Atomic, molecular and optical physics (AMO) studies the basic nature of atoms, molecules and optics and the fundamental light-matter interactions. The institute of atomic, molecular and optical physics comprises two sub-disciplines, atomic and molecular physics and optics. In 2001, the discipline of atomic and molecular physics was named a “national key research discipline”. In recent years, with the developments of quantum manipulation and precision measurement, such as cold atoms, cold molecules, laser cooling, ion trapping and atomic clock, AMO physics has met the unprecedented opportunities for development. The institute has a group of high level academic leaders and academic backbones in various research areas. There are 17 teachers engaged in scientific research. We have eleven professors (including an academician of the Chinese Academy of Science and two candidates for the “The Thousand Talents Program”), five associate professors and one assistant professor.

Our present research interests include:
- Atomic and molecular clusters theory
- Spectra, dynamics and coherent control in highly excited levels of atoms and molecules
- Atomic and molecular hypersensitive spectroscopy and its application
- Cold atom physics and its related quantum simulation
- Atomic optics and Bose-Einstein condensation
- High resolution negative ion photoelectron spectroscopy
- Molecular spectra and kinetics of ultra violet laser
- Surface plasmons
- Quantum coherence in photonic crystals
- Electromagnetic induced transparency and coherent control in new optical materials
- Nanostructures and nanometers
- Specific materials and their quantum coherence control
- Laser physics
- Nonlinear optics and micro-nano optics and applications
- Biomedical photonics
- Quantum computation with nuclear magnetic resonance, optical microcavity and cold atoms
- Quantum imaging, optical measurement
- Atomic clock and precise measurement