HISTORY

The Graduate Program in Physics at the Federal University of Mato Grosso (UFMT) was authorized in 2004. The Master's program in Physics has been in operation since January 1, 2005. The Ph.D. program was authorized in 2015 and has been running since April 4, 2016. The PPG in Physics aims to train qualified professionals capable of developing advanced scientific and technological knowledge, mastering various concepts and methodologies in the areas of Condensed Matter Physics and Theoretical Physics. In this way, the program seeks to prepare students for teaching positions in higher education institutions, conducting high-quality scientific research, and pursuing specialized professional careers.

Currently, the PPG in Physics has 55 (fifty-five) students enrolled in the program, distributed between the Ph.D. and Master's courses. In recent years, it has consolidated a CAPES rating of 4 (four), focusing on high-quality human resource training and the development of basic and applied scientific research. As of May 2023, the Master's program has awarded degrees to 132 (one hundred and thirty-two) students, while the Ph.D. program has conferred degrees to 15 (fifteen) students.

Experimental and theoretical research conducted within the PPG in Physics plays a prominent role, accounting for approximately 90% of all indexed scientific production from the UFMT Institute of Physics. Experimental research groups focus on studying the electro-optical and vibrational properties of crystalline materials, organic materials, ceramics, magnetic materials, vegetable oils, biological materials, perovskites, and photovoltaic cells, among others. Some researchers in both experimental and theoretical groups hold productivity scholarships from CNPq and have expertise in Condensed Matter Physics and Theoretical Physics. The knowledge acquired and experience accumulated over the years have enabled the light scattering research group to invest in and contribute to multi- and interdisciplinary areas, including the study of biological materials, effectively interacting with health sciences experts.

As a result of this accumulated expertise, the experimental group studying organic semiconductors and optical properties of perovskites has been specializing and publishing scientific articles in indexed, high-impact journals. This has also led to the establishment of a collaboration network with key research centers, such as the Nanotechnology and Solar Energy Laboratory and the National Institute of Organic Electronics (INEO).

Theoretical research groups, which include most of the faculty and students in the program, focus on the theoretical description of electronic, optical, magnetic, and transport properties in materials (insulators, conductors, semiconductors, and magnetic materials) and on topics in gravitation, quantum field theory, and mathematical physics. Members of the PPG in Physics have led research groups and coordinated multi-user laboratories that serve researchers from Mato Grosso as well as other institutions across Brazil. The program’s leading researchers participate in cooperative projects (National Institutes) and have experience in developing collaborative research projects and utilizing multi-user equipment.

The program conducts scientific research in the following areas:
1 - Gravitation and Field Theory
2 - Experimental Condensed Matter: Material Preparation and Characterization
3 - Theoretical Condensed Matter
4 - Statistical Mechanics and Quantum Computing

The PPG in Physics is a pioneering initiative in Mato Grosso, aiming primarily to train highly qualified Master's and Ph.D. graduates capable of developing new technologies for the state and the country. The first Master's thesis of the program, titled "Competitive Interactions in Two-Dimensional Magnetic Systems," was defended on February 27, 2007, by Maria Jannaira Bueno, under the supervision of Professor Alberto Sebastião de Arruda. The first Ph.D. dissertation, titled "Mesoscopic Superconductors via Ginzburg-Landau Theory," was defended on December 27, 2020, by Thiago Nunes Jorge, also under Professor Alberto Sebastião de Arruda’s supervision.

An important strategy that contributes to the program's mission and goals is its ongoing effort to strengthen other exact science fields, particularly Chemistry and Engineering. This is an institutional priority at UFMT and across various campuses of Federal Institutes, as a higher level of qualification in these disciplines strengthens faculty in these institutions and enhances education at all levels. The PPG in Physics has already awarded Master's and Ph.D. degrees to several students who are now faculty members at Federal Institutes. Another significant outcome of this qualification process is the potential to foster the creation of new graduate programs at the institutions from which these graduates originate.

The Graduate Program in Physics at UFMT, which received a CAPES rating of 4 (four) in the last evaluation cycle, has been working on implementing research laboratories in a new physical space funded by FINEP. This space will house laboratories for light scattering research (Raman, infrared, and X-ray), electrical measurements, magnetic measurements, computational calculations, and a dedicated space for installing a computing cluster to support computational material simulations within the program. Over the last evaluation cycle, the research equipment available for these research areas has undergone significant expansion. The multi-user equipment is utilized by all experimental research groups affiliated with the PPG in Physics and is also available to researchers and students from other UFMT graduate programs and universities across Mato Grosso.

The program's research activities have a strong interinstitutional character, with significant outreach in the North and Midwest regions, as reflected in its ongoing collaborative projects.

Finally, it is important to highlight that our graduate program is expanding, and maintaining the CAPES rating of 4, or advancing to a rating of 5, requires continuous expansion of laboratories and supporting infrastructure.