Skip to main content
Menu

Secondary Menu

  • News
  • Events
Duke University - Trinity College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Physics wordmark

Main navigation

  • About Us
    • Administrative Website
    • Our Facilities
    • Advanced Light Imaging and Spectroscopy (ALIS) facility
    • Instrument Shop
    • Instructional Machine Shop
    • Duke Teaching Observatory
    • Directions & Maps
    • Our History
    • Statement on Conduct
    • Conduct Accountability Committee
    • Department Resources
    • Job Opportunities
    • Fritz London Memorial Prize
    • Fritz London Memorial Lecture
  • Undergraduate
    • For Prospective Students
    • Physics Majors & Minor
    • Biophysics Majors
    • Course Selection & Recommendations
    • For Current Students
    • Tutoring & Course Help
    • Transfer Credit
    • Trinity Ambassadors
  • Graduate
    • Ph.D. Requirements
    • For Prospective Students
    • For Current Students
    • Graduate Student Organization
  • Courses
    • All Courses
    • Non-Physics Majors
    • Introductory Undergraduate
    • Undergraduate Core
    • Undergraduate Electives
    • Graduate Core
    • Graduate Electives
    • Astrophysics
    • Atomic, Molecular & Optics
    • BioPhysics
    • Condensed Matter
    • Nuclear/Particle
  • People
    • Primary and Joint Faculty
    • Secondary Faculty
    • Research, Teaching or Adjunct Faculty
    • Emeritus Faculty
    • Staff
    • Researchers
    • Graduate Students
  • Research
    • Research Areas
    • Research Labs
    • Big Questions
    • Publications
  • Alumni
    • Alumni Profiles
    • For Our Alumni
    • For Current Students
    • Contribute
Tom Mehen smiles at the camera
Tom Mehen Memorial Symposium, May 19
Program and more information
Tom Mehen smiles at the camera
Tom Mehen, In Memoriam, 1970-2024
The Physics Department mourns the loss of a beloved colleague and renowned physicist
Simulated reconstruction of a nuclear collision
From Nuclear Collisions to AI
Steffen Bass explores how machine learning is revolutionizing nuclear physics
Physics Majors & Minor
Biophysics Majors
Ph.D. Requirements
Our Faculty

About Us

Known for our award-winning faculty and research, Duke's Department of Physics includes a nationally-recognized doctoral program, and offers undergraduate degrees in physics and biophysics. Our research – focused in 11 key areas – is internationally well recognized and focused on the scientific challenges of the 21st century. As part of Duke’s highly collaborative approach to research, we have established faculty labs and research groups where our faculty and students work closely with other departments across the University, as well as with academic institutions and major research facilities nationally and abroad.

Learn More

Key Research Areas

  • Atomic/Molecular/Optical (AMO) Physics
  • Biological Physics
  • Condensed Matter & Materials Physics
  • Cosmology & Astrophysics
  • Experimental Nuclear Physics
  • High Energy Physics
  • Imaging & Medical Physics
  • Mathematical Physics
  • Nonlinear & Complex Systems
  • Quantum Information Science
  • Theoretical Nuclear & Particle Physics

Events

May
19
Mon
Mehen Memorial Symposium
9:00 am
French Family Science Center 2231, Duke University

See All Events

News

  • Holding onto rails, Tom Mehen smiles at the camera, his back turned to a view of mountains and a canyon
    Tom Mehen Memorial Symposium - May 19, 2025
  • Berndt Mueller
    Trinity Physicist Berndt Mueller Elected Honorary Member of Hungarian Academy of Sciences
  • Tyler Johnson opens valve on equipment
    Ph.D. Alum Tyler Johnson Awarded the 2025 Springer Thesis Prize
  • From Nuclear Collisions to AI: How Machine Learning is Revolutionizing Nuclear Physics
    From Nuclear Collisions to AI: How Machine Learning is Revolutionizing Nuclear Physics
See All News
book icon
Faculty Journal Articles Published Annually
400+
class icon
Primary, Secondary & Joint Faculty Members
56
cap and diploma icon
Graduate Students
94
Duke wordmark.

