Doctor of Philosophy in Physics - Condensed Matter Theory

What makes Condensed Matter Physics a fascinating subject is the fact that a wide range of physical phenomena and properties of matter emerge from the relatively simple interaction laws that govern the behavior of electrons and atoms - the basic building blocks of the "ordinary" matter around us. Can we understand the variety of emergent phases and the transitions between them Which of the properties are peculiar to the microscopic details of interactions and which are universal for wide classes of physical systems How does disorder, surfaces, confining geometry (e.g. nanostructures) affect these properties These are some of the fundamental questions that condensed matter theory addresses. The Condensed Matter Theory Group at the UCR Department of Physics is represented by Professors Vivek Aji, Leonid Pryadko, Michael Mulligan, Kirill Shtengel, Shan-Wen Tsai, Chandra Varma and Roya Zandi. The research interests of the group include both "hard" and "soft" condensed matter physics. The former category refers to the studies of quantum phenomena in condensed matter, particularly in the strongly correlated systems. The research topics include superconductivity, quantum phase transitions, the physics of novel materials and nanostructures, and quantum computation. The soft condensed matter physics includes classical statistical mechanics and its applications to the physics of polymers and biological systems.

A bachelor's degree, or its equivalent, from an accredited institution. The degree must represent the completion of a program equivalent in subject matter and scholarship to that offered by the University of California. A minimum of a 3.0 undergraduate GPA or B-equivalent (if GPA is not on a 4.0 scale). We recommend that you check with the graduate program as they may have a higher standard for their GPA requirements. If your GPA is below this, follow up with the graduate program you are interested. Applications are reviewed in their entirety and the program can look at your other components and advise you on potential admission. All applications are initially reviewed by the graduate program before a recommendation is submitted to the Graduate Division for final approval. We require transcripts with final grades or most recent grades (if degree is in progress) from all college-level institutions you have attended. We also require proof of any degree awarded to you. Confirmation of your degree can be a degree posting on a transcript or a copy of your degree certificate. If you have attended an institution located outside of the US. IELTS - minimum acceptable overall score is 7 with no score less than 6 on any individual component. TOEFL - minimum acceptable scores are: 550 for the revised TOEFL paper-delivered test and 80 for the TOEFL iBT.