Wydział Fizyki

On December 16, 1998, the Senate of the Warsaw University of Technology passed a resolution to abolish the Faculty of FTiMS and establish the Faculty of Physics and the Faculty of Mathematics and Information Sciences

Gmach Fizyki (ok. r. 2015)

Rys. 23. Gmach Fizyki (ok. r. 2015)

Pursuant to this resolution, the Building of Physics was completely used by the newly established Faculty of Physics, and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and the Faculty of Geodesy and Cartography left the rooms previously occupied in this building. The Faculty of Physics, on the other hand, left the premises of the former Department C, located in the Building of Chemistry. Since then, the vast majority of the Faculty of Physics is housed in the historic Building of Physics, built in 1899–1901. The Department of Semiconductors and Ionics of Solids, responsible for didactics in the southern area of the University of Technology, are located in the Mechatronics Building. These plants, however, also have their premises in the Building of Physics. Outside the building there is only the Laboratory of Physics in Economics and Social Sciences, which is located in the new, completed in 2012, building of the Faculty of Mathematics and Information Science.

The central part of the ground floor of the Building of Physics is the Neo-Renaissance hall with its cloisters and research laboratories. Leaving the building by the Faculty of Electrical Engineering was associated with the transfer of electrical machines belonging to this faculty from the aforementioned lecture hall to another building of the Polytechnic. In this way, the auditorium regained its representative rank, lost 80 years earlier. For this to happen, it had to be thoroughly renovated, which will be mentioned in later chapters.

On the first floor of the Building of Physics there is the Dean's Office, lecture halls, including the Auditorium of Physics, rooms belonging to scientific departments and the Hall of the Building of Physics. Building of Physics against the background of contemporary Warsaw FACULTY 87 rooms for faculty administration. The second floor is occupied by student laboratories, the Computer Network Center, other rooms of the departments and the library of the Faculty of Physics. On the mezzanine there is the Faculty Council of the Student Government and the Student Physics Club. On the third floor there is a neo-Gothic lecture hall, and above it the Museum of the Faculty of Physics, which was created by the efforts of prof. Włodzimierz Zych (1929–2013). The stairs in the Museum lead to a small room under the dome of the Physics Building, where an antique T. Cooke & Sons telescope from the end of the 19th century is mounted. Outside the dome there is a terrace with a wonderful view of the modern center of Warsaw.

Professor Franciszek Krok, the last director of the Institute of Physics, was elected the first dean of the newly created Faculty of Physics. The official inauguration of the first academic year of the Faculty of Physics took place on October 1, 1999. It was attended by numerous invited guests: the Rector, vice-rectors and deans of the faculties of the Warsaw University of Technology, the dean of the Faculty of Physics at the University of Warsaw, the director of the Institute of Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, the former directors of the Institute of Physics of the Warsaw University of Technology, as well as the former dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Information Sciences and the Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Information Sciences established at the same time. .

The Faculty of Physics of the Warsaw University of Technology was established almost 100 years after the establishment of the Department of Physics, organized by the efforts of prof. Wiktor Biernacki. A century has passed for an independent and independent department to be established. The Institute of Physics existed for nearly 35 years and did very well for the history of physics at the Warsaw University of Technology, as did the Faculty of Technical Physics and Applied Mathematics that existed for 10 years. However, it was only the establishment of the Faculty of Physics - homogeneous in terms of education profile and scientific discipline - that gave full opportunities for further development of physics at the University of Technology. For over a decade, the only field of study offered by the newly created Faculty was Technical Physics, which was so much sought by Professors Wolfke and Szczeniowski in the past. The second direction (Photonics) was introduced later, which will be discussed later. Although the education of physicists "at home" has become the priority goal, the Faculty has not ceased its efforts and commitment to teaching physics at other departments of the University of Technology.

The dean's authorities of the Faculty of Physics in subsequent terms are listed below:

Rys. 24. prof. Franciszek Krok

Rys. 24. prof. Franciszek Krok

1999–2005 (2 terms) 

  • Dean of the Faculty of Physics prof. dr hab. Franciszek Krok
  • Vice-Dean for General Affairs dr hab. Irma Śledzińska
  • Vice-Dean for Science dr hab. Jerzy Garbarczyk, prof. nzw (since 2003 full professor)
  • Vice-Dean for Teaching dr hab. Rajmund Bacewicz, prof. nzw (since 2003 full professor)
  • Vice-Dean for Student Affairs dr hab. Eng. Mirosław Karpierz (since 2003 a professor).
Rys. 25. prof. Rajmund Bacewicz

Rys. 25. prof. Rajmund Bacewicz

2005–2008 

  • Dean of the Faculty of Physics prof. dr hab. Rajmund Bacewicz
  • Vice-Dean for General Affairs dr inż. Piotr Jaśkiewicz
  • Vice-Dean for Science prof. dr hab. Jan Pluta
  • Vice-Dean for Teaching dr hab. Jerzy Jasiński, prof. nzw.
  • Vice-Dean for Student Affairs dr hab. Eng. Andrzej Krawiecki

In the 2005–2008 term, the previous Dean of the Faculty, prof. Franciszek Krok was elected Vice-Rector for Teaching at the Warsaw University of Technology. For the first time in the history of the University, a physicist was elected to the Rector's authorities. This choice was an expression of recognition for the activities of prof. Franciszek Krok as the director of the IF, and then the Dean of the Faculty of Physics, and the recognition expressed by the academic community of the University of Technology towards the achievements of the newly established Faculty. Professor F. Krok was the Vice-Rector for Teaching also for the next term of office, 2008–2012. In 2012, Vice-Rector F. Krok was elected Chairman of the Physics Committee of the Polish Academy of Sciences, and Professor Rajmund Bacewicz became the Secretary of the Committee, which reflected the growing role of physicists from the Warsaw University of Technology in the environment of Polish physicists.

