Physics - Frequently Asked Questions

Quantum physics is the branch of science that explains how nature works at the very smallest scales — atoms, electrons, and photons. At these tiny scales, the familiar rules of everyday physics don’t apply. Things can behave like waves and particles at the same time, they can be connected across vast distances in ways that seem almost magical, and simply observing them can change what they do.

Even the scientists who discovered these behaviors found them bizarre. But quantum physics has been confirmed by countless experiments and is the foundation of technologies you already use every day, from the smartphone in your pocket to MRI machines, lasers, and GPS. Understanding quantum physics opens the door to some of the most exciting frontiers in science and technology, including quantum computing, ultra-secure communications, and next-generation sensors.

At its core, quantum physics replaces the certainties of everyday physics with probabilities. In the world you can see and touch, a ball sits in one place and moves in a predictable path. In the quantum world, a particle doesn’t have a single definite position or speed until you measure it — instead, it exists in a spread of possibilities all at once. Particles can be in multiple states simultaneously (superposition), they can be mysteriously linked across vast distances (entanglement and teleportation), and there are fundamental limits to what you can know about them at any given moment (the uncertainty principle).

These aren’t just abstract ideas — they are the operating principles behind lasers, transistors, and the emerging quantum technologies reshaping industries from finance, machine learning, to national defense. At Stevens, students explore these concepts through hands-on lab work alongside faculty who publish and patent in quantum photonics and quantum information science.

Quantum computing harnesses the unusual behaviors of quantum physics to solve certain problems exponentially faster than any conventional computer CPU or GPU can do today. Traditional computers process information as bits — tiny switches that are either 0 or 1. Quantum computers use “qubits,” which can represent 0, 1, or both at the same time. When you combine many qubits together, the computational power grows exponentially, making it possible to tackle problems — like simulating new drug molecules or optimizing massive logistics networks — that would take today’s fastest supercomputers millions of years.

The career outlook is strong: the Bureau of Labor Statistics recently projected 20% job growth in related research roles through 2034, and median pay for quantum computing researchers is around $134,000 per year. Stevens has a unique connection to this field — Quantum Computing Inc. (QCi), a Nasdaq-listed company building room-temperature quantum photonics products for computing, cybersecurity, and sensing, was founded out of our Physics department, and its CEO is a Stevens physics professor. Many of our recent Ph.D. graduates work at QCi today.

There’s no single discoverer — quantum physics emerged from the work of many scientists in the early 20th century. Max Planck introduced energy quantization in 1900, Einstein explained the photoelectric effect in 1905, and Niels Bohr developed a model of the atom with quantized energy levels. Werner Heisenberg and Erwin Schrödinger then created mathematical frameworks for quantum systems, Paul Dirac unified quantum mechanics with relativity, and in 1935, Einstein and collaborators described entanglement — what he called “spooky action at a distance.”

These discoveries launched technologies that transformed civilization — transistors, lasers, MRI machines — and continue to drive breakthroughs in quantum computing and secure communications. At Stevens, our faculty are direct participants in this ongoing story, pushing the boundaries of quantum photonics.

A degree in quantum physics prepares you for a wide and growing range of careers. Research positions in academia and national laboratories are the most direct path, but the quantum technology industry is expanding rapidly — companies like IBM, Google, QCI and Microsoft, along with a growing ecosystem of startups, hire physicists for roles in quantum hardware, software, algorithm development, and quantum-safe cybersecurity.

Beyond quantum-specific roles, the analytical and mathematical skills you develop are highly valued in finance, data science, consulting, semiconductor engineering, and defense. Stevens’ location minutes from New York City and our deep ties to the quantum industry give graduates an unusually direct pipeline from physics education to high-impact careers.

“Quantum theory” is simply another name for quantum mechanics or quantum physics — they all refer to the same body of science describing how nature behaves at the smallest scales. The word “quantum” comes from the discovery that energy doesn’t flow smoothly like water from a faucet but comes in tiny, discrete packets called “quanta.”

This was a radical insight when Max Planck first proposed it in 1900, and over the following decades physicists built it into a complete framework that now underpins virtually all of modern physics, chemistry, and materials science. Quantum theory is the engine behind semiconductors, lasers, and medical imaging, and it is driving the next wave of breakthroughs in computing, sensing, and secure communications. Understanding it gives you a powerful foundation whether you go into research, tech, finance, defense, or any field that values deep analytical thinking.

A physics Ph.D. typically requires a bachelor’s degree (usually in physics, though students from engineering, math, or related fields are often admitted), followed by graduate coursework, qualifying exams, and original research culminating in a written dissertation and public defense.

Coursework covers foundational areas like classical mechanics, electrodynamics, quantum mechanics, and statistical mechanics, along with specialized topics aligned with your research. At Stevens, Ph.D. students work directly with faculty in active research labs focused on quantum information, quantum sensing, or quantum computing, gaining hands-on experience from day one. Strong applicants typically have solid undergraduate preparation in physics and math, or equivalently engineering skills and research experience.

A physics Ph.D. opens a remarkably wide range of career doors. Many graduates pursue postdoctoral research at universities or national laboratories like Brookhaven or Los Alamos, often as a stepping stone to faculty positions. But industry hires physics Ph.D.'s aggressively — in finance and quantitative trading, data science, semiconductor design, defense and aerospace, and the rapidly growing quantum technology sector.

At Stevens, our Ph.D. graduates have a particularly strong pipeline into the quantum industry through Quantum Computing Inc. (QCi), a Nasdaq-listed photonics company founded out of our department. Others have taken positions at leading tech companies, government agencies, and startups. The common thread is that a physics Ph.D. trains you to solve hard, open-ended problems — a skill set in demand across virtually every high-value sector of the economy.

In the United States, a physics Ph.D. usually takes about five to seven years — roughly two years of coursework and qualifying exams, followed by three to five years of original research, publishing, and dissertation writing. The exact timeline depends on your research area and how quickly experiments or simulations yield results. At Stevens, Ph.D. students are integrated into active research groups early on, which helps keep progress on track.