Department
Physics
Prof Sow Chorng Haur
Head of Department (Previous)
Prof Sow Chorng Haur
Head of Department (Previous)
Prof Gong Jiangbin
Head of Department
w.e.f. 1 July 2021
Prof Gong Jiangbin
Head of Department
w.e.f. 1 July 2021
Physics
Prof Gong Jiangbin
W.E.F. 1 JULY 2021
Prof Sow Chorng Haur
(Previous)
Shaping Future Talent
The Department of Physics launched several new academic programmes under the College of Humanities and Sciences (CHS), which emphasise flexible, broad-based interdisciplinary learning. We aligned our Primary Major in Physics, Second Major in Physics, four minor programmes and three specialisations with the CHS mission. We also introduced three new minors, namely in Astronomy, Physics in Technology and Meteorology and Climate Science.
We successfully launched a new Master of Science in Physics for Technology programme to provide industry-relevant postgraduate education as a route towards improved career prospects and employability. Our programme provides multidisciplinary knowledge in physics, photonics, electronics, materials science and computing, and will cater to an inaugural batch of 36 students.
More Information
We signed agreements with 12 partner universities in China, together with NUS (Suzhou) Research Institute (NUSRI), under the 3+1+1 joint educational framework. Students will spend one year at NUSRI, followed by Bachelor of Science and Master of Science studies at NUS.
Credit: NUS (Suzhou) Research Institute
Shaping Future Solutions
This year, we took our research to the next level, with groundbreaking work from cosmology to quantum materials.
Antiferromagnet whirls for enhanced device memory
Drawing inspiration from a historical idea which postulated the formation of cosmic whirls at special locations in the universe from a phase-transition of the early universe, Dr JANI Hariom Kirit under Assoc Prof ARIANDO’s guidance discovered a large family of antiferromagnetic whirls in an earth-abundant material, iron oxide.This will allow memory storage capability that fits at the tip of our fingers to be more energy-efficient and a thousandfold faster than today’s memory devices. This work was published in Nature (February 2021).
Spherical orbits around a Kerr black hole
When a planet orbits around a rotating Kerr black hole, its orbit can adopt a complicated, non-planar trajectory. A special class of these orbits, spherical orbits, traces out spheres of constant radii. Assoc Prof Edward TEO has uncovered the properties of such spherical orbits in detail, which are crucial for detailed modelling and understanding of the motion of planets and stars around a Kerr black hole. This work was published in General Relativity and Gravitation (January 2021).
Electric field control of magnetism
Assoc Prof Goki EDA’s team has discovered that the magnetism of a magnetic semiconductor, Cr2Ge2Te6, shows an exceptionally strong response to applied electric fields. By applying electric fields, ferromagnetism – a state in which electron spins spontaneously align with one another – can be induced at temperatures where the material is normally paramagnetic. This is a state in which electron spins are randomly oriented. The team also demonstrated significant electrical control of magnetic anisotropy, a key feature required for spintronic devices. This work was published in Nature Electronics (2020).
Assoc Prof Goki EDA (left) received the Nano Research Young Innovators (NR45) Awards in Two-Dimensional Materials (2021), the Springer and Tsinghua University Press Award (2021) as well as the Faculty’s Outstanding Scientist Award (2020).
Asst Prof LOH Huanqian (right) was named in the Asian Scientist 100 list (2021).
Multiple awards
Department of Physics
Asian Scientist 100 (2021)
Department of Physics
Shaping Future Society
Our scientists continue to contribute their research expertise to address some of the pressing challenges of our time.
A novel power source with blue energy
Asst Prof Slaven GARAJ’s team has developed new graphene-based membranes to harvest energy while mixing water streams of different salinities. When salt water and fresh water interact, energy is generated. Currently, the lack of efficient membranes for power generation constrains efforts to harvest renewable blue energy. Our membranes offer a significant increase in performance over commercial membranes and are currently being benchmarked by industrial partners for real-world use.
High detection sensitivity of COVID-19 virus
Prof YAN Jie‘s research group has developed a novel immunoassay for detecting the presence of a specific biomolecular target with high sensitivity and specificity. The team is now working with industrial collaborators to commercialise the test kits.
Big Opportunities in the Nanoworld
Our researchers have made inroads into nanoscience and its real-world applications. We shared these insights with young scientists and high school students across Southeast Asia at a virtual event from 15 to 26 June 2021. This specially curated programme brought nanotechnology concepts to life through an immersive journey of scientific discovery. This programme was held under the ambit of NUS’ School of Continuing and Lifelong Education (SCALE)’s Youth Programmes to mentor future generations of changemakers.
Treating Cancer
Our alumnus Assoc Prof James C L LEE (Physics, 1990), Chief Radiation Physicist (Division of Radiation Oncology) at the National Cancer Centre Singapore, is a medical physicist at the forefront of cancer treatment. He ensures that complex treatments are tailored for each patient and develops the protocols to ensure that the treatments are safe, effective and highly accurate. His work helps cancer patients by saving lives as well as preserving the quality of life.