The Discipline of  Physics began in the Teaching and Research Office of  Physics, Basic Department established by Xidian University (“XDU”) in the mid-20th century. After experiencing the development stages of  Department of  Physics, Discipline of  Physics of  the School of  Science, Discipline of  Physics of  the School of  Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, the School of  Physics (“the School”) was established in 2022.

The predecessors of  the Discipline of  Physics took the lead in radio physics teaching and scientific research activities in China. XDU is one of  the earliest higher education institutions in China to set up the major of  Radio Physics, and developed the first millimeter wave communication prototype in China. At present, the School has a first-level discipline authorized for doctoral and master’s degrees in physics and a center for post-doctoral studies in physics. There are three undergraduate majors: Applied Physics (the national first-class major under “Double Ten Thousand Plan”), Electronic Information Science and Technology (the national first-class major under “Double Ten Thousand Plan”), and Radio Wave Propagation and Antenna (the national first-class major under “Double Ten Thousand Plan”, and major in short supply with national defense characteristics). It undertakes the construction task of  platform courses, College Physics and Experiment of  College Physics, in the whole university. At present, the School has 1 “Innovation and Talent Introduction Base of  Optoelectronic Information Perception Science and Technology in Complex Environment”, which is a national discipline innovation and talent introduction plan for colleges and universities, 3 provincial experimental teaching demonstration centers, 2 provincial talent training mode innovation pilot sites, 1 demonstration workstation for joint training of  graduate students in Shaanxi Province, 5 provincial excellent resource sharing courses, and a national field observation station: Xi’an Observation Station, the radio wave observation network of  the State Commission of  Science and Technology for National Defense Industry. In recent years, it has won many teaching awards at or above the provincial level, such as the Second Prize of  National Teaching Achievements and the Special Prize of  Teaching Achievements in Shaanxi Province, and won more than 100 national and provincial scientific and technological achievements awards. In 2022, physics will enter the top 1% of  global ESI rankings.

Excellent graduates trained by the School include Wang Zhonglin, a foreign academician of  Chinese Academy of  Sciences and an academician of  Academia Europaea, Wu Xiangping, academician of  Chinese Academy of  Sciences, Yu Quan, academician of  Chinese Academy of  Engineering, and a large number of  industry leaders, technical backbones, dozens of  university leaders and hundreds of  successful entrepreneurs. All of  them have made important contributions to national construction and social progress.

The School of  Physics will focus on the target orientation, balance the research methods of  “theory, experiment and calculation”, give attention to the layout of  theoretical physics, frontier basic physics and applied basic physics, and highlight the layout in strong disciplines and characteristic disciplines. A strong discipline will make a school powerful, so the research of  basic physics problems in the field of  electronic information is the foundation of  a powerful school. A group of  talents will make a school thrive, so we take the introduction and training of  high-end innovative talents as an important starting point for revitalizing the school. Cultivation and education of  innovative talents will make a school stand firm, so we take the teaching of  public courses such as College Physics and Experiment of  College Physics as the foundation of  establishing a school. With the attitude of  opening up and the principle of  “incremental development, driving stock, physics +”, a sustainable and attractive physics discipline is formed in personnel training, scientific research, exchanges and cooperation, etc. We strive to build the School of  Physics into one of  the benchmarks for the development of  physics in domestic engineering colleges.