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School of Physical and Chemical Sciences

About Physics and Astronomy

At Queen Mary University of London, we believe that a diversity of ideas helps us achieve the previously unthinkable.

The Department of Physics and Astronomy’s (DPA) mission is to understand the physical nature of the universe from the Femto scale to cosmological scales and use that understanding to change the world through fundamental scientific discoveries and innovative technology development.  Our fundamental science work relies on cutting edge techniques in theory, data science and instrumentation.  Our study of applied physics areas, including condensed matter, quantum and renewable technologies, offers synergies and opportunities for multidisciplinary research that can lead to an increased engagement with industry. 

The Department of Physics and Astronomy consists of four research centres, Astronomy Unit (AU), Centre for Condensed Matter Physics (CCMP), Centre for Theoretical Physics (CTP), and Particle Physics Research Centre (PPRC).  The research centres conduct world-leading research, that over the previous REF period has included many spectacular discoveries.  The DPA formed an interdisciplinary detector development group as a fusion of PPRC and CCMP capabilities to strengthen research and provide a strong foundation for targeting industry engagement, around a seed of working with the Atomic Weapons Establishment Plc (AWE) on the development of novel radiation sensors and underlying IP (patent now entering nationalisation stage in the EU and US). 

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