Department of Physics
University of Kerala
Established in 1970
Re acreditted by NAAC with A++ grade
Department of Physics
University of Kerala
Kariavattom Campus
Thiruvananthapuram
Department of Physics
University of Kerala
The Department was established in the year 1970 under the Faculty of Science. Dr. K. S. Viswanathan, eminent theoretical Physicist and student of Nobel Laureate Sir C. V. Raman, was the founder Head of the department. The Department started functioning with a UGC sponsored Post M.Sc Diploma Course in Space Physics, with 7 students and a few research scholars. From the modest beginning, it has grown into one of the largest and most bustling centres of academic activity. The department has received support from DST under the FIST programme. At present the department offers M.Sc., M. Phil and Ph.D programmes in Physics. Research activities in diverse fields such as Plasma Physics, Space Physics, Atmospherics Science, Optical limiting materials, Nonlinear optical Materials, Conducting thin films, Dielectric Ceramics, Nanomaterials, etc., are currently being carried out in the Department. Over the years, the Department has produced 102 Ph.D degree holders, more than 250 M. Phil degree holders , 21 Post M. Sc. Diploma holders in Space Physics and 466 M. Sc. degrees. More than 30 research projects have been successfully completed during this period. Former students of the Department are presently working as scientists/faculty members in reputed research laboratories including Cavendish lab (UK), University of Sheffield (UK), I I Sc, I I Ts, ISRO, CSIR labs, IGCAR, NPL, DRDO, etc. The Department has had a glorious past and has the potential to develop into a centre of excellence with more exciting future, provided adequate manpower and infrastructure facilities for the development arte offered in time.
Founder Head of our Department
Dr. K S Viswanathan
Student of Sir C V Raman
Prof. Kalakad Sundaram Viswanathan (9th June 1929 -5th July 2009) joined Raman Research Institute in 1950 as a senior scholar. He completed his Ph.D. under the guidance of Sir. C V Raman.Prof. Viswanathan joined RRI as a Senior Scholar in 1952. He worked under the guidance of Sir CV Raman and acquired Ph.D. degree in 1955 from Madras University. In 1956 Raman appointed him as an Assistant Professor at RRI. Raman singled him out for research on theoretical problems, e.g. lattice dynamics and atomistic theory of elasticity. His discovery that the group velocities of the normal modes of crystals vanish at the zone Centre and the zone boundary as well as his deduction that crystals are characterized by 45 independent elastic constants in general if the stress and strain tensors are not symmetric are scientific results noteworthy for their originality from the earliest phase of his scientific career at RRI. They formed the basis of his PhD degree.
Stalwarts of Our Department
Prof. K S Viswanathan
Prof. Balarama Rao
Prof. G Aruldhas
Prof. S Devanarayanan
Prof. M A Ittyachan
Prof. V. K. Vaidyan
Prof. V. Unnikrishnan Nair
Prof. S. R. Prabhakaran Nayar
Prof. G. Renuka
Prof. M. Abdul Khadar
Prof. Narayana Iyyar
Prof. N. Balan
Prof. C I Muneera
Prof. K P Vijayakumari