Our Physics program is one of the largest and most comprehensive in Canada, offering courses in applied physics, astrophysics, biophysics, chemical physics, mathematical physics, or quantum computing, at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. Our research-intensive department focuses on five areas of research: astrophysics, biological physics, condensed matter physics, optics, and quantum computing, with faculty members specializing in theoretical, experimental and computational tools. If you are interested in pursuing further study in Physics and Astronomy, you have come to the right place The Graduate Studies in Physics (GSiP) program is one of the largest physics & astronomy graduate programs in Canada and among the largest in the world. Our tradition of collaboration and innovation allows us to offer students a rich and varied graduate experience unlike no other. The Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Waterloo is amongst the top 100 Physics and Astronomy departments in the world (QS rankings 2020), and is home to a wide range of ground-breaking and award winning research, including the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics. We are a key part of Waterloo's burgeoning physics ecosystem that also includes partnering institutes and centers such as the Institute for Quantum Computing, the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology and the Waterloo Center for Astrophysics.<br><br>Soft materials pose unique challenges in condensed matter physics. They are dubbed 'soft because their structure is typically exquisitely sensitive to temperature, composition, external stimuli or other associated variables. This sensitivity arises from the competition among different interactions or between interactions and entropy. They are sometimes ordered but most of the time disordered.