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Correlated errors in quantum computers emphasize need for design changes
Quantum computers could outperform classical computers at many tasks, but only if the errors that are an inevitable part of computational tasks are isolated rather than widespread events. Now, researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison …
June 16, 2021
CHIME telescope detects more than 500 mysterious fast radio bursts in its first year of operation
This post has been modified from the original post, published by MIT News To catch sight of a fast radio burst is to be extremely lucky in where and when you point your radio dish. …
June 9, 2021
Dark Energy Survey releases most precise look at the universe’s evolution
This news piece has been slightly modified from this news story, first published by Fermilab. The Dark Energy Survey collaboration has created the largest ever maps of the distribution and shapes of galaxies, tracing both …
May 27, 2021
Yang Bai promoted to full professor
The Department of Physics is pleased to announce that Prof. Yang Bai has been promoted to the rank of full professor. “It is my pleasure and honor as Dean to approve Prof. Yang Bai’s promotion …
May 24, 2021Several physics majors awarded Hilldale Fellowships
Six UW–Madison undergraduate physics or AMEP majors have been named 2021 Hilldale Fellows, in addition to one computer science major who is conducting their research in the Physics Department. The Hilldale Undergraduate/Faculty Research Fellowship provides …
May 20, 2021
Welcome, incoming MSPQC students!
The UW–Madison Physics Department is pleased to welcome 18 students to the M.S. in Physics – Quantum Computing program. These students make up the third cohort to begin the program and are the largest entering …
May 14, 2021
San Lan Wu earns Phi Beta Kappa Excellence in Teaching Award
On April 17, the Alpha Chapter of Wisconsin Phi Beta Kappa presented the 2021 Phi Beta Kappa Excellence in Teaching Award to Enrico Fermi distinguished Professor of Physics Sau Lan Wu. She was nominated by …
May 13, 2021
Celebrating IceCube’s first decade of discovery
It was the beginning of a grand experiment unlike anything the world had ever seen. Ten years ago today, the IceCube Neutrino Observatory fully opened its eyes for the first time. Over the course of …
May 13, 2021
Flexible, easy-to-scale nanoribbons move graphene toward use in tech applications
From radio to television to the internet, telecommunications transmissions are simply information carried on light waves and converted to electrical signals. Silicon-based fiber optics are currently the best structures for high-speed, long distance transmissions, but …
May 3, 2021
Searching for Sources of Gravitational Waves
The entire astrophysical world was blown away by the first-ever binary neutron star collision seen in August 2017 (called ‘GW170817’). This event, identified as a kilonova, was the first to be seen in both gravitational waves, …
May 3, 2021
Ellen Zweibel elected to the National Academy of Sciences
Astronomy and physics Professor Ellen Zweibel has been honored with membership in the National Academy of Sciences. Zweibel is among 120 new members — and one of 59 women, the largest group ever — elected …
April 30, 2021
Three department members earn teaching accolades
Congratulations to the following Physics Department members who recently earned teaching awards: Dr. Daniel Thurs won a 2021 Alliant Energy James R. Underkofler Excellence in Teaching Award. These awards are funded by an endowment from …
April 26, 2021Introducing the Physics Ph.D. Class of 2021
After record-breaking application numbers and the most unique recruiting season yet, the Department of Physics is pleased to introduce the 30 students of the incoming Ph.D. class of 2021! “This year’s incoming Ph.D. class is a …
April 20, 2021
Gage Siebert named 2021 Goldwater Scholar
Three University of Wisconsin–Madison students, including junior Physics and Math major Gage Siebert, have been named 2021 winners of the Barry Goldwater Scholarship, considered the country’s preeminent undergraduate scholarship in the natural sciences, mathematics and …
April 7, 2021
CMS Group publishes new study on Lepton flavor in Higgs boson decays
Neutrinos mix and transform from one flavor to the other. So do quarks. However, electron and its heavier cousins, the muon and the tau, seem to conserve their flavor identity. This accidental conservation of charged …
April 2, 2021
Gage Bonner earns 2020 Teaching Award
Congrats to physics grad student Gage Bonner for earning a 2020 College of Letters & Sciences Continuation of Study teaching award! This new award category recognizes graduate students in L&S who provided exceptional continuity of …
March 30, 2021
New nondestructive optical technique reveals the structure of mother-of-pearl
Most people know mother-of-pearl, an iridescent biomineral also called nacre, from buttons, jewelry, instrument inlays and other decorative flourishes. Scientists, too, have admired and marveled at nacre for decades, not only for its beauty and …
March 29, 2021
Highest-energy Cosmic Rays Detected in Star Clusters
For decades, researchers assumed the cosmic rays that regularly bombard Earth from the far reaches of the galaxy are born when stars go supernova — when they grow too massive to support the fusion occurring …
March 13, 2021
IceCube detection of a high-energy particle proves 60-year-old theory
On Dec. 8, 2016, a high-energy particle hurtled to Earth from outer space at close to the speed of light. The particle, an electron antineutrino, smashed into an electron deep inside the ice sheet at …
March 10, 2021
Summer 2021 courses have been announced
The Department of Physics is offering the following courses for Summer 2021: Physics 103: General Physics (includes lab) 4 credits. Principles of mechanics, heat, and sound (non-calculus, uses algebra & trigonometry). Physics 104: General Physics …
March 4, 2021- Physics News Archives