Applied physics combines pure physics with engineering to solve technological problems. It involves developing instrumentation for scientific research and can be considered pure or applied depending on its practical applications. Applied physics departments attract faculty from physics and engineering departments and cover a wide range of research topics, including the development of superconductors, photovoltaics, and nanotechnology.
Applied physics is a term for physics research that combines “pure” physics with engineering. Pure physics is the study of the basic physical properties of matter and everything derived from it, such as energy and motion. Applied physics uses this same line of inquiry to solve technological problems.
It can be easy to identify research as ‘applied’ or ‘pure’ in cases where direct practical application is sought. For example, Einstein’s special theory of relativity is pure physics and the design of optical fiber technology is applied. The distinction between the two may be blurrier, however. Certainly, there is a continuum of research topics along the spectrum between applied and pure. But to be considered applied, research must at least concern the potential technological or practical applications of one’s research, if not directly engaged in solving an engineering problem.
Applied physics research may involve the development of instrumentation for scientific research. In fact, much of the instrumentation used by physics researchers is so advanced that it is custom built by the researchers themselves. High-energy physicists working on particle accelerators such as the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) are a good example of physicists building their own instrumentation.
Applied physics, as an academic discipline, is a relatively new invention with quite a few universities having departments in the field. Often, an applied physics department will attract faculty from a university’s physics department and engineering departments. It is common for faculty to hold joint tenure in more than one department. There is a growing trend towards interdisciplinary research across all scientific fields, and the formalized overlap of engineering and physics research in the form of physics departments at universities is symptomatic of this trend.
There are a wide variety of research topics that can be considered applied physics. One example is the development of superconductors. A superconductor is a material that conducts electricity without resistance below a certain temperature. Superconducting magnets are essential for the operation of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines, particle accelerators and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometers. Research into the physical properties and theory behind superconducting magnets would rightfully be considered pure physics. Attempts to build improved superconductors and find new applications for them would certainly be considered applied physics. Other well-known examples of this type of research include photovoltaics and nanotechnology.
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