SFU Physics

New PRL! We find a giant isotope effect in silicon T centres: swapping H → D massively boosts lifetime and emission efficiency. Great modelling from Mark Turiansky (NRL). Lead authors Moein Kazemi & Mehdi Keshavarz pictured in our lab at @sfuphysics.bsky.social.

journals.aps.org/prl/abstract...

Hubble tension – SFU researcher potentially one step closer to answering the universe’s biggest question A Simon Fraser University cosmologist believes his team’s new research may bring them a step closer to cracking one of science’s biggest questions – the Hubble tension.

An SFU cosmologist believes his team’s new research may bring them a step closer to cracking one of science’s biggest questions – the Hubble tension.

“This is an exciting moment for us and the wider cosmology community,” says Levon Pogosian, SFU professor.

Find out more below. 💫

Come hear about how the "Music of the Universe" and how the Big Bang relates to biology!

Happening this Saturday Feb 7 at the Surrey Library, City Centre Branch (Rm 401). Presentations by Mark Van Raamsdonk (UBC) and Peter Unrau (SFU)

Fostering Belonging in the Natural Sciences Exploring challenges, barriers and opportunities in community engagement and inclusivity in STEM, with Professor Mu-Chun Chen, UC-Irvine.

Join @sfuphysics.bsky.social and the Faculty of Science this Monday for a dialogue led by @ucirvine.bsky.social Prof Mu-Chun Chen to explore challenges and barriers to fostering belonging in science and opportunities to cultivate inclusive excellence.
www.eventbrite.ca/e/fostering-...

SFU Physics Career Night 2026 Physics Department, SFU Location: P9412 and Zoom Thursday, 29 January 2026 06:30PM PST Starla Talbot, Senior Flight Software Engineer, RocketLab Space Systems, Pasadena, CA Hannah Herdin, Research Assistant, Photonic, Coquitlam, BC Josh Stibbs, Software Engineer, DarkVision Technologies, North Vancouver, BC Manuel Rojas, Characterization Specialist, Svante, Burnaby, BC Symphony Huang, Material Characterization Specialist & Business Development Associate, Svante, Burnaby, BC

Please join us to hear the panelists talk about their trajectories from #SFUstudent to employee. If you've been wondering what you can do with a #physics degree, this event is for you. We'll have prize draws for those who attend. #SFU #SFUPhysics
@sfuscience.bsky.social
www.sfu.ca/physics/news...

SFU Physics Career Night 2026 Physics Department, SFU Location: P9412 and Zoom Thursday, 29 January 2026 06:30PM PST Starla Talbot, Senior Flight Software Engineer, RocketLab Space Systems, Pasadena, CA Hannah Herdin, Research Assistant, Photonic, Coquitlam, BC Josh Stibbs, Software Engineer, DarkVision Technologies, North Vancouver, BC Manuel Rojas, Characterization Specialist, Svante, Burnaby, BC Symphony Huang, Material Characterization Specialist & Business Development Associate, Svante, Burnaby, BC

Please join us to hear the panelists talk about their trajectories from #SFUstudent to employee. If you've been wondering what you can do with a #physics degree, this event is for you. We'll have prize draws for those who attend. #SFU #SFUPhysics
@sfuscience.bsky.social
www.sfu.ca/physics/news...

Dr. Levon Pogosian is a bald man wearing glasses standing with arms crossed in the SFU Science Courtyard in front of the Trottier Observatory. Photo: Sam Smith

@sfuphysics.bsky.social prof Levon Pogosian and his collaborators have been working for years to unravel some of the most challenging puzzles in cosmology. The answers could help us understand how quickly the universe is expanding and yield new insight into how it began. 🔭 www.sfu.ca/science/news...

Out in @physrevresearch.bsky.social: beautiful and fundamental theory from @sfuphysics.bsky.social PhD student @jrsawchuk.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1103/j59j...

We’re hiring!

The Department of Physics
@sfuphysics.bsky.social
at Simon Fraser U (in beautiful and vibrant Vancouver) seeks applications for an Assistant or Associate Professor in Experimental Biophysics, encompassing all scales of life from molecules to ecosystems.
@sfuscience.bsky.social

Out in @physreve.bsky.social:
@sfuphysics.bsky.social MSc student Sara Iranbakhsh reveals how symmetry mismatch between the components of nanoscale rotary motors affects their performance
doi.org/10.1103/k85p...
@sfuscience.bsky.social

LGBTQ+ STEM Spotlight Day 7: Kelsey Leonard

Physics score big at this year's Faculty of Science Excellence Awards! We have 4 winners across various categories: Kero Lau, Gopolang Mohlabeng, Ricky Chu and Olha Farion. Congratulations to all!
Read more: www.sfu.ca/physics/news...

