Department of Physics & Energy Science

The primary research of the department is in solid state physics and surface science.  This is supported by several ultrahigh vacuum systems for deposition (molecular beam epitaxy) and characterization of thin films (LEED and Auger spectroscopy), a scanning tunneling microscope and a scanning electron microscope, Brillouin light scattering, and good computing facilities for theoretical work.  The department also has an active program and sophisticated equipment for radon studies.  In addition, the department has a variety of research grade telescopes which can be used for precision astrophotography, solar research, and in the determination of the chemical composition and periods of variable stars.  Specific faculty interests and activities are listed alphabetically.

James Burkhart:                Applied Physics:  Correlation of measured radon levels and geological formations,

                                                                     the physics of radon measurement.  Recent publications and presentations

                                                                     are available here.

Robert Camley:                 Theoretical Solid State Physics:  Magnetic and electronic properties of artificially layered

                                                                      structures (superlattices), surface excitations, optical and

                                                                      magneto-optical signal processing.

Zbigniew Celinski:             Experimental Solid State Physics:  Growth and characterization of ultra-thin metallic

                                                                      films and multilayers, magnetic materials, Brillouin light scattering,

                                                                      ferromagnetic resonance, exchange coupling in magnetic thin films.

Thomas Christensen:          Experimental Solid State Physics:  Surface physics of metals, polymers and semiconductors;

                                                                       oxidation, tribology, magnetic materials, optical properties.

Anatoliy Glushchenko:       Experimental Physics:  Physical properties of liquid crystals, liquid crystal based devices,

                                                                        new liquid crystal materials and emerging applications.

Marek Grabowski:              Theoretical Solid State Physics:  Chaos, nonlinear physics, solitons, one and two

                                                                        dimensional systems, polymers.