Institute of Experimental Physics
Director: prof. dr hab. Paweł Kowalczyk
Deputy Directors: prof. dr hab. Andrzej Majhofer, prof. dr hab. Piotr Kossacki
ADDRESS:
ul. Pasteura 5, 02-093 Warszawa
tel. +48 22 55 32 000 (switchboard), +48 22 55 32 627
fax +48 22 55 32 986
e-mail: ifd@fuw.edu.pl
Website: http://en.ifd.fuw.edu.pl/
The Institute is composed of seven Divisions: Biomedical Physics, Biophysics, Nuclear Physics, Optics, Particles and Fundamental Interactions, Solid State Physics and Condensed Matter Structure. The Divisions carry out research in a variety of fields of modern physics: from solid state physics and optics, through biophysics and medical physics, all the way to nuclear physics and the physics of elementary particles and the fundamental interactions. Several groups carry out interdisciplinary research, particularly in connection with chemistry (Division of Biophysics), biology (Biophysics, Biomedical Physics, Nuclear Physics), astronomy (Particles and Fundamental Interactions), energy applications (Solid State Physics), economy (econophysics group in Biomedical Physics Division), etc.
Physicists at the Division of Particles and Fundamental Interactions take part in experiments carried out in international high-energy laboratories, mainly at the CERN laboratory in Geneva, where the first experiments involving the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) are presently taking place. Collaboration with centers of neutrino research in Japan and the United States is also very active. A considerable part of data processing is carried out in Warsaw. The Section also makes a significant contribution to the construction of complex detector systems, parts of which were manufactured in Warsaw (CMS detector at LHC).
Physicists at the Division of Nuclear Physics carry out research employing the wide energy band beams available in foreign research centers (Darmstadt, Catania, Legnaro, CERN Geneva, Grenoble, Dubna, Jyvaskyla, Oak Ridge, Juelich), as well as at the University's own cyclotron (SLCJ). Not only the data processing is done, but also significant parts of experimental systems have been constructed. Important progress in the understanding of the two-proton radioactivity was possible thanks to the Optical Time Projection Chamber developed at our Institute
The Division of Solid State Physics and the Division of the Condensed Matter Structure, which work on diverse problems in the area of solid state physics, also maintain a well-developed collaboration with leading foreign research centers. Through years of effort put in by their research teams, well-equipped research labs have been built - in particular, a wide array of devices to measure the properties of semiconductors in an external magnetic field, allowing advanced research to be carried out locally as well.
The Division of Optics is equipped with state-of-art laser systems including single-mode lasers, femtosecond lasers and LIDAR systems. The research is done on ultrafast processes occurring in molecules, nonlinear optical processes, high resolution laser spectroscopy and remote sensing of atmospheric pollutants. In addition, a laboratory of ultracold molecules is currently under construction.
The same may be said of the Biophysics Division, where physico-chemical methods for analysing biologically active molecules are developed.
Research at the Biomedical Physics Division concentrates on computer methods of data interpretation and modelling of biological processes, as applied to the medical sciences. Recently, Brain Computer Interface become one of the leading research subjects of the Division.
Research groups at the Institute of Experimental Physics and the Institute of Theoretical Physics maintain close collaborationwithin their scientific work.
In the past, the Institute was headed by the following Directors: Stefan Pieńkowski (1952 - 1953), Jerzy Pniewski (1953 - 1958), Tadeusz Skaliński (1958 - 1962), Jerzy Pniewski (1962 - 1975), Andrzej K. Wróblewski (1975 - 1981), Marian Grynberg (1981 - 1984), Jacek Baranowski (1984 - 1990), Tomasz Hofmokl (1990 - 1994), Jan Żylicz (1994 - 2002), Andrzej Twardowski (2002 - 2008), Tomasz Matulewicz (2008 - 2016), Paweł Kowalczyk (2016 - ).