Coordinator: Prof. Stefano Ragazzi

Deputy coordinator: Prof.ssa Laura D’Alfonso

The PhD Program in Physics and Astronomy is based on the research activities of the Department of Physics “G. Occhialini” at the University of Milano-Bicocca and their strong national and international connections in fundamental research, methodologies, technological developments, and their applications for the benefit of society.

The program is organized into the following research areas:

• Subnuclear Physics
• Theoretical Physics
• Plasma Physics
• Biophysics
• Applied Physics
• Electronics

These areas represent the various branches of physics research in fundamental, technological, and applied domains, within a coherent educational framework. The courses, offered mainly in the first year but also available in later years, aim to broaden PhD students’ knowledge across diverse research fields and introduce them to advanced methodologies and technologies currently used or under development, along with their real and potential applications.

The courses are also designed to strengthen and expand the students’ ability to learn independently, a skill already acquired during their Master’s studies. The program actively involves students in specific research projects carried out by the Department in collaboration with national, international, and industrial institutions, allowing PhD candidates to develop their own research projects independently.

In addition to a coordinated offering of specific courses, the program ensures a constant exposure to cutting-edge topics in Physics through regular talks and seminars, aiming to foster critical thinking and a multidisciplinary approach. Training objectives also include interdisciplinary themes such as research project management and development, research design, funding management, intellectual property and patents, entrepreneurship, as well as social responsibility, ethics, and sustainability.

The PhD program is run in agreement with the INFN (National Institute for Nuclear Physics), with shared training activities in nuclear, subnuclear, astroparticle physics, and fundamental interactions, as well as R&D in related technologies. The INFN section of Milano-Bicocca participates in supervising PhD theses and in teaching specific courses.

The official language of the program is English.

The primary goal of the program is to train individuals with strong scientific, methodological, and/or technological skills capable of conducting innovative and responsible research and/or development activities, either nationally or internationally, in academic institutions, research centers, or industry. Graduates will possess a solid foundation in basic and applied research, technology development, and the transfer of research methodologies to benefit society. They will have enhanced their independent learning abilities and acquired strong project management and initiative-taking skills. PhD graduates will also be prepared to work in research teams or with companies and research groups on national and international levels. They will fully belong to a new generation of researchers with solid knowledge, the ability to acquire and develop new skills, and maintain close collaborations with research institutions and businesses to facilitate knowledge transfer.

PhDs in Physics and Astronomy have career opportunities in academia (both national and international), public and private research institutions, and in industry, particularly in the electronics, IT, biomedical, and energy sectors. In industry, positions often involve R&D or marketing roles in high-tech companies and companies working in applied ICT technologies. There are also excellent career prospects in the advanced service sector, particularly in developing quantitative models for complex systems and data analysis in economics, finance, medicine, geology, and environmental sciences.

Academic career paths include positions in Italian or foreign universities and roles in public or private research centers, both in Physics (e.g., CERN, CNR) and related fields such as biomedical research (e.g., IEO, Mario Negri Institute, IFOM, Besta Institute).

According to 2023 AlmaLaurea surveys on employment outcomes for PhD graduates from cycles 35–36 of the PhD Program in Physics and Astronomy at the University of Milano-Bicocca, results are quite promising: one year after graduation, 92% are employed, with an average job search duration of just 0.8 months. 58% work in the public sector and 42% in the 42% in the private sector in intellectual, scientific and highly specialized professions. 87.5% of PhDs consider the use of the skills acquired with the PhD very effective for the exercise of their work, 12.5% ​​quite (none, little or not at all). Satisfaction for the work done is 8.2 out of 10.

CERN – Luca Malgeri – Senior Scientist, Staff
 

CNRS – Roberto Salerno
 

THALES – Gianluca Aranci – Head of Computing, Mass Memory and DH Products
 

EGO –

To achieve the cultural and professional training objectives, with appropriate attention to Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI), PhD students are encouraged to engage in cultural exchanges with peers and interact with research and industrial communities both nationally and internationally.

To this end, periods of research abroad at academic or research institutions are encouraged, including through co-tutelle agreements, as well as work experience in companies. Exchanges with other PhD students are promoted through seminars held by students themselves as part of the course or doctoral school. Student-initiated initiatives for academic exchange and updates are also encouraged. Attendance at doctoral schools in Italy and abroad is supported, with proper recognition of acquired skills and knowledge. Overall, the program offers a wide range of educational opportunities to enable students to create a learning path that effectively bridges their previous knowledge with their future goals.

The PhD course strengthens and promotes advanced post-graduate training, especially in areas related to Key Enabling Technologies, including through the participation of industrial partners. It contributes to the enhancement of research and dissemination of innovative models for basic and applied research.

The training paths most directly linked to the objectives of the PNRR aim to:

Increase the availability of highly qualified personnel trained in collaboration with companies, who can conduct research and development in both the private and public sectors.
 

Stimulate the demand for innovation and highly qualified human capital from the industrial sector, making use of existing scientific and technological knowledge.
 

Address structural challenges in Italy's technology transfer system by promoting the integration of research results into the production system, including through patents, commercial agreements, and the creation of new enterprises.

The doctoral projects relating to the scholarships co-financed under Ministerial Decrees 352 (2022), 117 (2023), 630 (2024) are part of the action relating to innovative doctorates that respond to the innovation needs of companies and promote the hiring of researchers by companies in the PNRR and in particular the EU Target M4C1 and 2. The projects respond to the innovation needs of the following companies:

• Air Clean S.r.l. (Study of non-thermal plasmas for the treatment of volatile organic substances)
• Divertor Tokamak Test Facility – DTT (Development of a time of flight neutron spectrometer for the Divertor Tokamak Test device)
• Fondazione Bruno Kessler (Development and microfabrication of superconducting quantum devices in 2023- and Development of cryogenic Silicon Photomultipliers for fundamental and applied physics in 2024)
• ENI S.p.A (Nuclear techniques for fast particle diagnostics in SPARC tokamak plasmas and Nuclear techniques for determining fusion power in the SPARC tokamak).
• Società Specto S.r.l. (Brillouin spectroscopy for the analysis of mechanical properties of biological samples)

PhD students will work for a minimum of 6 months at companies, carrying out specific training and educational paths in the company both on technical-scientific topics and on transversal company topics.

In the case of AirClean, for example, a leader in Italy in the production of systems for the management of gases and fumes emitted in production processes, the subject of the doctoral research concerns the development and validation of a combined system for the abatement of fumes, based in particular on the use of a new technology for air purification, which has low energy costs, low environmental impact and which can, in synergy with a bio-filter, improve its efficiency. The themes inherent to the project specifically concern the PNRR missions relating to GREEN REVOLUTION AND ECOLOGICAL TRANSITION (M2C4 - protection of the territory and water resources) and M4C2 from research to business.

PhD Student List, Supervisors, and Scholarship Types

All students must read the PhD School Handbook and the Handbook for International Students.

Teaching activities are managed through the program's e-learning portal.

Academic Board Composition

Document: Vademecum_PhD_Physics_And_Astronomy_2025

Coordinator: Prof. Stefano Ragazzi
Deputy Coordinator: Prof. Laura D'Alfonso
PhD School Secretariat: dottorati@unimib.it
PhD in Physics and Astronomy Secretariat: Dr. Francesca Marina Centrone (currently on leave)