Academic Programs

The Institute of Physics has been established in the year 2022 after upgrading the already existing Department of Physics, which was founded in the year of establishment of Bahauddin Zakariya University in Multan, in 1975. The Institute of Physics is one of the University's innovative institutes. It is located in the purpose-built building. Due to its highly qualified faculty members who earned their qualification from around the world and state of the art facilities, the Institute has become the most vibrant and dynamic knowledge hub. Numerous specialization options are available for undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate programs offered by the Institute of Physics. The understanding of physics' natural laws and principles as well as the behavior of the physical world forms the foundation of the graduate and postgraduate curricula. The Institute of Physics aspires to be at the forefront of numerous fields in order to provide faculty and students a challenging learning environment. Our motto is excellence in teaching and research. The Institute of Physics holds a commendable position among other departments and Institutes of Pakistan. The institute invites both national and international students to join its various academic and research programs. 

The Institute comprises of the following ten divisions:

1. Materials Physics Division
2. Computational Physics Division
3. Medical Physics Division
4. Astrophysics Division
5. Nanophysics Division
6. Renewable Energy Division
7. Optoelectronics Division
8. Electronics Division
9. Environmental Physics Division    
10. Geophysics Division

The Institute currently provides the aforementioned specialization options for undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate programs. In addition to the core courses offered in BS and MS programs students can choose variety of subjects and fields of specialization, including Industrial Electronics, Digital Electronics, Communication, Renewable Energy Technologies, and others. The faculty members of the Institute teach a broad range of subjects and carry out research work in diverse research fields of both experimental and theoretical physics. The Institute of Physics faculty and students are specifically involved in various research activities in research areas such as Solid-State Spectroscopy of Novel Materials, Medical Physics, Condensed Matter Physics, Magnetic Materials, Non-Crystalline Solids, Physics of Metals and Alloys, Nanomaterials and Polymers, and Polymer Science & Technology. Graduate students are encouraged to contact faculty members for advice on their chosen research projects. Pass-out graduates of the Institute of Physics are employed by various national and international research and academic institutions, including A.Q. Khan Research Laboratories, National Centre for Physics (NCP), Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (PINSTECH), Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) and various other government and private universities. 

Director’s Message

The Institute of Physics (IOP) has been established in the Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, (BZU) with an intent to cater the need in Physics of the people of South Punjab, in particular and other in general for years to come. It is offering diversified disciplines in the subject of physics for undergraduates, graduates and post graduates. With the adoption of new graduate and undergraduate education policy of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan in the BZU. IOP promptly responded and modified its scheme of studies for its undergraduate and graduate programs. These new schemes of studies have been framed keeping in view the need of skilled human resources in the present 21st century. In addition to make these utilities enrich in physics with inclusion of courses such as Astronomy, Medical and Environmental Physics courses related to Computers, Behavioral Sciences, and Business Administration have also been included that have made BS Physics degree more versatile as students will get an opportunity to learn interdisciplinary knowledge. Such multitude learning will certainly help students to develop entrepreneurial approach, i.e., offering various startups, establish business in industry related to science & technology, online work including freelancing etc, in addition to conventional job market reserved for physics graduates such as in academic & research industries. I claim to provide best teaching and research facilities in physics in this region in presence of internationally qualified teaching faculty of diverse specialty. I, as a director, invite both national and international students to join the IOP to shape up your better future.

Our Vision: “Come to learn Philosophy of nature.”

