Physics @ Berkeley

Physics at Berkeley has long been in the forefront of discovery and achievement. In 1931, Ernest O. Lawrence invented the cyclotron at Berkeley, ushering in the era of high-energy physics and a tradition of achievement that continues today. Seven of Berkeleys nineteen Nobel Prizes were awarded to Berkeley physicists. The most recent National Research Council nationwide rankings identify the Department as one of the best in the nation. In their pursuit of original research, physics faculty members collaborate with postdoctoral fellows, PhD graduate students, undergraduate students, and visiting scholars. Research opportunities exist for investigating a wide range of topics in theoretical and experimental physics including astrophysics, atomic physics, molecular physics, biophysics, condensed matter, cosmic rays, elementary particles and fields, energy and resources, fusion and plasma, geochronology, general relativity, low temperature physics, mathematical physics, nuclear physics, optical and laser spectroscopy, space physics, and statistical mechanics.