Welcome from the Director
Welcome to the web site of the Department of Physics. This is an exciting time to be Chair ! The Department is in a period of growth, and its research interests are rapidly evolving. From its roots in condensed matter physics, it has become one of the first departments of physics to embrace whole heartedtly multidisciplinarity and interdisciplinarity.
Our students quickly feel the potentials of a training in physics. Its tools and methods help to explore the physical laws which control our universe; from the planets to the way sensory perceptions are recorded in the brain, from the creation of the most exotic crystals to the evolution of mud into sedimentary rocks, from the shortest light pulses of nearly attosecond duration, short enough to view an electron in orbit around a nuclei, to optical signals circling the world, from the intricate details of proteins and cells to the complexities of neuronal networks and gene regulation.
Our students live a truly Canadian cultural experience in our unique bilingual environment, where they can choose the languages of most of their courses at the undergraduate level.
Situated at the south end of the campus next to the Rideau Canal, ideal for jogging, biking, and skating in the winter, the Macdonald Physics Building is in between two of the most pleasant residential neighborhood of Centertown and Sandy Hill while a few minutes from downtown, its theaters and the Byward Market entertainment area.
Béla JoósChair