Department of Low-Temperature Physics

Department of Low-Temperature Physics was founded in 1981 as a joint workplace of The Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, Prague (MFF UK) and The Physical Institute (FzU) of The Czech Academy of Science. The purpose of the department of Low-Temperature Physics was to provide development of low-temperature physics and related techniques, namely nuclear orientation at low temperatures and investigations of hyperfine interactions and their relations to properties and structure of solids. Dr. Stanislav Šafrata CSc., Prof. RNDr. Bedřich Sedlák, DrSc. a Doc. Ing. František Bečvář, DrSc. were gradually the heads of the department. Nowadays, The Department of Low-Temperature Physics is directed by Prof. RNDr. Jiří Englich, DrSc.

Scientific, and educational activities of the department are concentrated in three groups: Radiofrequency Group, Spin Physics Group, and Low-Temperature Physics and Techniques Group. Another group of the department is The Joint Laboratory of Low-Temperature Physics The Joint Laboratory of Low-Temperature Physics , which is a common workplace of MFF UK, FzÚ AV ČR, PřF UK a ÚACH AV ČR. An important part of scientific activities provided by the department is supplying the faculty by cryogenic liquids. Production and distribution of liquid nitrogen (LN2) and liquid helium (LHe) is provided by the members of KRYO group.

Scientific activities of the department are very interdisciplinary, which is seen in an intensive co-operation with other departments of MFF UK, laboratories at FzU and other institutes of The Czech Academy of Science, and in extended international co-operation. Each laboratory in the Department of Low-Temperature Physics is equipped by the state-of-art scientific equipment operated by experienced scientists, PhD students and students. Details about scientific topics, experimental equipment and opportunities for students are mentioned on pages of the groups.

The Department of Low-Temperature Physics plays important role in education and teaching at MFF UK and also on other universities, e.g. on the Faculty of Biophysics Engineering, FJFI ČVUT etc.