Teaching Laboratories

The following state-of-the-art teaching laboratories are being maintained in the Institute in which students are required to complete a number of experiments/practical during their study programs:

1. Undergraduate Physics Laboratory
2. Modern Physics/Spectroscopy Laboratory
3. Electronics Laboratory
4. Advanced /Digital Electronics Laboratory
5. Computer Laboratory

Research Laboratories

Furthermore, collaborative research work is being carried out in the following areas and research laboratories are well furnished with latest equipment to provide research facilities to MS/M.Phil./Ph.D. students. Some of the present research interests of the Institute are in the fields of Functional Materials, Crystal Growth, X-ray Diffraction, Condensed Matter Physics and Density Functional Theory. Following is the list of research laboratories and the faculty members who are supervisors:

• Functional Materials Lab.                            Prof. Dr. Javed Ahmad/Dr. Maryam Hina
• Magnetism and Magnetic Materials Lab.   Dr. Mudassra Kanwal
• X-ray Diffraction Lab.                                 Dr. Maryam Hina
• Glasses/Thin Film Lab.                                Prof. Dr. Anwar Manzoor Rana / Mr. Asim Javed
• Polymer Physics Lab.                                  Dr. Abdul Shakoor
• Materials Simulation and Modeling Lab.   Dr. Rana M. Arif Khalil 
• Medical Physics Lab.                                  Dr. M. Nauman Usmani
• Materials Research Lab.                             Dr. M. Ehsan Mazhar
• Theoretical & Experimental Physics Lab.   Dr. M. Junaid Iqbal Khan
• Density Functional Theory (DFT) Lab.        Dr. Fayyaz Hussain
• Computational Materials Physics Lab.       Dr. Nazia Iram

Functional Materials Lab

The Functional Materials lab, as a think tank, technical excellence center, knowledge network and capacity-building facility, opens up new ways for the students of the Institute of Physics as a researcher. We at "The Functional Materials Laboratory" aim to develop, design and synthesis new multi-functional materials, gel polymer electrolytes and their application in flexible and self-healable energy storage devices. The Functional Materials Lab offers research work in fundamental and applied Physics. In fundamental Physics, lattice dynamics, electronic excitations, electron-phonon interactions, metal-insulator transitions and the Physics of strongly correlated electron systems are studied employing FTIR spectroscopy. In applied Physics, electrochemical analysis of materials is carried out through cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge, and electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy, etc, with a focus on searching for materials suitable to be used as energy storage devices such as supercapacitors, batteries, fuel cells etc. The Functional Materials Lab is equipped with the latest equipment; the major equipment is FTIR spectrometer (Vertex-80V) and electrochemical workstation (Autolab PGSTAT302N).

Magnetism and Magnetic Materials Lab

The lab is equipped with synthesis techniques namely sol-gel and co-precipitation techniques. The equipment available are high temperature furnace, hot plate magnetic stirrers, centrifuge, electronic balance and ac susceptibility susceptometer. A magetoresistance measurement apparatus is also a part of the lab. Ten Ph.D. scholars have completed their Doctorate and many M.Phil students have passed out so far. 

Polymer Physics Laboratory

In order to develop scientific thinking, precision and analytical skills, our laboratory offers a wide experience in the field of experimental physics. Laboratory enjoys a wide space with the supporting facilities of scientific equipment, computers, oven and sample preparation materials. It is guided and supervised by experienced instructors and offers a hands-on approach to learning.

Laboratory of Theoretical and Experimental Physics

The Laboratory of Theoretical and Experimental Physics was established in the June of 2013 within the Institute of Physics (IoP). Our objective is to explore and to understand data and results generated by simulations and experiments. Our research group focuses on developing and proposing Novel materials which foster growth of green, solar, and photonic technologies. We calculate electronic, optical, magnetic, thermal, elastic properties of materials and compare results obtained through experimental calculations. We study morphology, elemental composition, ellipsometry, XRD, etc for different materials. Our research has solid international reputation and results obtained on novel materials have been published in high impact factor research journals. Our research group won various national and international research projects. We welcome any collaboration around the globe to enable scientific community to make science a common heritage, free from borders.

Materials Research Laboratory

Materials characterization is a basic tool in materials research. This laboratory is equipped with Capacitance Measuring Assemble, LCR Bridge. Electrometer and furnaces capable of maintaining a temperature of 1400 ◦C. Currently Electrical, Dielectric and Optical properties of various materials are being studies. Major equipment includes Capacitance Measuring Assembly, Digibridge, Electrometer, LCR Bridge and High Voltage Power Supplies, and material synthesis equipment.