Research

 

 

 

Research

The Department of Applied Physics integrates fundamental science with applied research to address critical challenges in energy, materials, optics, and other allied fields. Faculty members are engaged in multidisciplinary projects that advance knowledge, foster innovation, and contribute directly to Pakistan’s technological and industrial development.

Research in renewable energy through Renewable Energy research Lab (RERL) focuses on technologies that support Pakistan’s transition toward sustainability. Key areas include, but not limited to, wind energy resource assessment, GIS-based energy modeling, tidal energy, waste-to-energy, smart grid systems.

Faculty members are actively engaged in advanced materials research in Nanoscale Synthesis & Research Laboratory (NSRL), emphasizing next-generation applications like 2D materials, topological materials, composite materials and thin films.

Research in optics and related systems supports technological advancement in communication, sensing, and energy applications for electro-optical & electro-mechanical systems and thermal optics.

Through these research domains, the Department of Applied Physics contributes to advancing scientific knowledge, developing indigenous technologies, and training skilled professionals capable of addressing Pakistan’s industrial, academic, and societal needs.

 

List of Publications:

  • Faisal Ghazanfar, Zeeshan A. Nayyar, Abid Karim, Muhammad Saeed, Arif Karim, Mujahid Hussain. 2025. The Industrial Transitions and their Impact on Wind Solar Hybrid Power Generation with Inference Model Approach. Pakistan Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research Series A: Physical Sciences. DOP: March 10, 2025. Vol. 68 (1). 71-78. HEC Category ‘Y’ Journal.
  • Zia ur Rehman, Zahir Muhammad, et al. "Electronic structure investigation and anisotropic phonon anharmonicity in ternary ZrGeTe4 single crystals." Applied Physics Letters 125.14 (2024). Impact Factor: 4.0
  • Zahir Muhammad, Zia ur Rehman, et. al. “Signature of phonon anharmonicity in highly in-plane anisotropic ternary HfGeTe4 single crystals”, Appl. Phys. Lett. (2024), Doi: 10.1063/5.0191461, Impact Factor: 4.0
  • 978-3-031-15548-2. eISBN: 978-3-031-15549-9. Springer Cham. Switzerland. 287-310. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-15549-9. (Book Chapter)
  • Nayyer A. Zaigham, Omar S. Aburizaiza, Zeeshan A. Nayyar, Gohar A. Mahar, M. Abbas. 2022. Neo-Hydro-Tectonic Assessment of As-Sabaya Island Emerged in Southern Saudi Arabian Red Sea Offshore Region. International Journal of Water Resources and Arid Environments. DOP: January 2022. Vol. 11 (1). 27-42. ISSN: 2079-7079. UoK BASR Recognize Journal.
  • Sheng Wang, Zia ur Rehman, Zhenfeng Liu, Li Song, Zhe Sun. “Tailoring of bandgap and spin-orbit in ZrSe2 with low substitution of Ti for Zr”, Chinese Physics Letters (2022), DOI: 10.1088/0256-307X/39/7/077102. Impact Factor: 2.3
  • Hannan, Abdul, Adnan Khalil, Muhammad Habib, Zia ur Rehman, Abdul Ghafar Wattoo, Muhammad Yousaf, Hamza Naeem, Imen Kebaili, Hussein Alrobei, and Meshal Alzaid. "Ferromagnetic Properties of Ni9S8/MoS2 Hybrid Structure." Journal of Superconductivity and Novel Magnetism (2022): 1-7.  Impact Factor: 1.87
  • Nayyer A. Zaigham, Gohar A. Mahar, Omar S. Aburizaiza, Zeeshan A. Nayyar. 2022. Strategic management of flood water can ensure food security in desertic east‑region of Medina, Saudi Arabia. Arabian Journal of Geosciences. DOP: July 06, 2022. Vol. 15. 1258. DOI: 10.1007/s12517-022-10553-0. Impact Factor:1.827.
  • Ahmed Ali, Zeeshan A. Nayyar. 2021. A Modified Built-up Index (MBI) for Automatic Urban Area Extraction from Landsat 8 Imagery. Infrared Physics and Technology. DOP: August 2021. Vol. 116. 103769. DOI: 10.1016/j.infrared.2021.103769. Impact Factor: 2.997.
