Louisiana physics institute

In a state that is still recovering from the battering last year by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the formation of the new Horace Hearne Jr Institute for Theoretical Physics at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge takes on special meaning. “It’s encouraging that things are moving ahead at LSU,” says institute co-director Jorge Pullin. LSU was relatively unharmed by the hurricanes, he says, but the state as a whole suffered, and the university’s budget was cut by 5%.

Research at the institute focuses on gravitational physics and quantum technologies such as quantum computing and quantum optics. Some 14 faculty researchers belong to the institute; 4 are in new positions. “The institute brings a new level of international activity and prominence to LSU physics,” says Pullin. Among other activities, the institute will host seminars and conferences and will foster international collaborations.

Hearne, an LSU alumnus with a bachelor’s degree in physics, willed nearly $1.3 million for the establishment of the institute that bears his name. The state provided an additional $800 000.