Department of Physics - Oxford University | University of Oxford Department of Physics

The future is quantum

Find out how our research is building the quantum technologies of tomorrow, how we are educating and inspiring future pioneers of quantum technology and how our research is being applied to real life, right now...

Quantum at Oxford

Latest news and comment

First look: the trailer for Rubin’s movie of the sky

The first images from the extraordinary NSF-DOE Vera C Rubin Observatory have been made public today.

23 June 2025

Jocelyn Bell Burnell appointed Companion of Honour

Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell has been appointed Companion of Honour in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2025 for her services to astronomy and physics and to diversity.

14 June 2025

New world record for qubit operation accuracy

Physicists at the University of Oxford have set a new global benchmark for the accuracy of controlling a single quantum bit, achieving the lowest-ever error rate for a quantum logic operation – just 0.000015%, or one error in 6.7 million operations.

9 June 2025

Illustration of photon-photon scattering in the laboratory. Two green petawatt lasers beams collide at the focus with a third red beam to polarise the quantum vacuum. This allows a fourth blue laser beam to be generated, with a unique direction and colour, which conserves momemtum and energy.

Oxford physicists recreate extreme quantum vacuum effects

Physicists have successfully simulated how light interacts with empty space – a phenomenon once thought to belong to science fiction; the findings pave the way for real-world laser facilities to experimentally confirm bizarre quantum phenomena.

5 June 2025

The Very Large Array sees fountains of hot gas erupting from a beastly black hole in the heart of a large galaxy known to radio astronomers as Hercules A. For millions of trillions of miles, these jets shoot through space, finally slowing when they reach ancient gaseous hiccups left behind by this galaxy’s earliest days of star-forming fury.

Black holes: nature’s own supercolliders

Scientists could turn to black holes to complement facilities searching for dark matter and similarly elusive particles that hold clues to the universe’s deepest secrets, a new study by Oxford researchers suggests.

3 June 2025

One of the Simons Observatory small aperture telescopes (SAT)

Commentary: Professor Alonso on unlocking secrets of the universe with the Simons Observatory

A consortium across six UK universities has been awarded an STFC Astronomy Large Award to fund their work analysing data from the Simons Observatory; Professor David Alonso explains how it could shed light on dark matter, dark energy and the Big Bang.

2 June 2025

Upcoming events

25 June 2025

Public talks and lectures

Science and science fiction

The 2025 Astor Visiting Lecture will be given by Professor Robert Scherrer, Vanderbilt University

The Art of Astrophysics: Infrared Exoplanet Landscapes

Hands-on workshop exploring art and astrophysics

NEW series - Astro Afternoon

An event for alumni, a Saturday afternoon of Astrophysics.

Our research

Our researchers change the world: our understanding of it and how we live in it. We explore the fundamentals – how we got here and the secrets of the universe – as well as the practical from developing next-gen materials to pushing the frontiers of quantum and predicting the future for our planet.

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Launch your studies

Our dynamic programme of outstanding research as well as our specialist research facilities, collaborative research networks and international renown attract the brightest minds from around the world. Come and join them.

Undergraduate

Postgraduate

We work with businesses to share expertise, develop new ideas, provide services and commercialise research and our strong links with business are fundamental to how we work.

For business

We want to spark a passion for physics in young people and we work directly with primary and secondary schools on a local and national scale to encourage physics for all. We want to inspire the physicists of tomorrow.

For schools

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We organise a wide range of public events not only to share our passion for physics but also to help people understand our work and see how our research impacts lives.

For the community

Giving

How to support the Department of Physics

Find out how you can support our world-class scientific research and teaching and help the Department of Physics to tackle some of the most urgent and fascinating challenges we face today

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Alumni

Once a physicist, always a physicist...

Our alumni relations office exists to nurture and develop long-lasting relationships between students, staff and friends of the Department of Physics so please do get in touch with ideas, feedback or just to say hello!