  • Nayyer A. Zaigham, Gohar A. Mahar, Omar S. Aburizaiza, Zeeshan A. Nayyar. 2021. Historical flood imprints reveal factors causing catastrophic impacts on modern Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: a case of flash floods versus rapid urbanization. Arabian Journal of Geosciences. DOP: February 19, 2021. Vol. 14. 342. DOI: 10.1007/s12517-021-06703-5. Impact Factor:1.827.
  • Nayyer A. Zaigham, Tanveer Alam, Gohar A. Mahar, Zeeshan A. Nayyar. 2021. Dust storms Add in Blooming of Phytoplankton, Tiny Wanderer Plants as Food-Chain, Over Arabian Sea: A Research Study based on Temporal Satellite Images. Pakistan Journal of Botany. Vol. 53(4). DOI: 10.30848/PJB2021-4(8). Impact Factor: 1.101.
  • Ahmed Ali, Zeeshan A. Nayyar. 2020. Extraction of Mangrove Forest through Landsat 8 Mangrove Index (L8MI). Arabian Journal of Geosciences. DOP: October 22, 2020. Vol. 13. 1132. DOI: 10.1007/s12517-020-06138-4. Impact Factor:1.827.
  • Nayyer A. Zaigham, Omar S. Aburizaiza, Gohar A. Mahar, Zeeshan A. Nayyar. 2020. Hydrogeologic Assessment for Groundwater Prospects in Al-Abwa Drainage Basin, Arid-Terrain of Arabian Shield, Saudi Arabian Red Sea Coastal-Belt. Arabian Journal of Geosciences. DOP: May 16, 2020. Vol. 13. 270. DOI: 10.1007/s12517-020-05367-x. Impact Factor:1.827.
  • Zeeshan A. Nayyar, Ahmed Ali. 2020. Roughness Classification Utilizing Remote Sensing Techniques for Wind Resource Assessment. Renewable Energy. DOP: April 2020. Vol. 149. 66-79. DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2019.12.044. Impact Factor: 8.634.
  • Guo, He, Wen Zhu, Zia ur Rehman, ChuanQiang Wu, Shuangming Chen, and Li Song. "Ternary MoSe2xTe2-2x Alloy with Tunable Band Gap for Electronic and Optoelectronic Transistors." Nanotechnology (2020). Impact Factor: 3.96
  • Adam, Mukhtar Lawan, OyawaleAdetunji Moses, Zia ur Rehman, Zhanfeng Liu, Li Song, and Xiaojun Wu. "Band gap engineering of monolayer ZrGeTe4 via strain: A first-principles study." Materials Chemistry and Physics (2020): 123308. Impact Factor: 4.78
  • Zeeshan A. Nayyar, Nayyer A. Zaigham, Nadeem Mahmood, Muhammad Saeed, Ahmed Ali, Nazia Sadiq. 2019. Review of Available Barriers to the Wind Energy Development Activities in the Coastal Areas of Pakistan. Sukkur IBA Journal of Computing and Mathematical Sciences. DOP: September 13, 2019. Vol 3(1). 58-62. DOI: 10.30537/sjcms.v3i1.321. HEC Category ‘Y’ Journal.
  • Ahmed Ali, Zeeshan A. Nayyar. 2019. Utilization of Advanced Slope based Indexing Technique (ASIT) for the extraction of Built-up land. International Journal of Remote Sensing. DOP: February 27, 2019. Vol. 40(15). 5992-6007. DOI: 10.1080/01431161.2019.1585592. Impact Factor: 3.531.
  • Muhammad, Zahir, Bo Zhang, HaifengLv, Huan Shan, Zia Ur Rehman, Shuangming Chen, Zhe Sun, Xiaojun Wu, Aidi Zhao, and Li Song. "Transition from Semimetal to Semiconductor in ZrTe2 Induced by Se Substitution." ACS nano 14, no. 1 (2019): 835-841. Impact Factor: 18.03
  • Chuanqiang Wu, Dongdong Li, Shiqing Ding, Zia ur Rehman, Qin Liu, Shuangming Chen, Bo Zhang, and Li Song. "Monoatomic Platinum Anchored Metallic MoS2: Correlation between Surface Dopant and Hydrogen Evolution." The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters (2019). Impact Factor: 6.89
  • Zia ur Rehman, Sheng Wang, Mukhtar Adam Lawan, Shah Zareen, Oyawale Adetunji Moses, Wen Zhu, Xiaojun Wu, Zhe Sun, and Li Song “Band structure tailoring in ZrSe2 single crystals via trace Rhenium intercalation” Appl. Phys. Lett. 115, 213102 (2019); doi: 10.1063/1.5115280.   Impact Factor: 4.0
