Physics

The Departments of Physics at the Universities of Guelph and Waterloo offers MSc and PhD degrees in the following fields:

Astrophysics and Gravitation
Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics
Biophysics
Chemical Physics
Condensed Matter and Material Physics
Industrial and Applied Physics
Subatomic Physics
Quantum Computing

The University of Guelph and the University of Waterloo have a joint program in which graduate courses are taught by instructors from both universities. Students are registered at the university their advisor is located. A student comes under the general regulations of the university at which they are registered, and the degree is granted by that university.

Administrative Staff

Chair
Leonid Brown (207 MacNaughton, Ext. 53295)
phychair@uoguelph.ca
Graduate Program Coordinator
Eric Poisson (452 MacNaughton, Ext. 52540)
epoisson@uoguelph.ca
Associate Graduate Program Coordinator
Robert Wickham (448 MacNaughton, Ext. 53704)
rwickham@uoguelph.ca
Graduate Program Assistant
Janice Ilic (207 MacNaughton, Ext. 58176)
physgrad@uoguelph.ca

Graduate Faculty

This list may include Regular Graduate Faculty, Associated Graduate Faculty and/or Graduate Faculty from other universities.

Nasser Abukhdeir
B.Sc. Carnegie Mellon, M.Ch.E. Carnegie Mellon, PhD McGill - Associate Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Niayesh Afshordi
BA Iran, B.Sc. Providence, PhD Princeton - Associate Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Michal Bajcsy
BS, PhD Harvard - Assistant Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Michael Balogh
B.Sc. McMaster, PhD Victoria - Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Dayan Ban
B.Sc., M.Sc. Science and Technology (China), PhD Toronto - Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Jonathan Baugh
B.Sc. UT Chattanooga, PhD UNC Chapel Hill - Professor, Chemistry, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Kostadinka Bizheva
BS, MS Plovdiv, MS, PhD Tufts - Associate Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Avery Broderick
BS Stoney Brook, PhD Caltech - Associate Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Leonid S. Brown
M.Sc., PhD Moscow State - Professor and Associate Dean (Graduate Studies and Research), College of Engineering and Physical Sciences
Graduate Faculty

Raffi Budakian
BS, MS, PhD California - Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Anton Burkov
BS, MS Plovdiv, MS, PhD Tufts - Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Liliana Caballero
B.Sc. Colombia, PhD Indiana - Assistant Professor
Graduate Faculty

J.L. (Iain) Campbell
B.Sc., PhD, D.Sc. Glasgow, D.Tech. Lund - University Professor Emeritus
Associated Graduate Faculty

Melanie C. Campbell
B.Sc. Toronto, M.Sc. Waterloo, PhD Australian National, FAAO - Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Z.Y. 'Jeff' Chen
B.Sc. Fuden, PhD Maryland - Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Kyung Soo Choi
B.Sc. Stony Brook, PhD Caltech - Assistant Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

David Cory
BA, PhD Case Western Reserve - Professor, Chemistry, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

James H. Davis
B.Sc., BA Moorhead, PhD Manitoba - Professor Emeritus

John R. Dutcher
B.Sc. Dalhousie, M.Sc. British Columbia, PhD Simon Fraser - Professor
Graduate Faculty

Joseph Emerson
M.Sc., PhD British Columbia - Associate Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Michael Fich
B.Sc. Waterloo, M.Sc., PhD California - Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

James Forrest
B.Sc. Simon Fraser, M.Sc., PhD Guelph - Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Paul E. Garrett
B.Sc. Queen's, M.Sc., PhD McMaster - Professor and Chair
Graduate Faculty

Ralf Gellert
Dipl Phys, PhD Darmstadt - Associate Professor
Graduate Faculty

Alexandros Gezerlis
Dipl Athens, PhD Illinois - Associate Professor
Graduate Faculty

Michel Gingras
B.Sc., M.Sc. Laval, PhD British Columbia - Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Bae-Yeun Ha
B.Sc., MS Korea, PhD Maryland - Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

David G. Hawthorn
B.Sc. McMaster, PhD Toronto - Associate Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Robert Hill
B.Sc., PhD Bristol - Associate Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Michael Hudson
B.Sc. Montreal, PhD Cambridge - Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Rajibul Islam
B.Sc. Jadavpur, M.Sc. Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, PhD Maryland - Assistant Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Thomas Jennewein
M.Sc. Innsbruck, PhD Vienna - Associate Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

De-Tong Jiang
B.Sc. Jilin, PhD Simon Fraser - Associate Professor
Graduate Faculty

Achim Kempf
B.Sc. Heidelberg, PhD Munich - Professor, Applied Mathematics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Na Young Kim
BS Seoul National, PhD Stanford - Associate Professor, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Jan Kycia
B.Sc. McGill, M.Sc. Pennsylvania, PhD Northwestern - Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Stefan W. Kycia
B.Sc. McGill; MS Pennsylvania; PhD Iowa - Associate Professor and Interim Chair
Graduate Faculty

