Department of Physics

We are one of the UK's top Physics departments and have a reputation for high-quality teaching, driven by outstanding research, performed in an inclusive and welcoming community.

Welcome to the Department of Physics at Durham

The Physics Department is a thriving centre for research and education.

We are proud that our Department closely aligns the teaching and learning experience for its students with the research-intensive values and practices of the University. Research-led teaching is embedded at all levels from first year laboratory reports to our final year MSci flagship individual research projects.

The Department incorporates the Ogden Centre for Fundamental Physics, is home to the Institute for Particle Physics Phenomenology and the Institute for Computational Cosmology. The Ogden Centre is also the base for our innovative outreach programme for school children and their teachers.

A graphic showing an on-campus scene of students walking past the modern, glass-sided library building with the University's Physics and Astronomy Top 100 ranking emblazoned on it

Find out more about us

2nd in the Guardian University Guide 2024

3rd for Physics and Astronomy in the Complete University Guide 2024

96% of our research outputs are world-leading or internationally excellent (REF 2021)

3rd in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023

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Before you arrive Welcome and Induction

News

'Ultramassive' black hole discovered by Durham astronomers

Astronomers say they have found one of the universe's largest black holes to date using a new technique. Scientists at Durham University discovered the "ultramassive" black hole by observing its pull on passing light, called gravitational lensing. Dr James Nightingale who led the study said even he struggled to "comprehend how big this thing is". Their findings have been published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

ESA/Hubble/Digitized Sky Survey/Nick Risinger

Chi Onwurah MP invited to be the Sir Gareth Roberts Lecture speaker for 2023

Chi Onwurah MP is this year’s invited speaker to deliver the 2023 Gareth Roberts Lecture. The lecture is titled: ‘A Life in Science, Engineering and Politics’ and will take place in the Ph8 lecture theatre on 8 March 2023 at 4.30pm

International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2023

To celebrate International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2023 we invited girls from local schools to visit the Physics Department, to take part in a range of activities and to raise awareness about the important role female scientists play in Physics research.

Physics Department Developing Talent Award 2023 Winners

The Physics Department Developing Talent Award promotes, enhances and encourages the possibility of early career researchers developing their research careers within the Department by providing up to £10,000 in flexible funding.

Physics Department Developing Talent Award 2023 applicants

Durham graduate named new generation astronaut

We’re exceptionally proud to say that Durham graduate Dr Rosemary Coogan has been named as a new generation astronaut.

Using gravitational waves to hunt for dark matter

We’re part of an international team of cosmologists who’ve discovered that observations of gravitational waves might reveal the true nature of dark matter.

Two black holes move towards each other against a starry backdrop

Would you wear a living shoe? How Durham academics have used microbes to create living materials, granting structure and motility in biohybrid systems

Dr Margarita Staykova from the Centre for Materials Physics has teamed up with Durham University sociologist Professor Tiago Moreira to discover some of the science and ethics of using microbes to create materials.

Would you wear a living shoe? The Royal Society poses the question, with the image of a boot with illuminated multicoloured veins spreading through it

Athena Swan Silver Award

We are Delighted to announce that the Physics department has been awarded Athens Swan Silver status until 2027 after going through a rigorous re-accreditation process.

Durham hosts new £10m supercomputer to investigate the Universe

We’re home to a new £10m supercomputer that will help scientists around the world investigate the mysteries of the Universe.

Chi Onwurah MP pushes the button on the launch of the COSMA 8 supercomputer

New supercomputer simulation to test model behind Universe’s formation

We’re part of an international team of astrophysicists who’ve simulated galaxy formation and large-scale cosmic structure with unprecedented detail to investigate how the Universe formed.

Computer simulation showing the threads and stars of the Universe

#takemebacktuesday: Reflecting on 2022's Nobel Prize in Physics winner Prof. Alain Aspect, who opened our revamped laboratories ten years ago.

The Nobel Prize in Physics 2022 was awarded to Alain Aspect, John F. Clauser and Anton Zeilinger "for experiments with entangled photons, establishing the violation of Bell inequalities and pioneering quantum information science".

A smiling Prof Alain Aspect opening the refurbished laboratories in the Physics department in 2012

Prominent Durham Professors named in Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers 2022

Our academics are leading the way for world-class research and their influence and research quality has been recognised with their inclusion in the prestigious Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers for this year.