Physics and applied physics

Find out how our solutions can advance your physics and applied physics knowledge

Interested in improving your physics and applied physics knowledge with our analytical solutions? Whether you’re a student, a researcher, or a professor, we’ve got a wide range of useful articles on the most relevant application examples of our physics research solutions.

The materials researched and the analytical equipment used often overlap with Chemistry and Applied Chemistry, and Materials Science and Engineering – so take a look at those pages for more useful information! You’ll find the method abbreviations explained at the bottom of this page.

Instrumentation and analytical methods are also researched and invented within physics. Here we only present applications related to research on condensed-matter physics. Our instrumentation and research scientists publish work in scientific journals. Get in touch if you’d like help finding research-quality material relating to the physics behind our instrumentation, such as X-ray scattering, X-ray fluorescence, laser diffraction, or dynamic light scattering.

Physics and applied physics

Applied physics research includes:

  • Nanoparticles and nanotechnology
  • Colloid science
  • Optical materials
  • Biophysics
  • Materials physics
  • Condensed-matter physics
  • Superconductors
  • Semiconductors
  • Optoelectronic
  • Electromagnetic materials


We’ve put together a selection of articles with examples of where our analytical methods can provide physics research solutions. Take a look to find out more!

Physics and Applied Physics

Method

Sample

Application Note Title (Link)

Ceramic powders, glass beads - particle size

LD

Ceramic powders, glass beads

Detecting oversized particles in ceramic powders using laser diffraction particle size analysis

Glass - elemental analysis

XRF

Soda glass/microscope slides

Major, minor, and trace compound analysis in soda glass

Magnetic alloys - crystal structure vs temperature

XRD

MnBi

High-resolution crystallography: Investigating a new permanent magnet

Magnetic nanocrystals - particle/cluster size

DLS

Fe3O4 colloidal nanocrystal clusters (CNCs), Alkanol solutions of Fe3O4@SiO2 colloids

Characterization of Magnetically Tunable Colloidal Photonic Crystals Using the Zetasizer Nano

Nanoparticles - crystalline phase and size

XRD / SAXS / PDF

TiO2 nano-powders, TiO2 anatase, and rutile

Multi-technique nanoparticle characterization on a laboratory X-ray diffractometer

Phosphors - particle size and shape

Imaging

Phosphor particles in polymer

Characterization of Phosphor particles for LED lighting using the Sysmex FPIA-3000

Quantum dots - size, molecular weight, and Zeta potential

DLS / ELS

Quantum dots, CdSe crystal core, with a ZnS shell functionalized with carboxyl groups or polyethylene glycol (PEG)

Measuring Quantum Dots Using the Zetasizer Nano

Quantum dots - surface to volume ratio

XRD

Colloidal CdS quantum dots

SAXS on colloidal quantum dots

Single crystal - orientation

XRD

Cadmium tungstate (single crystal)

Orientation of single crystal cadmium tungstate

Thin films on glass - thickness and roughness

XRD

Ion-plated (IP) and reactive evaporated (RE) TiO2 on Borosilicate (BK7) glass

Characterization of thin layers on glass

Abbreviations explained

Our products and technologies are described on the Products pages. Below you can find a quick reference to the properties measured by our instruments, together with the measurement name and its abbreviation. Click on each method to find out more about it! 

Abbreviation

Method Name

Instrument(s)

Measured Property

DLS

Dynamic Light Scattering

Zetasizer

Molecular size, hydrodynamic radius RH,  particle size, size distribution, stability, concentration, agglomeration

ELS

Electrophoretic Light Scattering

Zetasizer

Zeta potential, particle charge, suspension stability, protein mobility

ITC

Iso-thermal Titration Calorimetry

MicroCal  ITC

Binding affinity, thermodynamics of molecular reactions in solution

DSC

Differential Scanning Calorimetry

Microcal DSC

Denaturing (unfolding) of large molecules, stability of macromolecules

GCI

Grating-Coupled Interferometry

Creoptix WAVEsystem

Real-time binding kinetics and binding affinity, label free with fluidics

IMG

Automated Image Analysis

Morphologi 4

Imaging of particles, automated shape and size measurement

MDRS

Morphologically-Directed Raman Spectroscopy

Morphologi 4-ID

Imaging of particles, automated shape and size measurement, chemical identification and contaminant detection

LD

Laser Diffraction

Mastersizer

Spraytec

Insitec

Parsum

Particle size, size distribution

NTA

Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis

NanoSight

Particle size, size distribution, and concentration

SEC  or  GPC

Size exclusion chromatography /

Gel permeation chromatography

OMNISEC

Molecular size, molecular weight, oligomeric state, polymer or protein size and molecular structure

SPE

Sample preparation by fusion

Le Neo

LeDoser

Eagon 2

The OxAdvanced

M4

rFusion

Fused Bead Sample preparation for XRF, Peroxide solution preparations for ICP, Flux weighing for beadmaking

UV/Vis/NIR/ SWIR

Ultra-violet / visible / near infra-red / short wave infra-red spectrometry

LabSpec

FieldSpec

TerraSpec

QualitySpec

Material identification and analysis, moisture, mineral, carbon content. Ground truthing for airborne and satellite spectroscopic techniques.

PFTNA

Pulsed Fast Thermal Neutron Activation

CNA

In-line elemental analysis

XRD-C

X-ray Diffraction  (crystallography)

Aeris

Empyrean

Molecular crystal structure refinement,

crystalline phase identification and quantification, crystalline to amorphous ratio, crystallite size analysis

XRD-M

X-ray Diffraction  (microstructure)

Empyrean

X’Pert3 MRD(XL)

Residual stress, texture

XRD-CT

X-ray absorption  imaging by computed tomography

Empyrean

3D imaging of solids, porosity, and density

SAXS

Small-Angle X-Ray Scattering

Empyrean

Nanoparticles, size, shape and structure

GISAXS

Glancing Incidence Small-Angle X-Ray Scattering

Empyrean

Nanostructured thin films and surfaces

HR-XRD

High-Resolution X-Ray Diffraction

Empyrean

X’Pert3 MRD(XL)

Thin-films and epitaxial multilayers, composition, strain, thickness, quality

XRR

X-Ray Reflectometry

Empyrean

X’Pert3 MRD(XL)

Thin films and surfaces, film thickness, surface and interface roughness

XRF

X-Ray Fluorescence

Epsilon

Zetium

Axios FAST

2830 ZT

Elemental composition, elemental concentration, trace elements, contaminant detection