The Interdisciplinary Physics section consists of three research groups: Atmosphere Physics, Laser Physics and Soft and Complex Matter.

Research groups

Atmosphere Physics

Studies of the influence of solar radiation and particles on atmospheric dynamics and chemistry.

Laser Physics Group

We have advanced instruments in the Laser Physics Group. Research here is done both on solid state laser based on crystals and fiber laser.

The advantage with fiber laser is that it is more sensitive and therefore gives more reliable results than crystal based laser. It can also be made more compact and more durable and used for more practical applications. Crystal based laser is a strong challenger in its flexible construction and a generally wider spectrum of operation. NTNU has sophisticated equipment and experience that is used to create lasers with different properties, pulses, wavelength and colours etc.

Soft and Complex Matter

We study the physics of soft and complex matter, i.e. composite or non-composite materials with easily deformable nano- /meso-structures, by application of external fields, such as flow fields (nano-/micro-fluidics), mechanical forces, electric or magnetic fields, or by thermal fluctuations. A main physical model system for the laboratory is clay, which are nano-layered silicate patchy particles, which can form soft and complex structures through spontaneous or guided self-assembly of particles.

Other materials that we study and use as model systems for soft and complex matter are various types of colloidal particles, cellulose, zeolites, surfactants, polymers etc., and in particular we are interested in natural and nature-inspired materials science, including materials such as clays or cellulose based materials.