2008–2012 

  • Dean of the Faculty of Physics prof. dr hab. Rajmund Bacewicz
  • Vice-Dean for General Affairs dr inż. Piotr Jaśkiewicz
  • Vice-Dean for Science prof. the so-called dr hab. Andrzej Kołodziejczyk (since 2009 titular professor)
  • Vice-Dean for Teaching dr hab. Eng. Józef Dygas (prof. nzw. since 2011)
  • Vice-Dean for Student Affairs dr hab. Eng. Andrzej Krawiecki

Rajmund Bacewicz (born in 1951) studied at the Faculty of Physics of the University of Warsaw, from which he graduated in 1974 with a specialization in solid state physics. He obtained his doctoral degree at IF PW in 1980 (the supervisor was Prof. R. Trykozko). Also at IF PW in 1991 he received a postdoctoral degree on the basis of a dissertation entitled "Optical properties of materials with potential photovoltaic applications". He received the title of professor of physical sciences in 2003, and the position of full professor in 2007. He promoted 8 doctors of physics. His main area of interest is the physics of triple semiconductors with particular emphasis on photovoltaic materials, and since 2000 also materials with potential spintronic applications. The research methods used are optical spectroscopy and X-ray spectroscopy with the use of synchrotron radiation. In the years 1986–1988 he completed a scientific internship at the Solar Energy Research Institute (USA). In 2011, the Senate of the Warsaw University of Technology awarded the title of doctor honoris causa to the outstanding Polish physicist prof. Andrzej Kajetan Wróblewski from the University of Warsaw. At the ceremonial session of the WUT Senate, the laudation was delivered by prof. Jan Pluta.

Rys. 26. prof. Miroslaw Karpierz

Rys. 26. prof. Mirosław Karpierz

2012-2016 

  • Dean of the Faculty of Physics prof. dr hab. Miroslaw Karpierz
  • Vice-Dean for General Affairs dr inż. Przemysław Duda
  • Vice-Dean for Science prof. dr hab. Andrzej Kołodziejczyk
  • Vice-Dean for Teaching dr hab. Józef Dygas, prof. nzw (since 2015 full professor)
  • Vice-Dean for Student Affairs dr inż. Jerzy Antonowicz.

2016-2020 

  • Dean of the Faculty of Physics prof. dr hab. Miroslaw Karpierz
  • Vice-Dean for General Affairs dr inż. Przemysław Duda
  • Vice-Dean for Science dr hab. Wojciech Wróbel
  • Vice-Dean for Teaching dr hab. Katarzyna Rutkowska
  • Vice-Dean for Student Affairs dr inż. Jerzy Antonowicz.

In the terms of 2012–2020, the previous dean, prof. Rajmund Bacewicz was elected Vice-Rector for Science at WUT, thus extending the “representation” of physics in the University's rector's authorities. The important duties of the new vice-rector include the coordination of activities related to a large, co-financed by the European Union, scientific investment, which is the CEZAMAT Advanced Materials Center. It is a group of modern scientific laboratories in which advanced technologies will be used, focused on the production of structures and new materials of application importance. Initially, the managing staff of the Faculty were graduates of the Faculty of Physics at the University of Warsaw (F. Krok, R. Bacewicz, J. Garbarczyk, I. Śledzińska, J. Pluta, J. Jasiński). Later, the Faculty authorities included graduates of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (A. Kołodziejczyk, J. Dygas, M. Karpierz, A. Krawiecki, P. Duda and J. Antonowicz). Currently, the young research staff are graduates of the Faculty of Physics of the Warsaw University of Technology. Representatives of the Faculty of Physics actively participate in the work of the Senate and Rector's committees of the Warsaw University of Technology, and the deans of the Faculty were and are members of the leading scientific councils.

In 2019, there was a reform of the higher education system in Poland, as a result of which scientific disciplines and organizational units of universities were separated. Inter-faculty Discipline Councils were established with the power to award academic degrees and university-wide doctoral schools to educate young research and teaching staff. The procedures for electing the authorities have also been changed, leaving the general election only in the position of the Rector, who, after consulting the academic community, appoints individual deans.

Rys. 27. dr hab. Wojciech Wróbel, prof. ucz.

Rys. 27. dr hab. Wojciech Wróbel, prof. ucz.

2020-2023 

  • Dean of the Faculty of Physics dr hab. Wojciech Wróbel
  • Vice-Dean for General Affairs dr inż. Przemysław Duda
  • Vice-Dean for Science prof. dr hab. Mariusz Zdrojek
  • Vice-Dean for Teaching dr hab. Katarzyna Rutkowska
  • Vice-Dean for Student Affairs dr inż. Agnieszka Siemion

It is the third time in history that a physicist has joined the university authorities after the end of the term of office of the Dean of the Faculty of Physics. Prof. dr hab. Mirosław Karpierz took over the duties of the Vice-Rector for General Affairs.