PhD (Physics) – School of Physics

OVERVIEW

This Programme includes research on various fields. The fields offered are as followed:-

APPLIED AND ENGINEERING PHYSICS

• Semiconductor Fabrication (Thin Film, Epitaxy and Nano Structures)
• Sensor and Actuators
• Digital Image Processing (Land Cover Mapping, Water and Air Quality Monitoring)
• Optical and Remote Sensing Technology
• Photonic Devices, System and Applications
• Thermal Processes in Devices and Packaging

Synopsis

A) APPLIED AND ENGINEERING PHYSICS

Research in these areas involves the application of fundamental theory of physics to explain and solve problems of applied physics and engineering physics for the development of new technologies. The main research topics include semiconductor fabrication, sensors and actuators, thermal processes in device and packaging, digital image processing, optical and remote sensing technology, and photonic devices, system and applications. Related laboratories are well equipped with sophisticated and up to date equipments for forefront research. Graduate students are encouraged to present their research work at national and international conferences and publish in high impact factor journals.

Areas of Emphasis in Graduate Study and Research
Semiconductor Fabrication (Thin Film, Epitaxy and Nanostructures)
The research areas cover fundamental growth and properties of materials up to nanolithography and optoelectronic devices. Examples of topics of interest are thin semiconductor, insulator and metal films, growth, interface states and characterization; fabrication, characterization and theoretical simulation studies; fabrication and characterization of quantum well (QW) structures and novel optoelectronic devices; wide band gap semiconductor materials and devices; theoretical modeling of nanophotonic devices; fabrication of photonic crystal devices by self-assembly of nanoparticles; and optical characterizations of novel luminescent materials and photonic crystals. Examples of current research projects are the fabrication and characterization of wide band gap III-nitride semiconductors and metal oxide nanostructures.

Sensors and Actuators
There are various research topics covered in sensors and actuators such as electric current and potential, environment, weather, moisture, humidity, position, optical, light, imaging, pressure, force, density, thermal, and etc. In addition, the objective of this type of research interest is to develop the sensing concepts that take advantage of the small feature sizes enabled by micro and nanotechnologies. The new sensing concepts either rely on small-scale effects or they allow integration of miniaturized devices into engineering systems. Graduate students are encouraged to develop and investigate the innovative valve sensors and actuators. Besides that, electronic circuits can be designed to improve or complement the characteristics of sensors and actuators devices.

Thermal Processes in Device and Packaging
Research in thermal process covers the large and increasing number of advanced thermal management and packaging materials, manufacturing processes, applications, cost, and future development. In addition, advanced materials will be increasingly important for 3D packages as heat loads increase. In future applications, developed and well established advance technology are needed for the control of thermal processes in device and packaging.

Digital Image Processing
Research project focuses on the development of digital image system such as processors, digitizer, digital computer, storage, display and scanner. Besides that, research study in digital processing also included the image enhancement, image representation and description, histogramming, smoothing, sharpening, thresholding, edge detection, spatial mask and linking. Graduate students are encouraged to explore new technology in industrial vision system, automated visual inspection, process control and assembly application.

Optical and Remote Sensing Technology
This research area mainly focuses on the development of innovative new optical and remote sensor capable to be applied in several fields, for instance in the study of water turbidity, air pollution, waste water and thermal distribution. Novel sensing technology is invented to substitute the conventional technology and plays an important role in improving the development of current sensing capability.

Photonic Devices, System and Applications
Research in this group involves the development of new technologies for photonic devices and systems and increase of the level of applied research. For the development of photonics and its applications, it is necessary to analyses the nonlinear optical processes involved and investigate suitable materials for light generation, guiding and detection. This research area has true scientific value and potential for applications in the area of information technologies, environmental protection and health and quality of life improvement. Optical instruments include microscopes, interferometer, radiometer and cameras spectrometers.

