The Institute for Fundamental Science (IFS) enhances the experimental, theoretical, and astronomy research activities at the University of Oregon. IFS is one of several centers and institutes supported by the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation, and maintains close relationships with the Department of Physics, the Department of Chemistry, the Department of Mathematics, and the Materials Science Institute.
The institute hosts visiting scientists, supports graduate and undergraduate student research, facilitates interaction between the experimental activities and theoretical investigations of IFS members, and fosters communication of research to the broader community.
IFS members have major involvement in international collaborations including the ATLAS and FASER Experiments at CERN, LIGO’s gravitational wave observatories, and others. We have vigorous programs of research in astronomy and astrophysics; condensed matter theory and statistical mechanics; data science; mathematics; particle theory; quantum information and quantum optics; and the International Linear Collider project.
Center Activities
Physics Commencement Ceremony June 16!
The UO Physics Department Commencement Ceremony will be held in the EMU Ballroom on Monday June, 16, from 4:00-6:00 pm. Congratulations to the Class of 2025!
This follows the main University of Oregon’s 148th Commencement Ceremony which will take place the morning of June 16, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. at Autzen Stadium. UO Commencement is expected to last 90 minutes.
IFS Seminar June 23, 2025: Megan Masterson (MIT Kavli Institute)
Title TBA
Speaker: Megan Masterson (MIT Kavli Institute)
Date: Monday June 23, 2025
Time: 4:00 – 5:00 pm
Location: 472 Willamette Hall (IFS Seminar Room)
Abstract: TBA
Host: Yvette Cendes
Particle or wave? Getting to the heart of quantum mechanics
Watch UO physicist–and IFS Director–Graham Kribs walk you through one of the seminal experiments that helped open the quantum age.
9 April 2025 || University Communications
Quantum mechanics is a branch of physics that attempts to explain the behavior of matter and energy at their smallest level, down to the size of subatomic particles like electrons, photons and quarks. And at that size, reality is very different from our everyday world.
The quantum world is distinct from the classical world familiar to us because particles in the quantum world exhibit both particle-like and
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