Skip to main content
Menu

Secondary Menu

  • News
  • Events
Duke University - Trinity College of Arts and Sciences
Department of PhysicsDepartment of Physics
  • About Us
    • Administrative Website
    • Our Facilities
    • Advanced Light Imaging and Spectroscopy (ALIS) facility
    • Instrument Shop
    • Staff Machine Shop
    • Duke Teaching Observatory
    • Directions & Maps
    • Our History
    • Statement on Conduct
    • Conduct Accountability Committee
    • Department Resources
    • Leadership & Department Contacts
    • 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
  • 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

Big Questions Overview

Research at Duke University

Members of the Physics Department expand the frontiers of physics while collaborating with colleagues in physics, mathematics, chemistry, engineering, the life sciences and medicine at Duke and other universities and research institutions in the United States and abroad.

Together, we are addressing Big Questions:

  1. What are the ultimate laws of nature?
  2. What principles govern strongly interacting matter?
  3. How does quantum physics explain and predict novel materials?
  4. How can we understand complex soft matter and biological systems?
  5. How can physics research improve the practice of medicine?
  6. How does physics drive the information and computing revolutions?
  7. How can we use physics to benefit society?

 

Sidebar Navigation

  • Research Areas
  • 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
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
    • Staff 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
    • Leadership & Department Contacts
    • 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
    • Biophysics Majors
      • B.S. Degree Requirements
      • B.A. Degree Requirements
      • Biophysics Faculty
    • Course Selection & Recommendations
      • Introductory Physics Course
      • Intro Course Placement
      • 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
  • Graduate
    • Ph.D. Requirements
    • For Prospective Students
      • Admissions
        • Admissions Process
      • Financial Support
        • Fellowships
          • Past Fellowship Recipients
      • Living in Durham
      • 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