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Subfield · Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

Top Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics Research Institutions

Massachusetts Institute of Technology ranks first in 2022–2025, out of 565 ranked institutions.

Composite score: field-normalised excellence, output and total citations weighted 50 / 30 / 20, each as a percentile so no single heavy-tailed measure dominates. Floor: 40 fractional works in this field.

Ranked by research quality, 2022–2025

#InstitutionScoreTop-10% rateWorksCitationsAll time
1 Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyUnited States · Cambridge 100.0 35.4% 424 7k#1
2 Tsinghua UniversityChina · Beijing 89.1 23.3% 777 7.9k#51
3 Chinese Academy of SciencesChina · Beijing 82.7 17.4% 1.4k 11k#45
4 California Institute of TechnologyUnited States · Pasadena 78.1 30.1% 332 4.4k#4
5 University of Science and Technology of ChinaChina · Hefei 74.6 20.5% 815 7.2k#69
6 University of Chinese Academy of SciencesChina · Beijing 71.7 18.3% 1k 8.2k—
7 ETH ZurichSwitzerland · Zurich 69.3 28.8% 471 5.4k#18
8 Princeton UniversityUnited States · Princeton 67.2 35.0% 290 4.4k#8
9 Harvard UniversityUnited States · Cambridge 65.3 38.4% 225 4.4k#5
10 Centre National de la Recherche ScientifiqueFrance · Paris 63.7 16.4% 1k 7.5k#11
11 Stanford UniversityUnited States · Stanford 62.2 28.0% 388 4.8k#2
12 Peking UniversityChina · Beijing 60.8 20.5% 648 5.4k#90
13 The University of TokyoJapan · Tokyo 59.5 18.3% 755 5.4k#15
14 Beihang UniversityChina · Beijing 58.4 21.6% 619 5.1k—
15 Beijing Institute of TechnologyChina · Beijing 57.3 20.9% 457 4k—
16 National University of SingaporeSingapore · Singapore 56.2 26.3% 320 3.8k#78
17 Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyChina · Wuhan 55.3 18.7% 613 5k—
18 University of OxfordUnited Kingdom · Oxford 54.4 25.2% 298 2.9k#23
19 École Polytechnique Fédérale de LausanneSwitzerland · Lausanne 53.5 25.7% 358 3.8k#31
20 Zhejiang UniversityChina · Hangzhou 52.7 19.3% 596 4.8k—
21 Nanyang Technological UniversitySingapore · Singapore 52.0 24.9% 278 3.2k—
22 University of California, BerkeleyUnited States · Berkeley 51.2 27.2% 308 3.6k#3
23 Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityChina · Shanghai 50.5 19.4% 602 4.5k—
24 National Institute for Materials ScienceJapan · Tsukuba 49.8 20.6% 290 3.9k—
25 University of California, Santa BarbaraUnited States · Santa Barbara 49.2 26.5% 229 3.1k#7
26 Nanjing UniversityChina · Nanjing 48.6 21.3% 419 4.2k—
27 Hefei UniversityChina · Hefei 48.0 31.3% 261 2.1k—
28 University of Colorado BoulderUnited States · Boulder 47.4 25.9% 263 2.7k#22
29 University of CambridgeUnited Kingdom · Cambridge 46.9 24.0% 296 2.8k#19
30 National Institute of Standards and TechnologyUnited States · Gaithersburg 46.3 20.4% 290 2.7k#6
31 University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignUnited States · Urbana 45.8 22.8% 320 2.7k#12
32 Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryUnited States · Berkeley 45.3 29.1% 240 3.1k#13
33 Columbia UniversityUnited States · New York 44.8 28.7% 173 2.5k#25
34 Yale UniversityUnited States · New Haven 44.4 31.6% 203 2.6k#20
35 University of ChicagoUnited States · Chicago 43.9 31.6% 227 2.7k#17
36 University of California San DiegoUnited States · San Diego 43.4 29.8% 213 2.7k#34
37 Fudan UniversityChina · Shanghai 43.0 21.0% 360 3.1k—
38 Wuhan UniversityChina · Wuhan 42.6 27.8% 235 2.6k—
39 Sun Yat-sen UniversityChina · Guangzhou 42.2 20.1% 426 3.7k—
40 Southern University of Science and TechnologyChina · Shenzhen 41.8 23.5% 272 2.9k—
41 Kyoto UniversityJapan · Kyoto 41.4 19.6% 346 2.9k#65
42 Weizmann Institute of ScienceIsrael · Rehovot 41.0 28.7% 214 2.6k#38
43 University of Hong KongHong Kong · Pok Fu Lam 40.6 29.0% 213 2.5k—
44 Beijing Academy of Quantum Information SciencesChina · Beijing 40.3 28.7% 198 2.4k—
45 Hong Kong University of Science and TechnologyHong Kong · Hong Kong 39.9 27.8% 172 2.1k—