  • Zia ur Rehman, Wen Zhu, Sheng Wang, YijieNiu, Zahir Muhammad, Oyawale Adetunji Moses, Chuanqiang Wu, Muhammad Habib, Shuangming Chen, Xiaojun Wu, Zhe Sun, Pulickel M. Ajayan, and Li Song. "Selective Selenium-Substituted Metallic MoTe2 Towards Ternary Atomic Layers with Tunable Semiconducting Character." The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 123(2019): 24927-24933, DOI:10.1021/acs.jpcc.9b06881.  Impact Factor: 4.2
  • Zia ur Rehman, Muhammad, Zahir, Oyawale Adetunji Moses, Wen Zhu, Chuanqiang Wu, Qun He, Muhammad Habib and Li Song. "Magnetic Isotropy/Anisotropy in Layered Metal Phosphorous Trichalcogenide MPS3 (M= Mn, Fe) Single Crystals." Micromachines9.6 (2018): 292.  Impact Factor: 3.53
  • Qun He, HuiXie, Zia ur Rehman, Changda Wang, Ping Wan, Hongliang Jiang, Wangsheng Chu, and Li Song. "Highly defective Fe-based oxyhydroxides from electrochemical reconstruction for efficient oxygen evolution catalysis." ACS Energy Letters 3 (2018): 861-868. Impact Factor: 23.99
  • Oyawale, A. M., Malik Ihsanullah Khan, Qi Feng, Qin Liu, Zia ur Rehman, Youkui Zhang, Cao Deng Feng, Yinchu Ma, XinFeng Tang, Chuanqiang Wu, MukhtarLawan Adam, Dake Huang, Hang Liu and Li Song. "PVP intercalated metallic WSe2 as NIR photothermal agents for efficient tumor ablation." Nanotechnology 30 (2018): 065102. Impact Factor: 3.96
  • Muhammad, Zahir, Faiz Wali, and Zia ur Rehman. "Optical filters for linearly polarized light using sculptured nematic thin flim of TiO2." Materials Research Express (2018). Impact Factor: 2.03
  • Zhu Jiadi, Yuchao Yang, RundongJia, Zhongxin Liang, Wen Zhu, Zia ur Rehman, Lin Bao, Xiaoxian Zhang, YimaoCai, Li Song and Ru Huang. "Ion gated synaptic transistors based on 2D van der Waals crystals with tunable diffusive dynamics." Advanced Materials 30 (2018): 1800195. Impact Factor: 32.09
  • Daobin Liu, Shiqing Ding, Chuanqiang Wu, Wei Gan, Changda Wang, Dengfeng Cao, Zia ur Rehman, Yuan Sang, Shuangming Chen, XushengZheng, Yu Wang, Binghui Ge and Li Song. "Synergistic effect of an atomically dual-metal doped catalyst for highly efficient oxygen evolution." Journal of Materials Chemistry A 6(2018): 6840-6846. Impact Factor: 14.51
  • Daobin Liu, Chuanqiang Wu, Shuangming Chen, Shiqing Ding, YaofengXie, Changda Wang, Tao Wang, Yasir A. Haleem, Zia ur Rehman, Yuan Sang, Qin Liu, Xusheng Zheng, Yu Wang, BinghuiGe, HangxunXu, and Li Song. "In situ trapped high-density single metal atoms within graphene: Iron-containing hybrids as representatives for efficient oxygen reduction." Nano Research 11 (2018): 2217-2228. Impact Factor: 10.27
  • Muhammad Habib, Zahir Muhammad, Rashid Khan, Chuanqiang Wu, Zia ur Rehman, Yu Zhou, Hengjie Liu, and Li Song. "Ferromagnetism in CVT grown tungsten diselenide single crystals with nickel doping." Nanotechnology 29 (2018): 115701. Impact Factor: 3.953
  • Zahir Muhammad, Kejun Mu, HaifengLv, Chuanqiang Wu, Zia ur Rehman, Muhammad Habib, Zhe Sun, Xiaojun Wu, and Li Song. "Electron doping induced semiconductor to metal transitions in ZrSe2 layers via copper atomic intercalation." Nano Research 11 (2018): 4914-4922. Impact Factor: 10.27
  • Zahir Muhammad, HaifengLv, Chuanqiang Wu, Muhammad Habib, Zia ur Rehman, Rashid Khan, Shuangming Chen, Xiaojun Wu, and Li Song. "Room temperature ferromagnetism in Fe-doped semiconductor ZrS2 single crystals." Materials Research Express 5 (2018): 046110. Impact Factor: 2.03
  • Nayyer A. Zaigham, Omar S. Aburizaiza, Gohar A. Mahar, Zeeshan A. Nayyar, Naseer A-Amri. 2017. Satellite Remote Sensing Analyses for Hydrogeological Assessment of Rabigh Drainage Basin, Red Sea Coast, Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Water Resources and Arid Environments. DOP: April 2017. Vol. 6(1). 1-12. ISSN: 2079-7079. UoK BASR Recognize Journal.