For more information, please contact:
Group Leader
TS. DR. WAN MARYAM WAN AHMAD KAMIL
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Research Group Member:

Professor Dr. Azlan Abdul Aziz
Professor Dr. Mohd. Zubir Mat Jafri
Associate Professor Dr. Shahrom Mahmud
Associate Professor Dr. Wong Chow Jeng
Associate Professor Dr. Yam Fong Kwong
Associate Professor Dr. Nurhayati Abdullah
Associate Professor Dr. Ahmad Fairuz Omar
Dr. Mohd Mahadi Halim
Dr. Naser Mahmoud Ahmed

CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS AND X-RAY CRYSTALLOGRAPHY

Researches in Condensed Matter Physics and X-ray Crystallography group extend from a fundamental aspect of materials analysis to its potential applications. The researches done within this group are intended to discover and understand the materials and their properties through various experiment, computation, simulation and theoretical methods. Research laboratories are equipped with various specialized equipments. These discoveries and understanding of materials that could also lead to enhancement and control of materials properties will result in new fundamental knowledge, materials or products.

The main research focuses of this group are:
1. Materials Fabrication and Characterization for Electronics, Optoelectronics and Biomedicine
2. Studies of Condensed Matter Materials and Devices
3. Photonic Materials and Devices
4. Modelling and Simulation of Condensed Matter Devices
5. X-ray Structure Determination and Characterization (Organic/Organometallic Compounds, Non-Linear Optical Materials, Natural Products)

For more information, please contact:
Group Leader
DR. SUHANA ARSHAD
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Research Group Member:

Professor Dr. Abdul Razak Ibrahim
Professor Dr. Azlan Abdul Aziz
Associate Professor Dr. Lim Siew Choo
Associate Professor Dr. Shahrom Mahmud
Associate Professor Dr. Yam Fong Kwong
Associate Professor Dr. Iskandar Shahrim Mustafa

ENERGY STUDIES

Energy studies research is directed towards research in solar energy, in particular, solar photovoltaic, solar thermal and bioenergy. Research in solar photovoltaic covers fabrication of solar cells and modules, electrical power system, and computer modeling. Thermal research includes solar thermal system design, hot water system, drying system, air-conditioning, and computer modeling. Bioenergy research includes utilization of biomass and wastes, and production of solid and liquid biofuels by fast and slow pyrolysis.

In a simple form, below are research interests in energy studies area:
1. Photovoltaic Materials and Devices (PVMD)
2. Computer Simulation and Modelling of Solar Energy
3. Solar Thermal
4. Bioenergy
5. Fuel Cell and Batteries
6. Thermal Processes in Device and Packaging

For more information, please contact:
Group Leader
DR. MAHAYATUN DAYANA JOHAN OOI
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Research Group Member:

Associate Professor Dr. Nurhayati Abdullah
Ts. Dr. Mohd Zamir Pakhuruddin
Dr. Mohd Marzaini Mohd Rashid
Dr. Subramani Shanmugan
Dr. Nurhafizah Md Disa

GEOPHYSICS, ASTRONOMY AND ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE

• Exploration Geophysics
• Physical Oceanography
• Environmental Remote Sensing
• Positional Astronomy
• Photometric and Spectroscopic Studies
• Ozone Studies
• Atmospheric Studies
• Meteorology
• Atmospheric Remote Sensing
• Radioastronomy
• Astrophysics

The Group's philosophy and objective has been to pursue excellence by concentrating its research initiatives in specific areas of the Geosciences. Graduate students benefit from greater focus and also enjoy close interaction with faculty members. A distinctive aspect of graduate study in the Geosciences Department is the opportunity for collaborative research, often involving several faculty members. Graduate studies, either Ph.D. and M.S. thesis-based programs, are offered with concentrations in areas including environmental and engineering geophysics, remote sensing applications, nearshore and coastal oceanography, petroleum geoscience and reservoir sedimentology, and meteorology. The Geophysics Group occupies a modern, well-equipped building that houses experimental and analytical labs, faculty and graduate student offices, numerous computers and workstations. The group also owns a complete range of geophysical tools such as multielectrode resistivity and electromagnetic tools, ground penetrating radar and magnetic measurements meters.

Areas of emphasis in graduate study and research:

1. Engineering and Environmental Geophysics
Research within this sub-discipline involves the applications and utilization of the science of geophysics to environmental and engineering problems. Students will be exposed to the use of various specialized geophysical tools to solve subsurface problems. The group has extensive experience in applications of geophysical measurements to environmental and engineering problems. Examples include the investigation of industrial, military and abandoned waste disposal sites or on landfills, building sites and traffic routes, as well as mapping ground water pollution. The USM Geophysics Group owns a complete range of geophysical tools such as multielectrode resistivity and electromagnetic, ground penetrating radar and magnetic measurements.

