University of Latvia

University of Latvia (LU) is the only classical University in Latvia. It was founded in 1919 on the basis of the former Riga Polytechnic (founded in 1862). Since those times LU has provided the higher academic, as well as professional education of high quality and established many research institutions. Now LU has 13 faculties and 31 institutes

Faculty of Physics and Mathematics

The Faculty Physics and Mathematics in collaboration with the Scientific Institutes of University of Latvia provides the higher academic, as well as professional education and carries out research in physics, mathematics, optometry and computer science which corresponds to four departments. Bachelor, Master and Doctor degree are awarded.

Department of Physics

The Department contains 3 Chairs: Chair of Experimental Physics, Chair of Theoretical Physics and Chair of Electrodynamics and Mechanics of Continuous Media. There are established two research laboratories: Training Centre of Computer Sciences and Laboratory of Mathematical Modelling of Environmental and Technological Processes. Faculty of Physics and Mathematics has its own institute – Institute of Atomic Physics and Spectroscopy.

Institute of Atomic Physics and Spectroscopy

The Institute of Atomic Physics and Spectroscopy (ASI) was founded on the basis of two research divisions - the Department of Spectroscopy of the University of Latvia (LU) and the Laboratory of Theoretical Physics of the Institute of Physics of the Academy of Sciences of Latvia (ASL) - within the structure of the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of the LU on the 1st of March, 1994. ASI hosts the Baltic Chapter of SPIE - the International Society for Optical Engineering. Academic staff of the ASI includes 22 scientists, among them - 8 having Dr.hab.phys. degree and - 9 having the Dr.phys. degree.

Research projects of the ASI are granted from the budget of Latvia. It is to be noted that the ASI research grants are among the first priority and prior - supported projects. Activity of the ASI is, in major part, devoted to the fundamental and applied research, such as:

• Atomic physics and spectroscopy (Prof. I.Bersons, Prof. R.Damburgs, Prof. E.Karule, Prof. R.Ferber, Prof.M.Auzinsh, Dr.hab.M.Tamanis);
• Light sources and laser technology (Dr. A.Skudra, Dr. A.Ubelis, Dr.hab. J.Spigulis);
• Optoelectronics and fiber optic technology (Dr.hab. J.Spigulis);
• Atomic physics, photophysics and photochemistry of the polluted atmosphere (Dr. A.Ubelis).
• Stellar spectroscopy (Dr. Laimons Zacs)

The ASI is developing a wide international cooperation with institutes and universities of many counties: with USA – Prof. W.C.Stwalley, the University of Connecticut, Prof. N.Shafer-Ray, the Oklahoma University, with Sweden - Prof. S.Svanberg, the Lund Institute of Technology, Dr. D.Hanstrop, the Chalmers University of Technology, University of Goteborg; with Belgium - Prof. H.Hulsman, the University of Antwerpen; with Germany - Prof. W.Demtroeder and Prof. K.Bergmann, the University of Kaiserslautern; with Prof. J.Burrows, the University of Bremen with Poland - Prof. A.Kapustynska, Prof. P.Kowalczyk, the University of Warsaw; with M.Lomonosow Moscow State University, Faculty of Chemistry - Dr. A.V.Stolyarov; with King’s College London in UK on optoelectronics and medical physics - Prof. A. Rogers and Prof. C. Roberts and with Linkoping University in Sweden on biomedical optics - Prof. A. Oberg.
The researchers of the ASI take an active part in all stages of the academic education process at the University of Latvia by delivering compulsory and optional Bachelor's courses, performing and developing new Master's study programs. Thus, within the framework of science and higher education integration in 1994, there were asserted 3 Master's study programs:

• Laser physics, engineering and spectroscopy;
• Theoretical microphysics (atoms, molecules, nuclei, elementary particles);
• Biomedicine optics and photomedicine

Laboratories and Groups

• Laboratory of Optical Polarization of Molecules (MOLPOL). Head: Prof. R.Ferber.
• Fibre Optics and Optoelectronics Group. Head: Prof. J.Spigulis.
• Laboratory of Theoretical Physics. Head: Prof. E. Karule.
• High Resolution Spectroscopy Group. Head: Prof. I.Bersons.
• Group of Atomic and Atmospheric Physics and Photochemistry. Head: Dr. A.Ubelis.
• Group of Atomic Collisions. Head: Prof. M.Auzinsh.
• Group of Stellar Spectroscopy. Head: Dr. L Zacs.