Vladimir Ladizhansky
BS Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology; MS, PhD Weizmann Institute of Science (Rehovot, Israel) - Professor
Graduate Faculty

Raymond Laflamme
B.Sc. Laval, PhD Cambridge - Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Vasudevan Lakshminarayanan
B.Sc., M.Sc. Madrass, PhD UC Berkley - Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Luis Lehner
Licenciado Cordoba, PhD Pittsburgh - Professor, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
Associated Graduate Faculty

Zoya Leonenko
M.Sc., PhD Novosibirsk - Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

K. Tong Leung
B.Sc., PhD British Columbia - Professor, Chemistry, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Qing-Bin Lu
B.Sc., M.Sc. Fuzhou, China, PhD Newcastle - Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Adrian Lupascu
B.Sc., M.Sc. Bucharest (Romania), PhD Netherlands - Associate Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Norbert L Lütkenhaus
M.Sc. München, PhD Scotland, Habilitation Germany - Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Robert B. Mann
B.Sc. McMaster, M.Sc., PhD Toronto - Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Matteo Mariantoni
M.Sc. Chamlers Technology, PhD Technical (Munich) - Assistant Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

James Martin
B.Sc., M.Sc., PhD Waterloo - Associate Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Michael Massa
B.Sc. Guelph, M.Sc., PhD McMaster - Assistant Professor
Graduate Faculty

Mark Matsen
B.Sc. Simon Fraser, MA, PhD Guelph - Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Brian McNamara
BS Villanova, MA, PhD Virginia - Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Roger Melko
B.Sc., M.Sc. Waterloo, MA, PhD UC Santa Barbara - Associate Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Guo-Xing Miao
B.Sc. Shandong University, PhD Brown University - Assistant Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Zoran Miskovic
PhD Belgrade - Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Michele Mosca
B.Math. Waterloo, M.Sc., DPhil Oxford - Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Christine Muschik
B.Sc., M.Sc., PhD Ludwig-Maximillians - Assistant Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Dennis Mücher
B.Sc., PhD Cologne (Germany) - Professor, University of Cologne
Associated Graduate Faculty

Linda F. Nazar
B.Sc. British Columbia, PhD Toronto - Professor, Chemistry, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Elisabeth J. Nicol
B.Sc. Mount Allison, M.Sc., PhD McMaster - Professor
Graduate Faculty

Joanne M. O'Meara
B.Sc., PhD McMaster - Professor
Graduate Faculty

Will Percival
B.Sc., PhD Oxford - Assistant Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Eric Poisson
B.Sc. Laval, M.Sc., PhD Alberta - Professor
Graduate Faculty

Dmitry Pushin
B.Sc., M.Sc. Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, PhD MIT - Associate Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Xiao-Rong Qin
B.Sc., M.Sc. Tsinghua (Beijing), PhD Simon Fraser - Associate Professor
Graduate Faculty

Kevin Resch
B.Sc. Queen's, M.Sc., PhD Toronto - Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Joseph Sanderson
B.Sc., PhD London - Associate Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Crystal Senko
B.Sc. Duke, PhD Maryland - Assistant Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Daniel Siegel
Dipl. Freiburg, PhD Max Plank Institute - Professor, University of Greifswald
Associated Graduate Faculty

Donna Strickland
B.Eng. McMaster, PhD Rochester - Associate Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Carl E. Svensson
B.Sc., PhD McMaster - Professor
Graduate Faculty

James Taylor
B.Sc., M.Sc. Toronto, PhD Victoria - Associate Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Russell Thompson
B.Sc. Ottawa, M.Sc. Regina, PhD Western - Associate Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Zbigniew Wasilewski
M.Sc. Warsaw, PhD Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences - Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Adam Wei Tsen
BS California-Berkeley, PhD Cornell - Assistant Professor, Chemistry, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Robert Wickham
B.Sc. Toronto, PhD Chicago - Associate Professor
Graduate Faculty

Martin Williams
PhD Imperial College, London - Associate Professor
Graduate Faculty

Christopher Wilson
BS MIT, PhD Yale - Associate Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

Huan Yang
B.Sc., PhD Caltech - Assistant Professor
Graduate Faculty

David Yevick
AB Harvard, MA, PhD Princeton - Professor, Physics, University of Waterloo
Graduate Faculty Other University

MSc Program

Admission Requirements

Application for admission should be made as early as possible using on-line application methods described on the Department website. Successful applicants are encouraged to start their graduate studies in May or September, but a January starting date is possible. Program offices should be consulted for admission deadlines.

The admission requirements are as follows:

An honours BSc degree in physics (or equivalent) with at least a B standing (75%) from a recognized university.
Three letters of reference, two of which normally are from academic sources.
Proof of competency in English (for applicants whose prior education was in a language other than English). See the University regulations on English Language Proficiency Certification.
GRE Physics Subject Test score for all applicants who have completed their post-secondary education outside of Canada.

Successful applicants are encouraged to start their graduate studies in May or September, but a January starting date is possible. Academic transcripts and other supporting documents should be forwarded as soon as they become available. Admission to the program cannot be granted until all requirements have been met and all documents submitted.

