Duke University Physics Department

Do you think you’re smarter than a 5th grader about how the Universe works? You might be, if you read professor Eve Vavagiakis' children's book, “I’m a Photon," which uses rhymes and illustrations to explain scientific concepts.

If You Think Physics is Just for Grownups, Think Again When it comes to the tiny particles that make up our universe, do you think you know more than a seven-year-old?

Professor Emeritus Lawrence Evans, who spent nearly four decades as an active member of the Duke faculty, passed away on Sunday, May 25, at the age of 92.

Physics Professor Lawrence Evans Passes Away Duke Professor Emeritus of Physics Lawrence Evans passed away on Sunday, May 25, at the age of 92.

Congratulations to Divine Kumah , Charles H. Townes Associate Professor of Physics, who was honored with a named professorship in recognition of his leadership and commitment to excellence in scholarship and research.

Eight Trinity College of Arts & Sciences Faculty Honored With Named Professorships Eight faculty in Duke University’s Trinity College of Arts & Sciences have been honored with named professorships, effective July 1.These endowed positions recognize leadership and commitment to excellence in scholarship and research. Their recipients are outstanding teachers, mentors and research...

On May 19, the Duke Physics department invites all to a one-day symposium celebrating Professor Tom Mehen's career, collaborations and scientific legacy.

As a scientific and personal tribute to a very dear colleague, the Memorial Symposium will feature physics talks by his colleagues, mentees and collaborators from across the country, as well as a special session where members of the physics community can share brief personal reflections or stories about Tom. More information:

Tom Mehen Memorial Symposium - May 19, 2025 The Duke Physics department invites all to a one-day symposium celebrating Professor Tom Mehen's career, collaborations and scientific legacy.

The Universe is expanding—fast. Maybe too fast. A new measurement from Dan Scolnic's team confirms past, hotly debated results: the Universe’s expansion rate doesn’t match our predictions.

Could this escalate the Hubble tension into a full-blown crisis?

Dan Scolnic Shows that the Universe Is Still Full of Surprises The Universe really seems to be expanding fast. Too fast, even. A new measurement confirms what previous — and highly debated — results had shown: The Universe is expanding faster than predicted by theoretical models, and faster than can be explained by our current understanding of physics.

We mourn the passing of our colleague Tom Mehen, a long-serving Duke University faculty and passionate teacher known for his research on quantum chromodynamics and the application of effective field theory to problems in hadronic physics. In remembrance:

Physics Professor Tom Mehen Passes Away Tom Mehen, a highly regarded member of the faculty in the Department of Physics, passed away unexpectedly at his Chapel Hill home last weekend. He was 54.

In high school, Travis Nicholson thought that cooling atoms sounded fun. Today, his research on cooled neutral atoms is one of the most productive frontiers in quantum computing. Meet our new Assistant Professor:

Probing the Quantum Nature of Reality Even those of us who aren’t physicists have an intuitive understanding of classical physics — we can predict what will happen when we throw a ball, use a salad spinner, or ease up on the gas pedal.But atomic and subatomic particles don’t follow these ordinary rules of reality. “It turns out ...

When he retired from Duke University this year, professor Glenn Edwards' dream of a compact free electron laser with medical precision had finally reached a stage that seemed unfathomable a couple of decades ago.

A Full-Circle Career: Professor of Physics Glenn Edwards Retires After 25 Years at Duke Career trajectories can take many shapes: a steep upward slope, a meandering wave, a steady sequence of steps (let’s not even mention the possibility of a downfall).

Stellar collaborators: Duke University and North Carolina Central University partner to give students the opportunity to work on the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.

NC Central University helps to contribute to next space telescope NCCU is part of a consortium of 14 other universities and agencies working on the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. It is scheduled to launch by May 2027 and will be used to explore dark energy an…

One of Germany's first female PhDs, but seeing no future in the country once N***s rose to power, Hertha Sponer crossed the Atlantic and became our first female faculty, pioneering the field of physical chemistry. Learn more ➡️ https://100.duke.edu/story/hertha-sponer/

Hertha Sponer - Duke Centennial Hertha Sponer was the first woman to join the physics faculty at Duke and a pioneering experimentalist in what is now called physical chemistry.

This Duke lab is creating materials that could revolutionize tech. But if you ask physics professor Sara Haravifard, it's also a test kitchen.

What Cooking Shows and Physics Labs Have in Common | PBS North Carolina Chefs and physicists both utilize common ingredients to craft new creations.