2. Remote Sensing Applications
Remote sensing research at the USM Geophysics Group focuses on the theory, concepts, and techniques of science and engineering as applied to sensing the earth, oceans, atmosphere, and space; and the processing, interpretation, and dissemination of this information. Projects undertaken are of multi-disciplinary collaborative research, often involving several faculty members. Examples include the use of satellite images in mapping estuarine coastal plume pattern, coastline changes and coastal reclamation, haze and air pollution studies.

3. Petroleum Geoscience: Sedimentary Geology and Reservoir Characyeristic
Research projects in sedimentary and reservoir geology focuses on the integration of petrophysical parameters with field geophysical, sedimentological, and stratigraphic studies.Sedimentologicalfacies and stratigraphic characteristics obtained from field studies provide information concerning the depositional processes and paleoenvironment of sedimentary bodies, their relative age, geometry and probable lateral extent, which yield insight to broader issues of relative sea level change, structural geological history and basin evolution. Shallow geophysical studies of Quaternary successions (coastal and deltaic) generate images of recent sedimentary successions, revealing their geometry and (sequence) stratigraphic organizations. Integrating petrophysical data (porosity, permeability, density and rock velocity) into these larger scale stratigraphic frameworks allow us to visualize fluid behaviour and movements within different types reservoir sedimentary bodies, and determine the different factors that control the flow. The group main focus is the tertiary reservoir and non-reservoir succession in Sabah and Sarawak, East Malaysia. Analytical facilities include scanning electron microprobe (SEM), optical petrography, X-ray diffraction facilities, and a variety of other facilities at the School of Physics.

4. Nearshore and Coastal Oceanography
Knowledge of processes and patterns in the oceans is fundamental to understanding how the marine environment interacts with the rest of the planet. The knowledge can only be gathered through long term oceanographic research. We rely on ocean research to manage living and non-living marine resources in a sustainable and effective way, ensure national security without compromising ecosystem protections, and minimize the human impacts of natural hazards ranging from hurricanes and tsunamis to coastal erosion and global climate change. One key focuss of the oceanographic research team is estuary. Estuaries are key environmental and economic resources, supporting tourism, recreation, fishing, and shipping industries.

5. Meteorological and Atmospheric Sciences
The objective of this group is to advance the science of meteorology with particular emphasis on the Malaysia and the Southeast Asia region, and to advance the national interest through meteorological and oceanographic research. The objective of this group is to advance the science of meteorology with particular emphasis on the Malaysian and the Southeast Asian region, and to advance the national interest through meteorological and oceanographic research.

For more information, please contact:
Group leader
Dr. Nur Azwin Ismail
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Research Group Members:
Associate Professor Dr. Lim Hwee San
Associate Professor Dr. Nordiana Mohd Muztaza
Associate Professor Dr. Wong Chow Jeng
Dr. Andy Anderson Bery
Dr. Ismail Ahmad Abir
Dr. Md. Noordin Abu Bakar
Dr. Nurhaslinda Mohamed Tahrin
Dr. Syarawi Muhammad Husni Mohd Sharoni
Dr. Teoh Ying Jia
Dr. Yasir Bashir

MEDICAL PHYSICS AND RADIATION SCIENCE

Medical Physics is the application of physics to problems involving human health. Most of the research work of the group is an applied nature and covers a wide range of topics, since a broad range of activities is encompassed by the fields of Medical Physics. On the same note, the area of Radiation Science is designed to provide both theoretical and practical in the multidisciplinary scientific and/or technical aspects of radiation protection and the safety of radiation sources.