Applications are considered by the Admissions Committee. It should be noted that students will normally be admitted only if an advisor can be found to oversee their research. Since there are a limited number of openings each year, applicants are advised to state alternative areas of research on the preference form supplied (see Department website).

Program Requirements

Students enrol in one of two study options:

thesis, or
course work and major research project.

Thesis

Four one-term courses (at least 2.0 course credits) acceptable for graduate credit and a thesis based on original research are required. The subject of research must be approved by the candidate's advisory committee and the thesis must be read and approved by the advisory committee. One of the four courses may be an undergraduate course approved by the student's advisory committee and the Graduate Program Coordinator. If it is a physics course, it must be at the fourth-year level.

For all students one of the courses must include at least one of the following:

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
PHYS*7010	Quantum Mechanics I	0.50
PHYS*7030	Quantum Field Theory	0.50
PHYS*7040	Statistical Physics I	0.50
PHYS*7060	Electromagnetic Theory	0.50
PHYS*7810	Fundamentals of Astrophysics	0.50

An MSc student in this program who shows a particular aptitude for research and has a superior record in fourth-year undergraduate and three one-term graduate courses may be permitted, upon recommendation of the advisor and with the approval of the coordinating committee, to transfer into the PhD program without completing an MSc thesis.

An average of at least 70% must be obtained in the required courses. A minimum grade of 65% is required for a pass in each course. No more than two courses, of the first four taken, can have a grade of less than 70%. If a student does not meet these minimum grade requirements, or receives a failing grade in any course, they may be required to withdraw from the program.

Course Work and Major Research Project (MRP)

Seven one-term courses (0.50 unit weight) acceptable for graduate credit, plus a project course summarized in a report, are required. The project must be approved by the candidate's advisor and the report read and approved by the advisor and one other faculty member. At least four of the seven courses must be physics graduate level courses.

Two of the seven courses may be upper level undergraduate courses approved by the student's advisory committee and the Graduate Program Coordinator. If it is a physics course, it must be at the fourth-year level. This program is recommended for those planning careers requiring a broad non-specialized knowledge of physics (for example, high school teaching).

PhD Program

Admission Requirements

There are three pathways for admission to the PhD program:

An MSc degree in physics from an approved university or college with at least a B standing (75%) is normally required for entrance into the PhD program. Other requirements are the same as those described above for the MSc program (see Department website).
Students with an undergraduate degree in Physics may apply for admission directly to the PhD program. Successful applicants will have an outstanding academic record, breadth of knowledge in physics, previous research experience, and strong letters of recommendation.
Students wishing to be considered for transfer to a PhD program prior to completion of the MSc program must request the transfer up to 3 full-time terms after initial registration and have an excellent academic record as well as a strong aptitude for research.

Program Requirements

Three cores courses or their equivalent must be completed by end of the first year of the PhD program. This requirement may be satisfied, in full or in part, by courses taken during the M.Sc. The core courses for the program are:

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
PHYS*7010	Quantum Mechanics I	0.50
PHYS*7030	Quantum Field Theory	0.50
PHYS*7040	Statistical Physics I	0.50
PHYS*7060	Electromagnetic Theory	0.50
PHYS*7670	Introduction to Quantum Information Processing	0.50
PHYS*7810	Fundamentals of Astrophysics	0.50

One of the core courses must include PHYS*7010 Quantum Mechanics I, PHYS*7040 Statistical Physics I, or PHYS*7060 Electromagnetic Theory. Exception: Biophysics students within the Physics PhD program are required to take only one core course by the completion of the first year of the program, which must include one of PHYS*7010 Quantum Mechanics I, PHYS*7040 Statistical Physics I, or PHYS*7060 Electromagnetic Theory.

A minimum of two one-term courses are required to be taken for the PhD degree, which may include or be in addition to the core courses required as specified above. One of the required courses may be an undergraduate course outside the student's main field of study and must be approved by the student's advisory committee and the Graduate Program Coordinator. No undergraduate course in physics may be taken for credit. No courses taken for MSc credit may be used to satisfy the minimum course requirement. However, courses taken during the MSc program and in excess of those required for the MSc program will be allowed for PhD credit. The extra courses must be identified prior to admission to the PhD program.

Students who transfer to the PhD, or who enter the PhD directly, will need to complete the course work requirements of both the MSc and PhD degrees, a total of six one-term graduate courses. Three of the core courses including one of PHYS*7010 Quantum Mechanics I, PHYS*7040 Statistical Physics I or PHYS*7060 Electromagnetic Theory will have been taken by the end of the first year of the PhD program.

Courses

Unless otherwise indicated, courses are offered on an alternate year basis and as requested.

PHYS*6010 PSI Quantum Field Theory I Unspecified [0.50]

Canonical quantization of fields, perturbation theory, derivation of Feynman diagrams, applications in particle and condensed matter theory, renormalization in phi^4.