Atomic and Molecular Physics
Atomic and Molecular Physics is a research topic within Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics. Science Explorer counts 69k research works in it since 1950. 21.4% of them reached the world's top 10% most cited for their field and year.
This cluster of papers focuses on the interactions of low-energy electrons with matter and atoms, including the formation of DNA strand breaks, atomic structure, quantum electrodynamics, antihydrogen production, radiative recombination, positron-molecule interactions, soft X-ray laser spectroscopy, electron attachment, and hydrogen-like atoms.
- Low-Energy Electrons
- DNA Strand Breaks
- Atomic Structure
- Quantum Electrodynamics
- Antihydrogen Production
- Radiative Recombination
- Positron-Molecule Interactions
- Soft X-Ray Laser
- Electron Attachment
- Hydrogen-like Atoms
- Research works
- 69k fractional, since 1950
- In the world top 10%
- 15k per year above
- Top-10% rate
- 21.4% share of its works in the world top 10%
- Growth, 2013–17 → 2018–22
- -31% the tick is no change
Which countries lead Atomic and Molecular Physics research?
By volume, the United States and China publish the most (468 and 458 works in 2022–2025).
By volume, 2022–2025
- 1 United States 468 works
- 2 China 458 works
- 3 Russia 263 works
- 4 Germany 236 works
- 5 India 236 works
- 6 France 178 works
- 7 Japan 158 works
- 8 United Kingdom 85 works
- 9 Italy 77 works
- 10 Poland 62 works
How concentrated that is
The same countries as shares of everything the list above accounts for. A node where two countries do two thirds of the work and one spread evenly across twelve read alike as a ranking and not at all alike here.
Shares of the rows listed above, not of the whole node.
Which institutions lead Atomic and Molecular Physics research?
By volume in 2022–2025, GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research publishes the most Atomic and Molecular Physics research, followed by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique.
By volume, 2022–2025
- 1 GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research Germany 30 works
- 2 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill United States 30 works
- 3 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique France 28 works
- 4 Institute of Modern Physics China 26 works
- 5 Chinese Academy of Sciences China 24 works
- 6 Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics Germany 21 works
- 7 St Petersburg University Russia 20 works
- 8 Joint Institute for Nuclear Research Russia 20 works
- 9 Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory United States 20 works
- 10 University of Science and Technology of China China 20 works
Who are the leading researchers in Atomic and Molecular Physics?
The most-cited researchers publishing on Atomic and Molecular Physics include Donald G. Truhlar and C. Leroy.
- 1 Donald G. Truhlar 8.4k citations
- 2 C. Leroy 7.3k citations
Ranked by citations received across their whole record, among researchers with at least three works on this topic.
Where is Atomic and Molecular Physics research done?
The largest centres of Atomic and Molecular Physics research in 2022–2025 are Moscow (Russia), Beijing (China), Paris (France) and Saint Petersburg (Russia). Among places with at least 20 works in it, it is an unusually large share of all research in Dubna, Livermore and Darmstadt.
Largest cities, 2022–2025
Where it is the local speciality
- DubnaRU · 25.2 works88×
- LivermoreUS · 21.9 works29×
- DarmstadtDE · 39.7 works28×
Location quotient: how much more of its research is in Atomic and Molecular Physics than the world average.
Where is the best place to study Atomic and Molecular Physics?
Among universities, judged by research, Université Paris-Saclay, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee and University of Baghdad score highest, combining excellence, specialisation, size, growth and international reach. Research strength is one signal when choosing where to study; it does not measure teaching.
One dot per university in the table below. The upper left is the interesting corner: small places doing unusually strong work.
| # | University | Score | Top 10% | Specialisation | Works | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Université Paris-Saclay France | 65.7 | 19.3% | 10.7× | 12 | +544.4% |
| 2 | Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee India | 57.4 | 23.6% | 10.3× | 13 | +87.2% |
| 3 | University of Baghdad Iraq | 56.0 | 10.1% | 8.8× | 18 | +288.1% |
| 4 | Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz Germany | 53.3 | 26.4% | 11.6× | 10 | +0.3% |
| 5 | Technische Universität Darmstadt Germany | 53.2 | 38.4% | 8.8× | 8 | -7.0% |
| 6 | Michigan State University United States | 52.4 | 41.4% | 5.8× | 12 | +3.6% |
| 7 | St Petersburg University Russia | 52.0 | 8.9% | 14.8× | 20 | +44.3% |
| 8 | University of Notre Dame United States | 51.5 | 29.0% | 9.9× | 9 | +18.5% |
| 9 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill United States | 50.0 | 1.2% | 6.2× | 30 | +211.2% |
| 10 | KU Leuven Belgium | 49.7 | 46.2% | 3.2× | 8 | +66.7% |
Universities only. Score blends excellence (30%), specialisation (25%), size (20%), growth (15%) and international reach (10%), 2015–2022; growth compares 2010–14 with 2015–19.
Is Atomic and Molecular Physics research growing?
Output in 2018–2022 was 31% lower than in 2013–2017, peaking in 2013.
The same series as a ribbon — one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.
Which topics inside it are moving
Growth and decline on one axis around a shared zero. Two lists side by side hide the thing that matters: whether the growth dwarfs the decline, or the other way round.