46 Pennsylvania State UniversityUnited States · State College 39.6 20.1% 216 2.2k#39
47 University of Maryland, College ParkUnited States · College Park 39.2 23.7% 278 2.6k#28
48 National University of Defense TechnologyChina · Changsha 38.9 13.5% 534 3k—
49 Shanxi UniversityChina · Taiyuan 38.6 18.6% 322 2.4k—
50 Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced MicrostructuresChina · Nanjing 38.3 28.1% 198 2.6k—
51 Institute of PhysicsChina · Beijing 38.0 25.3% 203 2.4k—
52 University of WashingtonUnited States · Seattle 37.6 28.1% 206 2.3k#43
53 Delft University of TechnologyNetherlands · Delft 37.3 26.0% 231 2.5k#41
54 University of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChina · Chengdu 37.1 8.5% 736 3.1k—
55 Shenzhen UniversityChina · Shenzhen 36.8 16.4% 384 2.8k—
56 Nanjing University of Posts and TelecommunicationsChina · Nanjing 36.5 13.3% 330 2.3k—
57 Xi'an Jiaotong UniversityChina · Xi'an 36.2 14.7% 570 3.4k—
58 Universität InnsbruckAustria · Innsbruck 35.9 30.0% 152 2.1k#55
59 Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenGermany · Munich 35.7 26.9% 168 1.8k#48
60 Nankai UniversityChina · Tianjin 35.4 18.7% 276 2.3k—
61 Harbin Institute of TechnologyChina · Harbin 35.1 13.4% 436 3.2k—
62 University of MichiganUnited States · Ann Arbor 34.9 20.0% 277 2.3k#21
63 Purdue University West LafayetteUnited States · West Lafayette 34.6 16.9% 325 2.3k#44
64 Tel Aviv UniversityIsrael · Tel Aviv 34.4 19.8% 247 1.8k#68
65 Cornell UniversityUnited States · Ithaca 34.1 21.9% 208 2.1k#9
66 Munich Center for Quantum Science and TechnologyGermany · Munich 33.9 42.5% 116 1.9k—
67 Imperial College LondonUnited Kingdom · London 33.6 19.2% 242 2k#30
68 Hunan UniversityChina · Changsha 33.4 22.5% 216 2.3k—
69 University of RochesterUnited States · Rochester 33.2 21.2% 234 1.8k#29
70 Technion – Israel Institute of TechnologyIsrael · Haifa 33.0 13.3% 264 1.6k#83
71 University of California, Los AngelesUnited States · Los Angeles 32.7 18.9% 236 1.7k#32
72 Tianjin UniversityChina · Tianjin 32.5 11.9% 402 2.6k—
73 Shandong UniversityChina · Jinan 32.3 16.0% 373 2.8k—
74 Tohoku UniversityJapan · Sendai 32.1 11.6% 377 2.1k#61
75 Technical University of MunichGermany · Munich 31.9 22.4% 234 1.8k#49
76 South China Normal UniversityChina · Guangzhou 31.7 20.5% 311 2.5k—
77 Université Paris-SaclayFrance · Gif-sur-Yvette 31.5 18.3% 268 1.9k—
78 Johannes Gutenberg University MainzGermany · Mainz 31.2 33.8% 113 1.5k—
79 South China University of TechnologyChina · Guangzhou 31.0 20.1% 252 2.1k—
80 University College LondonUnited Kingdom · London 30.8 19.7% 234 2k#88
81 Southeast UniversityChina · Nanjing 30.7 13.7% 300 2k—
82 East China Normal UniversityChina · Shanghai 30.5 17.9% 254 1.9k—
83 Karlsruhe Institute of TechnologyGermany · Karlsruhe 30.3 18.1% 227 1.6k#71
84 Max Planck Institute of Quantum OpticsGermany · Garching 30.1 35.6% 102 1.4k#24
85 University of Wisconsin–MadisonUnited States · Madison 29.9 25.4% 186 1.8k#52
86 Universität HamburgGermany · Hamburg 29.7 22.6% 181 1.6k#73
87 Beijing University of Posts and TelecommunicationsChina · Beijing 29.5 12.3% 315 2k—
88 Uppsala UniversitySweden · Uppsala 29.3 26.9% 147 1.4k—
89 The University of Texas at AustinUnited States · Austin 29.2 18.3% 208 1.6k#27
90 University of Shanghai for Science and TechnologyChina · Shanghai 29.0 17.7% 208 1.5k—
91 Duke UniversityUnited States · Durham 28.8 26.5% 131 1.4k#93
92 Tongji UniversityChina · Shanghai 28.6 20.8% 197 1.7k—
93 Freie Universität BerlinGermany · Berlin 28.5 27.2% 125 1.4k#80
94 Korea Advanced Institute of Science and TechnologySouth Korea · Daejeon 28.3 16.0% 252 1.9k—
95 Flatiron Health (United States)United States · New York 28.1 44.0% 65 1.4k—
96 Sorbonne UniversitéFrance · Paris 28.0 18.2% 197 1.5k#91
97 Los Alamos National LaboratoryUnited States · Los Alamos 27.8 18.1% 252 1.9k#16
98 University of GenevaSwitzerland · Geneva 27.6 32.7% 116 3k#79
99 Stony Brook UniversityUnited States · Stony Brook 27.5 26.4% 132 1.3k—
100 Northwestern UniversityUnited States · Evanston 27.3 21.4% 145 1.5k#53

