Materials physics

Materials physics is the use of physics to describe the physical properties of materials. It is a synthesis of physical sciences such as chemistry, solid mechanics, solid state physics, and materials science. Materials physics is considered a subset of condensed matter physics and applies fundamental condensed matter concepts to complex multiphase media, including materials of technological interest.

Current fields that materials physicists work in include electronic, optical, and magnetic materials, novel materials and structures, quantum phenomena in materials, nonequilibrium physics, and soft condensed matter physics. New experimental and computational tools are constantly improving how materials systems are modeled and studied and are also fields when materials physicists work in.

v t e Major branches of physics
Divisions	Pure Applied Engineering
Approaches	Experimental Theoretical Computational
Classical	Classical mechanics Newtonian Analytical Celestial Continuum Acoustics Classical electromagnetism Classical optics Ray Wave Thermodynamics Statistical Non-equilibrium
Modern	Relativistic mechanics Special General Nuclear physics Quantum mechanics Particle physics Atomic, molecular, and optical physics Atomic Molecular Modern optics Condensed matter physics
Interdisciplinary	Astrophysics Atmospheric physics Biophysics Chemical physics Geophysics Materials science Mathematical physics Medical physics Ocean physics Quantum information science
Related	History of physics Nobel Prize in Physics Philosophy of physics Physics education Timeline of physics discoveries

See also