LGBTQ+ STEM Spotlight Day 6: Gwen Grinyer

LGBTQ+ STEM Spotlight Day 5: Timnit Gebru

Read more about Igor's award here:
www.sfu.ca/physics/news...

We are so proud to see Dr. Igor Herbut win the Dresden Physics Prize! Congratulations Igor!

LGBTQ+ STEM Spotlight Day 4: Nergis Mavalvala

LGBTQ+ STEM Spotlight Day 3: Audrey Tang

LGBTQ+ STEM Spotlight Day 2: Ben Barres

LGBTQ+ STEM Spotlight Day 1: Frank Kameny

Tuesday, November 18th is the International Day of 2SLGBTQIA+ People in STEM!
For more information on this commemoration, visit prideinstem.org/lgbtstemday/

Don't miss this week's Saturday Morning Lecture taking place November 15 at the Surrey Library! Featuring Dr. Karen Kavanagh and Dr. Thomas Jennewein from SFU Physics!

Congratulations to @sfuphysics.bsky.social prof Matthias Danninger, whose Canada Research Chair in Experimental Particle Physics has been renewed.

Quantum BC Seminar Series Tuesday, October 28, 2025 at 2pm BC Time Dr. Gregor Weihs: Professor, Department of Experimental Physics | University of Innsbruck Director of Research, Cluster of Excellence | Quantum Science Austria Vice-Rector for Research | University of Innsbruck Seminar Title: Quantum Science Austria and Quantum Light Sources

Dr. Gregor Weihs, professor of experimental physics and vice-rector research, University of Innsbruck will present on the state of #quantum science in Austria at the next Quantum BC Seminar Series. Check out upcoming events: quantum-bc.ca/older-news/e... @sfuphysics.bsky.social

THINKING OF STUDYING PHYSICS? COME TO DISCOVER PHYSICS! October 24 (Pro-D Day), 10:00am - 2:30pm FREE REGISTRATION Come join us at our annual High School student event and learn all about what it's like to study Physics at Simon Fraser University. AMAZING LAB TOURS! Come see our state-of-the-art research labs and learn about experimental design and data analysis. CONTEST AND PRIZES! Research talks by SFU Physics Faculty. Q&A with a panel of Physics Undergraduates. And a FREE Pizza Lunch! QR CODE SCAN ME! DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS SFU FACULTY OF SCIENCE

Attn Vancouver, BC-area HS Students! Come learn what it's like to study physics at the Discover Physics at #SFU event on Friday Oct 24th. Free lunch and lab tours! Register for FREE by noon on Oct 22:
www.eventbrite.ca/e/discover-p...

#YVR 🎢 ⚛️🧪🍎🔭🇨🇦

SFU Physics prof Stephanie Simmons is standing beside a quantum computer her team has built and looking very proud of it.

The race to develop fully scalable, networked #quantum computing is on, and SFU has a team of world-class researchers on the job. Learn about how we're advancing quantum computing and communication technologies: www.sfu.ca/sfunews/stor... @sfuphysics.bsky.social

Attn High School Students in Greater Vancouver! Discover Physics @ SFU Fall 2025 is on Friday, Oct. 24. Registration is FREE and there will be FREE pizza.
Come learn all about studying physics and hear exciting talks in particle physics and biophysics.
www.eventbrite.ca/e/discover-p...

Efficiently Driving ${\mathrm{F}}_{1}$ Molecular Motor in Experiment by Suppressing Nonequilibrium Variation Turning a biologically important molecular motor at a constant rate saves energy, according to experiments.

Is it more efficient to push a molecular motor with a constant force, or at a constant velocity? See our collaborative paper in @physrevlett.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1103/b24h...
and the Focus article
physics.aps.org/articles/v18...
to learn the winner and the why (it’s all about the fluctuations).

A photo of the device, which looks like a silicon computer chip with a copper rectangle in the middle with a screw at each corner

@sfuphysics.bsky.social and @photonicinc.bsky.social researchers have created a new device that allows electrical control of silicon colour centre qubits, an important milestone toward developing scalable quantum computing. www.sfu.ca/sfunews/stor...

You can read more about this work in a blog post by lead author Camille Bowness written for our industry partner Photonic Inc. photonic.com/blog/the-t-c...

@photonicinc.bsky.social @sfuphysics.bsky.social