institutions ranked worldwide in Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics (565). rank on the composite score within the stated pool. The score track runs 0 to 100; the rate track carries no world mark, because the world rate differs by field.

How spread out this pool is

Every row above on one axis — one tick each, right is a higher score. A field where the top few are far clear of everyone and one that runs down evenly look identical as a table.

27 – 31: 21 places31 – 35: 16 places35 – 38: 13 places38 – 42: 11 places42 – 45: 8 places45 – 49: 6 places49 – 53: 6 places53 – 56: 4 places56 – 60: 3 places60 – 64: 3 places64 – 67: 2 places67 – 71: 1 places71 – 75: 1 places75 – 78: 2 places78 – 82: 0 places82 – 85: 1 places85 – 89: 1 places89 – 93: 0 places93 – 96: 0 places96 – 100: 1 places27100

One bar per band of score, counting the rows on this page.

Ranked by volume, 2022–2025

  1. 1 Chinese Academy of SciencesChina 1.4k works
  2. 2 University of Chinese Academy of SciencesChina 1k works
  3. 3 Centre National de la Recherche ScientifiqueFrance 1k works
  4. 4 University of Science and Technology of ChinaChina 815 works
  5. 5 Tsinghua UniversityChina 777 works
  6. 6 The University of TokyoJapan 755 works
  7. 7 University of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChina 736 works
  8. 8 Peking UniversityChina 648 works
  9. 9 Beihang UniversityChina 619 works
  10. 10 Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyChina 613 works
  11. 11 Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityChina 602 works
  12. 12 Zhejiang UniversityChina 596 works
  13. 13 Xi'an Jiaotong UniversityChina 570 works
  14. 14 National University of Defense TechnologyChina 533 works
  15. 15 Lomonosov Moscow State UniversityRussia 495 works

Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics by country