Department of Physics

Physics Building,
120 Science Drive

Campus Box 90305
Durham, NC 27708
(919) 660-2500

Academic Degrees

Ph.D. Program
Majors in Physics
Majors in Biophysics
Minor in Physics

Undergraduates

Tutoring Help
Course Selection
Transfer Credit
Faculty Research Advisors

Graduate Students

Admissions
Steps to Graduation
Graduate Student Organization

Stay Connected

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Statement of Conduct
NetID Login
  • About Us
    • Administrative Website
    • Our Facilities
    • Advanced Light Imaging and Spectroscopy (ALIS) facility
    • Instrument Shop
    • Instructional Machine Shop
    • Duke Teaching Observatory
    • Directions & Maps
    • Our History
      • 1924 to 1945
      • 1946 to 1962
      • 1963 to 1985
      • 1986 to 2005
      • Faculty Interviews
      • Historical Faculty
        • Lawrence C. Biedenharn
        • Edward G. Bilpuch
        • William M. Fairbank
        • Walter Gordy
        • Harold W. Lewis
        • Fritz London
        • Henry W. Newson
        • Walter M. Nielsen
        • Lothar W. Nordheim
        • Hertha Sponer
        • William D. Walker
      • Department Chairs
      • Former and Current Faculty
    • Statement on Conduct
    • Conduct Accountability Committee
    • Department Resources
    • Job Opportunities
    • Fritz London Memorial Prize
    • Fritz London Memorial Lecture
  • Undergraduate
    • For Prospective Students
      • Learning About Physics
      • Learning About Biophysics
      • Credit for College Board Advanced Placement (AP)
    • Physics Majors & Minor
      • B.S. Degree Requirements
      • B.A. Degree Requirements
      • Physics Minor Requirements
      • Concentration in Astrophysics
    • Biophysics Majors
      • B.S. Degree Requirements
      • B.A. Degree Requirements
      • Biophysics Faculty
    • Course Selection & Recommendations
      • Introductory Physics Course
      • Course Placement for majors/minors
      • Sample Course Schedules
    • For Current Students
      • Faculty Research Advisors
      • Independent Study
      • Undergraduate Research
        • Undergraduate Research Fellowships
      • Fellowships for Majors
      • Study Abroad
      • Graduation With Distinction
      • Daphne Chang Memorial Award
    • Tutoring & Course Help
    • Transfer Credit
      • Transfer Credit FAQ
    • Trinity Ambassadors
  • Graduate
    • Ph.D. Requirements
    • For Prospective Students
      • Admissions
        • Admissions Process
      • Financial Support
        • Fellowships
          • Past Fellowship Recipients
      • Living in Durham
      • Campus Visits & Open House
      • Graduate Placements
    • For Current Students
      • New Student Orientation
      • Assessment Exams
      • Annual Reports
        • Academic Integrity Policy
        • Criteria For Good Standing
        • Standards of Conduct
      • Research Talks
      • Preliminary Examination
      • Dissertation
      • Mini Courses
      • Conference Travel
      • Steps to Graduation
    • Graduate Student Organization
      • GSO Leadership
        • GSO Meeting Minutes
      • GSO Updates
  • Courses
    • All Courses
    • Non-Physics Majors
    • Introductory Undergraduate
    • Undergraduate Core
    • Undergraduate Electives
    • Graduate Core
    • Graduate Electives
    • Astrophysics
    • Atomic, Molecular & Optics
    • BioPhysics
    • Condensed Matter
    • Nuclear/Particle
  • People
    • Primary and Joint Faculty
    • Secondary Faculty
    • Research, Teaching or Adjunct Faculty
    • Emeritus Faculty
    • Staff
    • Researchers
    • Graduate Students
  • Research
    • Research Areas
      • Atomic/Molecular/Optical (AMO) Physics
      • Biological Physics
      • Condensed Matter & Materials Physics
      • Cosmology & Astrophysics
      • Experimental Nuclear Physics
      • Mathematical Physics
      • High Energy Physics
      • Imaging & Medical Physics
      • Nonlinear & Complex Systems
      • Quantum Information Science
      • Theoretical Nuclear & Particle Physics
    • Research Labs
    • Big Questions
      • BQ1: What are the ultimate laws of nature?
      • BQ2: What principles govern strongly interacting matter?
      • BQ3: How does quantum physics explain and predict novel materials?
      • BQ4: How can we understand complex soft matter and biological systems?
      • BQ5: How can physics research improve the practice of medicine?
      • BQ6: How does physics drive the information and computing revolutions?
      • BQ7: How can we use physics to benefit society?
    • Publications
  • Alumni
    • Alumni Profiles
    • For Our Alumni
      • Assisting Duke Students
    • For Current Students
    • Contribute
  • News
  • Events