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Research

Janet Tate working with a student to conduct research in the lab.

The Tate Lab focuses on the structural, transport and optical properties of transparent semiconductors and photovoltaic materials, with the objective of improving electronic devices such as solar cells.

Our internationally recognized faculty explore the universe on every scale - from investigating carbon nanotubes used in solar energy, to reenvisioning the gamma-ray bursts generated in black hole formation, to employing artificial intelligence to understand cancer invasion. Our department is also host to the NANOGrav Physics Frontiers Center, which was awarded $17 million from the National Science Foundation in 2021.

Physics research stories

Undergraduate research

Undergraduate students are invaluable team members in nearly all of the physics research underway in our department. Most physics students will complete a senior research project, which offers the opportunity to build important mentoring relationships while engaging in stimulating research.

Learn more about undergraduate research 

Outreach and engagement

Our faculty believe that access to quality physics education benefits the world as a whole. We hope to encourage widespread engagement and understanding of science by showing students that science is fun! Some of our outreach activities include night sky and sun viewing and family science nights at local elementary schools.

Learn about research outreach and engagement 

Performing research on OSU physicists?

We receive many requests to study physics students, faculty or classrooms in student or faculty research projects. To help facilitate this process, we request that anyone interested in researching our community members first submit an application and read our department policy for physics education research.