The Medical Physics and Radiation Science research can be broadly categorized into four main areas:
1. Biophysics (Radiation, Cardiovascular, Cellular)
2. Medical Instrumentation (Lasers, Ultrasound, MRI, CT, Nuclear Medicine, Imaging Technique)
3. Radiation Dosimetry, Radiation Protection (Monte Carlo Methods, Non-destructive Testing)
4. Radiation Physics

One of the many attractions of research in Medical Physics is that it involves working in a multi-disciplinary environment. Graduate research in Medical Physics and Radiation Science are offered at the MSc and PhD levels. Graduate students are encouraged to write scientific report of their research work and published in journals and present their research findings at national and international conferences, and other Physics meetings.

For more information, please contact:
Group research leader: DR. NURUL ZAHIRAH NOOR AZMAN
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Research Group Member :

Associate Professor Dr. Azhar Abdul Rahman
Associate Professor Dr. Iskandar Shahrim Mustafa
Dr Ramzun Maizan Ramli
Dr. Nik Noor Ashikin Nik Ab Razak
Dr. Norlaili Ahmad Kabir
Dr. Nursakinah Suardi
Dr. Nurul Hashikin Ab Aziz
Dr. Yasmin Md. Radzi

THEORETICAL AND COMPUTATIONAL PHYSICS

Research Group Members:

Dr. Edmund Loh Wai Ming
Dr. John Soo Yue Han
Dr. Muhammad Rabie Omar
Dr. Mohd Mahadi Halim
Dr. Wan Mohamad Husni Wan Mokhtar
Dr. Wong Khai Ming
Dr. Yoon Tiem Leong (Leader)

The group comprises several academic staffs who are actively researching and publishing in the following fields:

Astrophysics and Cosmology

Photometric Redshift Estimation (Dr. John Soo Yue Han)
Galaxy Morphology Classification (Dr. John Soo Yue Han)
Modified Gravity Models (Dr. John Soo Yue Han)
Astronomy Education (Dr. John Soo Yue Han)

Modelling and Computational Physics

Photonics Band Gap (Dr. Mohd Mahadi Halim)
Photon Localization (Dr. Mohd Mahadi Halim)
Heat Transfer (Dr. Mohd Mahadi Halim)
Computational Condensed Matter Physics (Dr. Yoon Tiem Leong)
First-Principles Calculations and Molecular Dynamics of Atomistic Systems (Dr. Yoon Tiem Leong)
Computational Electromagnetics (Dr. Yoon Tiem Leong)
Applications of Machine Learning in Physics (Dr. Yoon Tiem Leong, Dr. John Soo Yue Han)

 Theoretical High Energy Physics

Monopole Physics (Dr. Wong Khai Ming)

 Quantum Gravity

Quantum Field Theory in Curved Spacetime (Dr. Wan Mohamad Husni Wan Mokhtar)

 Quantum Optics

Fundamentals of Atom-Field Interactions (Dr. Edmund Loh Wai Ming)
Nonclassical Properties of Light (Dr. Edmund Loh Wai Ming)
Atomic and Molecular Laser Spectroscopy (Dr. Edmund Loh Wai Ming)
Ultrafast Laser Physics (Dr. Edmund Loh Wai Ming)
Quantum Plasmonics and Nanophotonics (Dr. Edmund Loh Wai Ming)
Nonlinear Optics (Dr. Edmund Loh Wai Ming)

Reactor Physics

Monte Carlo Neutron Transport, OpenMC (Dr. Muhammad Rabie Omar)
Criticality Calculations (Dr. Muhammad Rabie Omar)
Nuclear Transmutation Analysis & Fuel Burnup Calculations (Dr. Muhammad Rabie Omar)

Theoretical Physics research group webpage : http://www2.fizik.usm.my/webpage/theory/
Computational Physics subgroup webpage : http://www2.fizik.usm.my/webpage/theory/comphy/

 For more information, please contact:

Group Leader:

ASSOC. PROF. DR. YOON TIEM LEONG
E-MAIL: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Applicants should possess one of the following:

• A Master's degree in research mode; or
• A Master’s degree in related area with CGPA 3.00/4; or
• A Master’s degree in related area with CGPA 2.50-2.99/4 with additional requirements; or
• Bachelor’s degree in related area with minimum CGPA 3.67/4 (fast-track to PhD)

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

* Not Applicable

DURATION

• Full-time: Min 4 semesters / Max 10 semesters
• Part-time: Min 6 semesters / Max 15 semesters

FEES

** Fees are subject to change