Institut de Physique Theorique

The Institut de Physique Théorique is a theoretical physics laboratory of the CEA, associated with CNRS, at Gif-sur-Yvette on the Saclay plateau southwest of Paris. It was established in 1963 as the Service de Physique Théorique and remains a specialist research institute rather than a standalone university.

Work concentrates on high-energy theory, statistical physics, condensed matter, and mathematical physics. Graduate researchers take part in institute seminars and collaborate with Université Paris-Saclay and neighboring Saclay laboratories, including the Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques.

Permanent scientific staff number several dozen, joined by postdocs, visitors, and doctoral students from France and abroad. Careers after IPhT are mainly in academic and national-laboratory theoretical physics.

PhD students enroll at a partner university, usually Université Paris-Saclay, and write the thesis under IPhT supervision. Daily life is that of a research campus with rail access to Paris.

In the Grad School Navigator directory, Institut de Physique Theorique lists 1 doctoral program, in physics.