Chair:
Richard Rand
An undergraduate education in physics provides a solid foundation for a lifetime of learning in a variety of disciplines, including science, engineering, math, finance, education, law, and medicine. Find out more .
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Degree Programs
Undergraduate
Graduate - Physics
Graduate - Optical Science and Engineering
News from the Chair
Akimasa Miyake's quantum computing research helps to win $17 million NSF STAQ project renewal award
The National Science Foundation renewed the Software-Tailored Architecture for Quantum co-design (STAQ) project for another five years to develop a prototype quantum computer. Akimasa Miyake's expertise will be critical to the continued success of the STAQ project.
See the CQuIC article . Congratulations!
News from the Chair
Sleeping supermassive black holes awakened briefly by shredded stars
Compact Symmetric Objects (CSOs) are active galaxies that host supermassive black holes at their cores. Out of these monstrous black holes spring two jets traveling in opposite directions at nearly the speed of light. But in comparison to other galaxies that boast fierce jets, these jets do not extend out to great distances -- they are much more compact. For many decades, astronomers suspected that CSOs were simply young and that their jets would eventually travel out to greater distances.
Read more in the UNM Newsroom article
News from the Chair
UNM Physics Day 2024
UNM Physics Day 2024 was held on Saturday, April 13 and featured research presentations, poster sessions, and a plenary talk by Dr. Mousumi Roy.
Read about this free event and see photos from Physics Day 2024 .
News from the Chair
UNM OSE Program helped create optics 'terrarium' in NM
The University of New Mexico's Optical Science and Engineering program recently celebrated 40 years of graduate education in optics with two days of lectures, lab tours, student poster presentations and more. The OSE Program is jointly administered by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Department of Physics and Astronomy and offers master's degrees and Ph.D.s in optical science, with concentrations offered in optical science, photonics, quantum optics, and imaging.
See the UNM Newsroom article .
News from the Chair
Applications open for Qu-REACH summer quantum undergraduate research experience
Applications are open for the fourth-annual Qu-REACH program , during which students can gain hands-on experience in the competitive field of quantum technology. The program will take place from May 28 to Aug. 2, and participants will receive a $7,000 stipend.
A limited number of housing stipends are also available for students attending schools outside the Albuquerque metro area. Students studying STEM at any college or university in New Mexico are invited to apply. Applications are due Friday, March 1.
Find out more about this opportunity .
News from the Chair
The University of New Mexico launches The Quantum New Mexico Institute
New Mexico scientists played a pioneering role in the development of Quantum Informational Science; now The University of New Mexico (UNM) is partnering with Sandia National Laboratories to launch the University's newest research center, the Quantum New Mexico Institute (QNM-I) .
See the UNM Newsroom article for details.
News from the Chair
Towards a New Campus Observatory
We want to make sure our educational, outreach, and research activities are preserved, expanded, and able to continue for a long time to come
The UNM Campus Observatory has initiated a crowdfunding campaign in an effort to raise funds for the planning of a new Campus Observatory. The current Campus Observatory was built in the 1950s and is now outdated among other concerns.
Read the UNM Newsroom article about the planning for this new facility .
Find out how to donate to our goal .
News from the Chair
Job Opportunities at UNM Physics & Astronomy