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Physics

Dr. Meenakshi Singh with students and dilution fridge

Driving the Future of Physics

The Department of Physics at Colorado School of Mines is dedicated to high-quality physics education for undergraduate and graduate students and advancing the world’s knowledge in the areas of condensed matter physics, applied optics, quantum physics, renewable energy physics, and subatomic physics.

Education and Research

Our faculty and students at all levels conduct more than $6 million in externally funded research every year, with many projects associated with Mines’ pioneering research centers.

Research centers with strong connections to Physics include the Mines/NLR Nexus, CyberInfrastructure and Advanced Research Computing (CIARC), the Microintegrated Optics for Advanced Bioimaging and Control Center (MOABC), and the Nuclear Science and Engineering Center (NuSEC).

Our faculty are consistently recognized for both their research and their teaching, while our graduate and undergraduate students are often the recipients of awards and grants.

Physics is also heavily involved with Mines’ interdisciplinary graduate programs in Materials Science, Nuclear Engineering, and Quantum Engineering.

Watch the following video to learn more about the varied and exciting physics research taking place at Mines.

Mines Physics logo

Announcements

Announcements

Nobel Prize in Physics 2026

Francis Halzen realised that ice at the South Pole could be used to track particles known as neutrinos. His vision and scientific leadership have been fundamental for the IceCube Neutrino Observatory – a cubic kilometre of ice that is equipped with light sensors. Using IceCube, researchers can capture neutrinos from extremely energy-rich processes in the distant universe.

Nobel Prize in Physics 2026

Francis Halzen realised that ice at the South Pole could be used to track particles known as neutrinos. His vision and scientific leadership have been fundamental for the IceCube Neutrino Observatory – a cubic kilometre of ice that is equipped with light sensors. Using IceCube, researchers can capture neutrinos from extremely energy-rich processes in the distant universe.

#1 Best Colleges for Engineering Physics / Applied Physics
Colorado School of Mines, Golden CO
#4 Best Colleges for Engineering Physics / Best Career Opportunities
#1 Cornell
#4 Best Colleges for Engineering Physics
#1 Cornell
#9 Top Schools in Engineering Physics
#1 Cornell
#9 Best Public Institutions with Engineering Physics
#1 U of MI – Ann Arbor
#1 Best Colleges for Engineering Physics / Applied Physics
Colorado School of Mines, Golden CO
#4 Best Colleges for Engineering Physics / Best Career Opportunities
#1 Cornell
#4 Best Colleges for Engineering Physics
#1 Cornell
#9 Top Schools in Engineering Physics
#1 Cornell
#9 Best Public Institutions with Engineering Physics
#1 U of MI – Ann Arbor