A dive into the “almost magical” potential of photonic crystals
In MIT’s 2025 Killian Lecture, physicist John Joannopoulos recounts highlights from a career at the vanguard of photonics research and innovation.
Department
Physics
QS World University Rankings rates MIT No. 1 in 11 subjects for 2025
The Institute also ranks second in seven subject areas.
MIT physicists find unexpected crystals of electrons in an ultrathin material
Rhombohedral graphene reveals new exotic interacting electron states.
Five from MIT named 2025 Gates Cambridge Scholars
Markey Freudenburg-Puricelli; Christina Kim ’24; Abigail Schipper ’24; Sera Tolgay MCP ’18, SM ’18; and Rachel Zhang ’21 will pursue graduate studies at Cambridge University in the U.K.
MIT faculty, alumni named 2025 Sloan Research Fellows
Annual award honors early-career researchers for creativity, innovation, and research accomplishments.
Unlocking the secrets of fusion’s core with AI-enhanced simulations
Fusion’s future depends on decoding plasma’s mysteries. Simulations can help keep research on track and reveal more efficient ways to generate fusion energy.
Viewing the universe through ripples in space
Physicist Salvatore Vitale is looking for new sources of gravitational waves, to reach beyond what we can learn about the universe through light alone.
Study reveals the Phoenix galaxy cluster in the act of extreme cooling
Observations from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope help to explain the cluster’s mysterious starburst, usually only seen in younger galaxies.
3 Questions: What the laws of physics tell us about CO2 removal
In a report on the feasibility of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, physicists say these technologies are “not a magic bullet, but also not a no-go.”
Physicists measure a key aspect of superconductivity in “magic-angle” graphene
By determining how readily electron pairs flow through this material, scientists have taken a big step toward understanding its remarkable properties.
Eleven MIT faculty receive Presidential Early Career Awards
Faculty members and additional MIT alumni are among 400 scientists and engineers recognized for outstanding leadership potential.
Rare and mysterious cosmic explosion: Gamma-ray burst or jetted tidal disruption event?
Researchers characterize the peculiar Einstein Probe transient EP240408a.
A new vaccine approach could help combat future coronavirus pandemics
The nanoparticle-based vaccine shows promise against many variants of SARS-CoV-2, as well as related sarbecoviruses that could jump to humans.
Physicists discover — and explain — unexpected magnetism in an atomically thin material
The work introduces a new platform for studying quantum materials.
Student Program for Innovation in Science and Engineering is a launching pad toward possibility
Gifted Caribbean high schoolers become SPISE alumni at MIT, and many go on to advanced academic and professional careers.