Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM)

Undergraduate teaching and research in the areas of biology, chemistry, materials, applied physics, theory, modelling and more are conducted at this department.

About IFM

Photo credit Thor BalkhedThe Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, or IFM, is one of the original departments of Linköping University and was founded in 1969 as the Department of physics and measurement technology. In the beginning there were thirty employees including three professors at the department. Since then a lot has changed and IFM is now one of the biggest departments at LiU.

Current organisation

Today the department has more than 400 staff, including 50 professors and 150 doctoral students. Each year, about 20 doctoral students receive their doctorates at IFM. In addition to this, the department receives guest researchers from all over the globe. The yearly budget exceeds 500 million SEK, the majority of which related to research projects. IFM also offers over 200 undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate courses each year.

Funding 

Xiongyu Wu, IFM, tillsammans med student. Photo credit Anna NilsenOur great expansion in research has been possible thanks to generous grants from external funding agencies such as the Swedish Research Council (VR), Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF), VINNOVA, Formas and the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation (KAW). Added to this is also increasing research funding from the EU Framework Programmes. Materials Research has received a number of major contributions as strategically important and excellent environment: VR Linnaeus Centre LiLi-NFM, Vinnova Excellence Centre FunMat, SSF's strategic research centre MS2E and the government's strategic research grants for materials research - AFM.

Upcoming events at the Department of physics, chemistry and biology (IFM)

12 April 2024

Public defence of doctoral thesis in materials science: Pernilla Helmer

9.15 am – 2.15 pm Ada Lovelace, B building

Pernilla Helmer, Deptartment of physics, chemistry and biology (IFM), defends her doctoral thesis "Venturing further into the field of 2D materials and their laminated parent phases". Opponent is Associate professor Hannu-Pekka Komsa, University of Oulu, Finland.

Contacts

Research at the Department of physics, chemistry and biology (IFM) 

Hanne Løvlie
At IFM, research is conducted in collaboration with eminent researchers from all around the world Anna Nilsen

Prominent research and host for doctoral schools and larger research projects.

At the Department of physics, chemistry, and biology, we conduct innovative research in the areas of biology, chemistry and physics.

IFM also hosts two multi disciplinary research schools, Forum Scientium and Agora Materiae, as well as a number of major research projects and centres such as Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (CeNano), Biosensor and Bioelectronics Centre and Swedish Interdisciplinary Magnetic Resonance Centre (SIMARC) . 

Research groups and projects at the Department of physics, chemistry and biology

Material

Advanced Functional Materials

Laboratory for Advanced Functional Materials, AFM, contributes at the highest level to the creation of knowledge. The work in highly competitive Centers of Excellence has been evaluated as excellent to outstanding by the VR, SSF, and Vinnova.

Functional electronic materials

In the Functional Electronic Materials group, we conduct scientific research on various state-of-the-art materials.

Bilden visar vår svarv designad för studier av skikt under bearbetning vid synkrotronljuskällan Petra III i Hamburg

FunMat II

FunMat II is a second generation competence center in material science, focusing its efforts to the areas of functional surfaces for cutting tools, fuel cells and batteries.

Education at the Department of physics, chemistry and biology (IFM)

Education and teaching at IFM

Prominent research and undergraduate education at IFM with a comprehensive range of courses in the fields of physics, chemistry and biology.

The research dominates the activities at IFM, but the teaching within undergraduate education is extensive. Each year, IFM offers more than 200 courses within civil and engineering programs, bachelor's and master's programs in physics, chemistry, and biology, teacher training programs, technical and science foundation year, as well as standalone courses.

Study programmes at the Department of physics, chemistry and biology (IFM)

Study programmes given in English at IFM

Doctoral studies at the Department of physics, chemistry and biology (IFM)

Graduate schools at the Department of physics, chemistry and biology (IFM)

Articles about the Department of physics, chemistry and biolgy (IFM)

Read more about about the latest news and popular science from the department.

Person (Jie Zhou) point at a computer screen.

A new world of 2D material is opening up

Materials that are incredibly thin exhibit unique properties that make them appealing for energy storage, catalysis and water purification. LiU-researchers have developed a method that enables the synthesis of hundreds of new 2D materials.

Tre persons in lab coates.

Better neutron mirrors can reveal the inner secrets of matter

An improved neutron mirror has been developed by researchers at LiU by coating a silicon plate with extremely thin layers of iron and silicon mixed with boron carbide. It paves the way for better studies of materials.

A smiling man in a blue jacket and a lightblue shirt

Innovative semiconductor research from LiU to Silicon Valley

LiU alumnus and doctoral student Ivan Martinovic swapped Swedish winter for a warmer climate and headed for Silicon Valley.  He represents the LEAD company Polar Light Technologies in Berkeley SkyDeck’s sought-after accelerator programme.

Contact

Visiting address

Campus Valla, B building and Fysikhuset building

Mail address

Linköping University
IFM
581 83 Linköping

Department management

Directors of studies

Technology manager

Staff

Staff