Report summary

The 2024-2026 picture for Pennsylvania State University Department of Physics is a 22-PI network with 8 internal PI collaborations. The research center of gravity is Physics and Astronomy as the leading field (45% of slots across 17 PIs; 17 labels), Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics as the leading subfield (23% of slots across 11 PIs; 11 labels), and Topological Materials and Phenomena as the leading topic (8% of slots across 5 PIs; 5 labels). That is a thin collaboration pattern, useful for spotting individual pairs but less persuasive as a broad departmental network. The top weighted PIs are Mauricio Terrones (10.2 weighted works; Advanced biosensing and bioanalysis techniques, Electrochemical sensors and biosensors); Zhiqiang Mao (9.6 weighted works; Magnetic and transport properties of perovskites and related materials, Topological Materials and Phenomena). The strongest pairings are Cui‐Zu Chang and Zhiqiang Mao (3 shared works, weight 1.2). The standout breakdown groups are group 1 with 7 PIs, 8 internal connections, weight 4.3, around Materials Chemistry, Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics, Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials, led by Zhiqiang Mao, Cui‐Zu Chang, Binghai Yan.