Physics Illinois

10/26/2026

What can physics tell us about the tiny biological machines that keep living organisms running? 🔬

Join Illinois Physics Professor Yann Chemla this Saturday, October 31, for the next Saturday Physics for Everyone lecture! Chemla will explore how physics helps us understand the remarkable molecular machinery responsible for some of life's most essential processes.

The lecture begins at 10:15 a.m. in 141 Loomis Lab and is free and open to everyone!

We hope to see you there!

10/23/2026

Congratulations to Illinois Physics alumna Kandice Tanner (Ph.D. '06) on being named the recipient of the 2027 Michael and Kate Bárány Award from the Biophysical Society! 🎉

Tanner, a researcher at the National Cancer Institute within the National Institutes of Health, is being recognized for her discoveries into how the physical properties of biological tissues influence the spread of cancer to specific organs.

Her research has helped advance our understanding of the relationship between physics and biology, establishing her as a leader in the field of biophysics.

Tanner will be honored at the Biophysical Society's 71st Annual Meeting in Philadelphia this February.

Congratulations on this outstanding achievement! 👏

Read more from the Biophysical Society: https://www.biophysics.org/news-room?ArtMID=802&ArticleID=19275

10/22/2026

Congratulations to Illinois Physics Professor Elizabeth Goldschmidt on being named a 2026 Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Experimental Physics Investigator! 🎉

Goldschmidt, who also serves as Director of the Illinois Quantum Information Science and Technology Center (IQUIST), is one of just 21 scientists selected nationwide for this prestigious recognition. She will receive $1.35 million over five years to support her research in quantum optics and quantum information.

Her work explores new ways to generate and control quantum light using solid-state photonic devices, with the potential to advance quantum communication, sensing, and information processing technologies.

This award will give Goldschmidt the opportunity to pursue exciting new research directions and push the boundaries of experimental physics. Congratulations on this incredible achievement! 👏

Learn more about Goldschmidt's research and the award: https://iquist.illinois.edu/news/goldschmidt-experimental-physics-investigator

10/21/2026

What if we could control magnetism using light instead of magnetic fields? 🔬

A research team led by Illinois Physics Professor Fahad Mahmood has developed a new technique to control a material's magnetization using ultrafast laser pulses, manipulating its magnetic properties on timescales of trillionths of a second!

The study brought together experimental and theoretical research, with former Illinois Physics graduate student Yinchuan Lv leading the experimental work and Illinois Physics Postdoctoral Research Associate Joe Meese leading the theoretical effort.

By studying a magnetic semiconductor, the researchers discovered a way to manipulate magnetization without heating the material, overcoming a major challenge in the field. Their findings could open new possibilities for ultrafast magnetic control, with potential implications for future information storage technologies.

Learn more about the team's discovery and how they made it happen: https://physics.illinois.edu/news/fahad-mahmood-lab-controls-ferromagnetism-using-light

10/19/2026

Join Illinois Physics professors Fahad Mahmood and Aleksei Aksimentiev on Thursday, November 5, as they share their research at the Center for Advanced Study’s Food for Thought series! 🔬

Fahad Mahmood, a 2023–24 CAS Beckman Fellow, kicks things off at 11 a.m. with “Shine femtosecond light, the electrons are dancing,” exploring how electrons behave when exposed to ultrafast pulses of light.

Aleksei Aksimentiev, a 2024–25 CAS Associate, follows at noon with “What we learned from modeling viruses on supercomputers,” sharing insights into how powerful computational tools help us better understand viruses.

Both presentations will take place in Room 208 of the Levis Faculty Center in Urbana. Stop by and learn more about the exciting research happening at Illinois Physics!

10/16/2026

How did physicists help revolutionize college teaching? 🍎⚛️

Join Illinois Physics Professor Eric Kuo for the next Saturday Physics for Everyone as he explores how physicists helped reshape the way students learn, both inside and outside the physics classroom.

We’ll see you TOMORROW Saturday, October 17, at 10:15 a.m. in 141 Loomis Laboratory!

Saturday Physics for Everyone is free and open to the public. We hope to see you there!

10/16/2026

Congratulations to Illinois Physics Professor Ido Golding on being elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS)! 🎉

Golding was recognized by the APS Division of Biological Physics for developing new physical tools and mathematical approaches to precisely measure cellular processes, helping reveal previously hidden features of how cells behave.

His research at Illinois Physics explores how living cells process information from their surroundings and make decisions. By studying bacteria and viruses, Golding and his research group are working to uncover the fundamental physical principles behind these complex biological processes.

APS Fellowship is a prestigious honor, with no more than 0.5% of the society's nonstudent membership elected each year.

Congratulations to Professor Golding on this well-deserved recognition!

Read more about his research and this achievement: https://physics.illinois.edu/news/ido-golding-elected-aps-fellow

10/15/2026

A familiar feathered face made an appearance at Loomis Lab yesterday! 🧡💙

Thanks to the Kingfisher for stopping by and saying hello!

10/14/2026

Congratulations to Illinois Physics Professor Eduardo Fradkin on receiving the 2026 Anatoly Larkin Award in Theoretical Physics! 🎉

Presented by the William I. Fine Theoretical Physics Institute at the University of Minnesota, the award recognizes extraordinary contributions to theoretical physics.

Fradkin was honored for his foundational contributions to lattice gauge theory and topological quantum matter, including his work on fermionic Chern-Simons theory of fractional quantum Hall phases. His research has helped advance our understanding of the complex quantum behaviors of matter.

Please join us in congratulating Professor Fradkin on this well-deserved recognition!

Learn more about the award: https://cse.umn.edu/ftpi/larkin-award

10/10/2026