International Master of Science in Physics

The International Master of Science in Physics programme is a two-year programme with the first year focused on lectures, seminars and lab courses in order to deepen and broaden the knowledge of students beyond the experiences from BSc-level studies. In the second year, students work on a topical project in physics integrated in a faculty research team under the supervision of a professor or senior scientist, leading to a Master's thesis. Our faculty consists of 15 chairs (involving 25 professors), which cover a broad range of topics within condensed matter physics, particle and astrophysics, energy research, quantum- and nano-optics, optoelectronics and imaging technologies, combining experimental, theoretical and applied approaches. We collaborate with leading groups of the top universities and research institutes worldwide, such as at Cambridge, Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, Riken, the Max Planck Society and NASA. One major focus is on research in topological and correlated solid state physics, which receives annual multimillion federal and European funding through individual grants and awards and a collaborative research centre. Our expertise in material synthesis, characterisation and spectroscopy as well as in theoretical prediction and modelling and in the exploration of applications, allows us a cradle-to-paper approach, all within our faculty. Materials synthesised by our molecular beam epitaxy and pulsed laser deposition groups undergo structural, optical, magnetic and quantum transport measurements and are shared with groups performing a number of spectroscopy techniques. These include angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, spin-polarised scanning tunnelling spectroscopy, electron and nuclear spin resonance spectroscopy and resonant X-ray spectroscopy as well as electron microscopy. Research in theoretical physics develops and employs ab-initio, field-theoretical, many-body theory, Monte-Carlo and holographic methods. Our research also covers theoretical and experimental particle physics, theoretical and observational astrophysics and astronomy as well as quantum field theory and string theory. In particular, we carry out both theoretical and experimental precision analyses of the Standard Model in view of finding deviations and signals for new physics. Major topics in astronomy are high-energy astronomy and the study of cosmic particle accelerators as well as dark matter. Moreover, we investigate the AdS/CFT correspondence, its applications and its relations to quantum information and quantum gravity. A further important focus is on the development of technologies for renewable energy harvesting, nano- and biophotonics, molecular electronics, quantum communication, spintronics and imaging techniques covering the spectroscopic range from radio waves (NMR) to X-rays. A wide range of epitaxial growth equipment for inorganic and organic semiconductor heterostructures, clean room facilities, spectroscopy labs and lithography are routinely used by our researchers and students.