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Topic · Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

Quantum and Classical Electrodynamics

Quantum and Classical Electrodynamics is a research topic within Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics. Science Explorer counts 12k research works in it since 1950. 13.3% of them reached the world's top 10% most cited for their field and year.

This cluster of papers covers the foundations of electromagnetic theory, quantum field theory, and the behavior of light and electromagnetic forces in dielectric media. It explores topics such as momentum of light, radiation pressure, photon mass, gauge invariance, and classical electrodynamics.

  • Electromagnetic Theory
  • Quantum Field Theory
  • Momentum of Light
  • Dielectric Media
  • Radiation Pressure
  • Photon Mass
  • Gauge Invariance
  • Classical Electrodynamics
  • Relativistic Quantum Theory
  • Electromagnetic Forces
Research works
12k
fractional, since 1950
In the world top 10%
1.6k
per year above
Top-10% rate
13.3%
share of its works in the world top 10%
Growth, 2013–17 → 2018–22
-10%
the tick is no change

Which countries lead Quantum and Classical Electrodynamics research?

By volume, the United States and Germany publish the most (175 and 82 works in 2022–2025).

By volume, 2022–2025

  1. 1 United States 175 works
  2. 2 Germany 82 works
  3. 3 China 68 works
  4. 4 Russia 53 works
  5. 5 India 53 works
  6. 6 Brazil 43 works
  7. 7 United Kingdom 41 works
  8. 8 Italy 35 works
  9. 9 France 29 works
  10. 10 Japan 29 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.

United States: 28.9%Germany: 13.5%China: 11.2%Russia: 8.7%6 others listed: 37.7%29%largest
United States175 · 28.9%Germany82 · 13.5%China68 · 11.2%Russia53 · 8.7%6 others listed228 · 37.7%

Shares of the rows listed above, not of the whole node.

Which institutions lead Quantum and Classical Electrodynamics research?

By volume in 2022–2025, OpenAI (United States) publishes the most Quantum and Classical Electrodynamics research, followed by University of Cambridge and Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.

By volume, 2022–2025

  1. 1 OpenAI (United States)United States 11 works
  2. 2 University of CambridgeUnited Kingdom 9 works
  3. 3 Universidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoMexico 7 works
  4. 4 Justus-Liebig-Universität GießenGermany 6 works
  5. 5 Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e MucuriBrazil 6 works
  6. 6 GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion ResearchGermany 6 works
  7. 7 Lomonosov Moscow State UniversityRussia 5 works
  8. 8 University of Koblenz and LandauGermany 5 works
  9. 9 RWTH Aachen UniversityGermany 4 works
  10. 10 Sapienza University of RomeItaly 4 works

Who are the leading researchers in Quantum and Classical Electrodynamics?

The most-cited researchers publishing on Quantum and Classical Electrodynamics include Steven Weinberg.

  1. 1 Steven Weinberg United States 5.1k citations

Ranked by citations received across their whole record, among researchers with at least three works on this topic.

Where is Quantum and Classical Electrodynamics research done?

The largest centres of Quantum and Classical Electrodynamics research in 2022–2025 are Moscow (Russia), Beijing (China), Rome (Italy) and San Francisco (United States). Among places with at least 20 works in it, it is an unusually large share of all research in Moscow.

Largest cities, 2022–2025

  1. 1 Moscow Russia 26 works
  2. 2 Beijing China 18 works
  3. 3 Rome Italy 12 works
  4. 4 San Francisco United States 11 works
  5. 5 Kolkata India 11 works
  6. 6 New York United States 10 works
  7. 7 Paris France 9 works
  8. 8 Cambridge United Kingdom 9 works
  9. 9 Mexico City Mexico 8 works
  10. 10 Tokyo Japan 8 works

Where it is the local speciality

  1. MoscowRU · 26.4 works3.0×
← less than its size predicts1×more →

Location quotient: how much more of its research is in Quantum and Classical Electrodynamics than the world average.

See Quantum and Classical Electrodynamics on the map

Where is the best place to study Quantum and Classical Electrodynamics?

Among universities, judged by research, University of Cambridge 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.

#UniversityScoreTop 10%SpecialisationWorksGrowth
1 University of CambridgeUnited Kingdom 40.05.1%9.8×9 -57.9%

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 Quantum and Classical Electrodynamics research growing?

Output in 2018–2022 was 10% lower than in 2013–2017, peaking in 2026. The fastest-growing topics are Quantum and Classical Electrodynamics.

19801990200020102020
grewheldshrank

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.