Welcome To KFUPM Physics

Welcome to the Department of Physics at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals. I invite you to explore our website where you can find information about our academic programs, courses, research activities, and faculty members. Physics has always been at the forefront of exploration. This is accomplished through cognitive enhancement by education transmitted through academic courses as well as carrying out research at the cutting-edge frontiers of human knowledge. The Physics department offer courses that are solidly based on the American system to meet international quality assurance requirements, which has placed the Department as a world-class regional center in a leading international institution. Our student body includes pure-physics students and double-major students, which reflects the interdisciplinary nature of our program. In addition, our research facilities span various fields of physics including condensed matter physics, lasers, materials research, magnetism and superconductivity, nuclear physics, and nonlinear and computational physics. Over the past five decades, our faculty members have conducted research using in-house facilities as well as collaborative research with national and international centers.

Mohammad Al-Kuhaili,
Professor & Chairman, Physics Department

Research and Academic Activity Statistics 2021 to 2025

Average Impact Factor Publications​

87

Patents

 9442

Cumulative Citation Count​

525

Publications

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SEMINAR

Engineering Superconductivity and Quantum Magnetism


Speaker:

Dr. Even Thingstad


Date: Monday, September 28th, 2026
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Location: Bldg. 6/Room 125

Abstract:


Controlling and manipulating collective quantum states provides a route toward realizing phenomena that seldom occur in conventional materials. In this talk, I will discuss several examples of how interactions, interfaces, and the surrounding environment can be used to engineer superconductivity and quantum magnetism. First, I will discuss superconductivity in monolayer FeSe on SrTiO₃, where coupling to substrate phonons provides an example of how the environment can drastically modify superconducting properties. In particular, I will discuss how the interplay between substrate phonons, electronic correlations, and unconventional pairing can give rise to strongly enhanced superconductivity. I will then briefly discuss other routes toward engineering quantum states, including superconductivity in transition-metal dichalcogenide heterostructures, the coupling of superconductors to electromagnetic cavities, and the emergence of chiral spin-liquid phases in quantum magnets. These examples illustrate how tailoring interactions and environments can provide new ways of controlling superconducting and magnetic phases of matter.

Biography:


Even Thingstad grew up in Norway, and completed his MSc and PhD in theoretical condensed matter physics at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). He subsequently moved to the University of Basel, Switzerland, as a postdoctoral researcher, working on superconductivity, quantum magnetism, and related problems in quantum materials. In 2026, one month ago, he joined King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) as an Assistant Professor in the Physics Department.

All faculty, researchers and students are invited to attend.

    Location and Time
  • 6/125

  • 28 Sep, 2026

  • 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM