Condensed matter physics and materials physics
The whole transcends the mere sum of its constituents when these are interacting parts. Consider everyday materials such as magnets or crystals. The magnetisation is a property that emerges from the alignment interactions of spins, just like crystals form through the organisation of atoms on ordered lattices. Studying condensed matter physics equips you with fundamental knowledge and tools to describe the behaviour of matter from the collective interactions of its constituents. This is a resourceful knowledge that is often applicable across disciplines.
The programme option in condensed matter and materials physics offers you great opportunities to learn about various states of matter such as exotic states, soft and hard matter. This programme option offers a wide range of master projects on selected topics within four main areas of condensed matter physics:
- statistical physics of complex systems, such as biological active matter, porous media, liquid crystals, crystals
- low-energy quantum physics, including superfluids and quantum information
- semiconductor physics
- structure physics and material science.
You will learn theoretical tools, computational methods, and experimental techniques to describe material properties at equilibrium, dynamical evolution and out-of-equilibrium pattern formations.
Master's projects
As master's student within this programme option, you can take part in world-leading research on understanding material properties across scales from nano-world to the world around human scale. You may choose to specialise on specific condensed matter topics and develop a specific set of skills using experimental, theoretical, or computational approaches.
You will be exposed to a broad research environment across several research sections in our department. The research sections you can take part in are leading in different areas. This is also reflected in the topics for potential master's projects.
For example, we might explore fascinating phenomena involving topological defects in condensed matter such as semiconductors, superfluids, biological active matter, and liquid crystals. Small structures and components within nanotechnology are important pieces in microprocessors, solar cells, superconducting materials and sensors, while disordered materials surround us everywhere and influence our everyday: soil, snow, rock, wood, cement, plastic, glass and not least: biological tissue.
You can also study flows and material deformations in complex systems, such as porous materials or those with microstructures and defects. Don’t worry if you are not familiar with the research techniques – we will introduce you to the relevant experimental, computational and theoretical methods along the way.
Study environment
You will be well-integrated in the research environment of your main supervisor, and will benefit from interactions with other master's students, PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers working within the same research area. You will be a part of the social network and events hosted by the research section of your supervisor.
Several sections at the Department of Physics offer projects within this programme option, including the following sections: condensed matter physics, semiconductor physics, structure physics, and theoretical physics. The section of condensed matter physics is mainly responsible for this programme option.