

The students, listed with thesis title and thesis director, were:

Sanjay Chepuri: "Studying Earth's Magnetosphere with Energetic Particle Observations." Director: Allison Jaynes

Collin Brown: "Methods for Isolation and Phase-Space Energization Analysis of Instabilities in Collisionless Shocks with Applications." Director: Greg Howes

Jayasri Joseph: Wave Particle Interplay in Planetary Magnetospheres - Case Studies from Earth and Jupiter." Director: Allison Jaynes.

Keith Vidal: Charged Particles in Magnetic Fields from Strongly Coupled Plasmas to Whistler-Mode Chorus Waves."  Director: Allison Jaynes.

NOTICE: The University of Iowa Center for Advancement is an operational name for the State University of Iowa Foundation, an independent, Iowa nonprofit corporation organized as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, publicly supported charitable entity working to advance the University of Iowa. Please review its full disclosure statement.