Otago Department of Physics

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The Otago Department of Physics is a physics department located at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. It is situated in the Science 3 building, at the northwest corner of the campus. The building is located at the intersection of Cumberland and St. David Streets.

Contents

History

The Department of Physics at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand—also known in Māori as Te Tari Hū-o-te-Kōhao—is the nation’s oldest physics department, starting with natural philosophy as a founding discipline of the University in 1869. Professor John Shand was the first Chair of mathematics and natural philosophy, appointed in 1870, one of three foundation professors of the university. [1] He was succeeded by Professor Robert Jack in 1914, who later pioneered radio broadcasting in New Zealand. [2] [3] [4]

A bequest to the university by watchmaker, mathematician, and inventor Arthur Beverly in 1907 funds undergraduate bursaries and the Beverly Chair in Physics. [5]

The Beverly Clock—created in 1864—runs on daily temperature/pressure variations and has been in continuous operation (with minimal interruptions) in the physics building since 1907. [6]

Historical innovations

Teaching

Research strengths

The department has research efforts in

The University hosts the The Dodd-Walls Centre for Photonic and Quantum Technologies (Māori : Te Whai Ao [21] ), named after New Zealand physicists Jack Dodd and Dan Walls.

Notable staff

References

  1. "From natural philosophy to physics". Otago University Press. 16 November 2014. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  2. "Biography: Jack, Robert". Te Ara, The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  3. 1 2 Lisa Warrington; Alison Finigan (2014). Allen Hall 100 Years, 100+ Voices. Dunedin: Otago University Press. ISBN   978-0-473-29737-4. Wikidata   Q107271268.
  4. 1 2 Cook, Charlotte (17 November 2021). "100 years of radio in NZ: Major news broadcast over the century". RNZ . Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  5. "Biography: Beverly, Arthur". Te Ara, The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  6. Abrahams, Marc (2001). "The Latest on Long-Running Experiments". Annals of Improbable Research . 7 (3): 18–20. doi:10.3142/107951401782431809. Archived from the original on 21 February 2018. Retrieved 10 August 2025.
  7. Dodd, J N; Fox, W N; Series, G W; Taylor, M J (1959). "Light Beats as Indicators of Structure in Atomic Energy Levels". Proceedings of the Physical Society. 74 (6): 789–791. Bibcode:1959PPS....74..789D. doi:10.1088/0370-1328/74/6/122.
  8. Dodd, J N; Series, G W (1961). "Theory of Modulation of Light in a Double Resonance Experiment". Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series A, Mathematical and Physical Sciences. 263 (1314): 1314. Bibcode:1961RSPSA.263..353D. doi:10.1098/rspa.1961.0165. S2CID   122747243.
  9. Martin, J. L.; McKenzie, C. R.; Thomas, N. R.; Sharpe, J. C.; Warrington, D. M.; Manson, P. J.; Sandle, W. J.; Wilson, A. C. (1 April 1999). "Output coupling of a Bose-Einstein condensate formed in a TOP trap". Journal of Physics B: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics. 32 (12): 3065. arXiv: cond-mat/9904007 . Bibcode:1999JPhB...32.3065M. doi:10.1088/0953-4075/32/12/322. ISSN   0953-4075 . Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  10. "Andrew Wilson: What can you do with the fifth state of matter?". Radio New Zealand. 20 June 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  11. Grünzweig, T.; Hilliard, A.; McGovern, M.; Andersen, M. F. (2010). "Near-deterministic preparation of a single atom in an optical microtrap". Nature Physics. 6 (12): 951–954. Bibcode:2010NatPh...6..951G. doi: 10.1038/nphys1778 .
  12. "Otago scientists make quantum leap capturing the atom". Otago Daily Times. 4 October 2010. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  13. Deb, Amita B.; Kjærgaard, Niels (19 November 2021). "Observation of Pauli blocking in light scattering from quantum degenerate fermions". Science. 374 (6570): 972–975. arXiv: 2103.02319 . Bibcode:2021Sci...374..972D. doi:10.1126/science.abh3470. PMID   34793206 . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  14. DeMarco, Brian; Thywissen, Joseph H. (19 November 2021). "No vacancy in the Fermi sea". Science. 374 (6570): 936–937. Bibcode:2021Sci...374..936D. doi:10.1126/science.abm0072. PMID   34793211 . Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  15. "Otago work among top 10 physics advances". Otago Daily Times. 11 December 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  16. "Undergraduate Physics Papers". University of Otago. 18 October 2022. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  17. "Otago offers new degrees in sustainable energy". Inside Government. 22 June 2025. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  18. "Otago offers new degrees in Sustainable Energy". University of Otago. 18 June 2025. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  19. Rodger, Craig J.; Blakie, P. Blair. "The University of Otago". Association of Asia Pacific Physical Societies Bulletin. 28 (6).
  20. "Explainer: The science behind the Aurora Australis". Radio New Zealand News. 12 May 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  21. "Dunedin light research centre given Māori name". The New Zealand Herald . Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  22. 1 2 "Fellows of the Royal Society of New Zealand". Royal Society of New Zealand. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  23. Dodd-Walls Centre (2018). "Annual Report 2018" (PDF). The Dodd-Walls Centre. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  24. "Professor Craig Rodger named Beverly Chair in Physics". University of Otago. 15 May 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2025.