A Short History of the Department
The old Physics Building at Gloriastrasse 35 (yellow) around 1960.
Physics has been an important discipline at ETH since the foundation of the institution in 1855. The first chair in Physics was held by Rudolf Clausius, famous for his formulation of the 2nd law of thermodynamics. For a long time, up to 1912, experimental physics dominated the scene. Tribute should be made to Heinrich Friedrich Weber who measured the specific heat of diamond. The data were later used by Einstein for the first application of the quantum hypothesis on solids. Weber also anticipated, from experimental data, the displacement law named after Wien by almost 10 years. Later, Pierre Weiss, one of the leading experts in magnetism, excelled in the production of high magnetic fields. As a student at ETH, still a polytechnic school at that time, Einstein complained about the lack of then modern theoretical physics in the curriculum around 1900. He himself changed the situation in 1912 by accepting a chair for theoretical physics at his alma mater which, in between, had been given the status of a Technical University. His successors, Peter Debye and later Wolfgang Pauli, were responsible for keeping the high standards of this discipline in teaching and research. Concerning experimental physics at ETH after 1920, the field was dominated by Paul Scherrer, who introduced a strong program in nuclear physics after 1932.
After 1960, the drastic increase in the number of students in natural and engineering sciences in general and physics in particular, lead to an unprecedented extension of the physics faculty, particularly in condensed-matter-, theoretical- and particle physics.
The inevitable room problems were solved with a step by step development of a new campus on Hönggerberg outside the city center between 1965 and 1973. At the same time the former Institute of Physics changed its organisational form to that of a Department (D-PHYS), without much change in its general layout until today. Condensed-matter physics on magnetism, superconductivity and ferroelectricity relied on a strong background of materials synthesis and characterization and was complemented by a significant effort in laser physics and development. Particle physics profited from CERN programs and participated in the realization of a medium-energy proton accelerator at the national laboratory for nuclear- and particle physics (SIN, now PSI). In theoretical physics, the traditionally strong field of mathematical physics was complemented by chairs in condensed-matter- and phenomenological particle physics.
During the 60's of the last century and up to 1973, this building at Hochstrasse 60 hosted the Institute of Theoretical Physics.
After 1980, the growing importance of research and technology based on the interaction between light and matter motivated the introduction of the new discipline of quantum electronics, both in research and in the educational curriculum. The new institute (IQE) grew rapidly to the size of the other three mentioned above (LFKP, IPP, ITP). Furthermore, the activity in condensed matter physics was expanded into the direction of mesoscopic physics. The tremendous advances in the construction of earth- and space-based observatories and hence the continuously achieved progresses of observational astronomy suggested an extension of the existing program in astronomy, a development that was finally realized with two additional chairs in astronomy (ASTRO) just after the beginning of the new millenium. Cooperations with University of Zurich (UZH) exist for the teaching in theoretical physics and the graduate education in particle physics. Since 2000, a number of groups are prominently involved in the new National Priority Research Programs (NCCR).
Most recently, the undisputed importance of a high-quality education of high-school teachers was demonstrated by the installment of a new chair for physics education. New links to the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), the National Laboratory of Switzerland, were realized via joint chairs. Specifically, the laboratory for neutron scattering LNS at PSI operates jointly under the auspices of the physics department and PSI. The department also hosts the laboratory for ion-beam physics (LIP). The installation provides experimental tools for environmental sciences, climatology, archeology and materials science.
The latest development in research is a program in quantum science and technology (QSIT) with the participation of various institutes ETH-wide and external groups within Switzerland (Geneva, Basel); excellent technical support is provided by the FIRST lab, a platform for handling artifical micro- and nanostructures. Particle physics and astronomy are both prominently involved in international programs in Europe and overseas; the Planet-Z initiative joins research groups at ETH Zurich and the Universities of Zurich and Bern in a multi-disciplinary research effort in planetary sciences.
