Information for students and staff about the coronavirus

The Swedish Public Health Agency has updated its risk assessment for spread of the corona virus. This is the policy for staff and students at the Department of Physics.

This applies to Fysikum

Två doktorander i skyddsglasögon utför experiment

Electron–spin dynamics studied on its natural time-scale

By using extremely short light pulses and coincidence technology, researchers from several Swedish universities have managed to follow the dynamic process when the electron's spin - its rotation around its own axis - controls how an atom absorbs light

New insight into electron-spin dynamics of photo-induced phenomena

Rotation, precession, and nutation in obliquity of a planet

Spin nutation in magnetic materials observed for the first time

For the first time, spin nutation in magnetic materials has been observed. The discovery could impact the way digital information is saved and lead to a faster, more compact and more energy-efficient technology.

New research published

First research from DESIREE using merged-beams

The DESIREE facility, with its unique design of two storage rings with a common straight section was constructed in order to study reactions between pairs of oppositely charged atomic or molecular ions. The results of the first such experiment have recently been published.

New research published

Schematic diagram of the experimental setup GANDALPH. A beam of negative ions enter the vacuum chamber to the left ans is overlapped with a laser beam. The neutrals created in photodetachment continue to the right and hit the detector, and the negative ion beam is bent to hit the ion detector.

The rarest element on earth is studied in detail

Can the rarest element on earth, astatine, be used to treat tumors? A new study published in Nature Communications is the first to measure in detail the electron affinity of astatine that is relevant for development of targeted alpha therapy.

New research published

Information about courses given during the autumn semester

From August 31 2020, Fysikum at Stockholm University will open for campus education. The transition will take place taking current circumstances into account, and following recommendations from the government. Teaching will be given both online and on campus.

Information about courses given during the autumn semester

The schematic of the experiment used to capture the alignment of water molecules by the laser light. By using X-ray lasers, scientists have seen that the water molecules can be aligned for a very short time, forming a liquid crystal. Water molecules that are in a low-density liquid (LDL – blue regions) are easier to align that those in a high density liquid (HDL – yellow regions).

X-rays indicate that water can behave like a liquid crystal

Scientists at Stockholm University have discovered that water can exhibit a similar behavior like a liquid crystal when illuminated with laser light. This effect originates by the alignment of water molecules, which exhibit a mixture of low- and high-density domains that are more or less prone to alignment. Can this discovery have future technological applications?

New results reported in Physics Review Letters

Excess Events observed in Dark Matter Experiment

Scientists from the international XENON collaboration announced today that data from their XENON1T, the world's most sensitive dark matter experiment, show a surprising excess of events.

The signal is consistent with solar axions