  • Muhammad Habib, Adnan Khalil, Zahir Muhammad, Rashid Khan, Changda Wang, Zia ur Rehman, Hafiz Tariq Masood, WeiyuXu, Hengjie Liu, Wei Gan, Chuanqiang Wu, Haiping Chen, and Li Song. "WX2 (X= S, Se) Single Crystals: A Highly Stable Material for Supercapacitor Applications." Electrochimica Acta 258 (2017): 71-79. Impact Factor: 7.34
  • Rashid Khan, Muhammad Habib, Mohammed A Gondal, Adnan Khalil, Zia ur Rehman, Zahir Muhammad, Yasir A. Haleem, Changda Wang, Chuanqiang Wu, and Li Song. "Facile synthesis of CuFe2O4–Fe2O3 composite for high-performance supercapacitor electrode applications." Materials Research Express 4 (2017): 105501. Impact Factor: 2.03
  • Adnan Khalil, Qin Liu, Zahir Muhammad, Muhammad Habib, Rashid Khan, Qun He, Qi Feng, Hafiz Tariq Masood, Zia ur Rehman, Ting Xiang, Chuanqiang Wu, and Li Song. "Synthesis of Ni9S8/MoS2 heterocatalyst for enhanced hydrogen evolution reaction." Langmuir 33 (2017): 5148-5153 Impact Factor: 4.33
  • Xingbo Wang, Weifeng Huang, Shi Tao, HuiXie, Chuanqiang Wu, Zhen Yu, XiaozhiSu, Jiaxin Qi, Zia ur Rehman, Li Song, Guobin Zhang, Wangsheng Chu, ShiqiangWei. "Attainable high capacity in Li-excess Li-Ni-Ru-O rock-salt cathode for lithiumion battery." Journal of Power Sources 359 (2017): 270-276. Impact Factor: 9.8
  • Haiping Chen, Zehao Ma, Yanjie Shao, Zia ur Rehman, Ke Zhang, Qun He and Li Song. "Angle-/temperature-dependence of Raman scattering in layered NbSe3 crystal." AIP Advances7 (2017): 095316. Impact Factor: 1.7.
  • Zia ur Rehman, Wen Zhu, Peng Wu, and Li Song “Solid State Synthesis of Two-dimensional Layered Crystals”, Inorganic Two-dimensional Nanomaterials, (Royal Society of Chemistry 2017), ISBN: 978-1-78262-465-3. (Book Chapter)
  • Nayyer A. Zaigham, Omar S. Aburizaiza, Gohar A. Mahar, Zeeshan A. Nayyar, Azhar Siddique. 2015. Watershed analysis of Rabigh drainage basin, Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Water Resources and Arid Environments. DOP: October 2015. Vol. 4(2). 138-145. ISSN: 2079-7079. UoK BASR Recognize Journal.
  • Zia ur Rehman, Ali, S. Rizwan, Humeira Hafeez. "Rod Like ZnO Nanoparticles Synthesized by Simple Cost-Effective Chemical Route”, Journal of Basic & Applied Sciences 11(2015): 17-19.
  • Ali, S. Rizwan, M. Naeem, S. Imran Ali, Sajida Azam, S. Naseem Shah, Zia ur Rehman, and S. Masood Raza. “Synthesis and Structural Studies on MgO Nanoparticles Suitable for Tunnel Barrier Applications.” Journal of Basic & Applied Sciences 11(2015): 645-648.
  • Ambreen Insaf, Mirza S. Baig, Zeeshan A. Nayyar, Mirza Aman Baig. 2014. Techniques to identify and test PCB faults with proposed solution. Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences. DOP: December 18, 2014. Vol. 10. 532-536. DOI: 10.6000/1927-5129.2014.10.71. HEC Category ‘Y’ Journal.
  • Zeeshan A. Nayyar, Nayyer A. Zaigham. 2014. Satellite Image Identification of Wind Channels to Delineate Wind Energy Generation Sites in Pakistan. Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences. DOP: August 11, 2014. Vol. 10. 344-348. DOI: 10.6000/1927-5129.2014.10.45. HEC Category ‘Y’ Journal.
  • Zeeshan A. Nayyar, Nayyer A. Zaigham, Abdul Qadeer. 2014. Assessment of Present Conventional and Non-Conventional Energy Scenario of Pakistan. Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews. DOP: March 2014. Vol. 31. 543-553. DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2013.12.049. Impact Factor: 16.799.
  • Sumayya Saied, Erum Zahir, Zeeshan A. Nayyar, Nayyer A. Zaigham, Azhar Siddique. 2014. Speciation and Geospatial Analysis of Disinfection Byproducts in Urban Drinking Water. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology. DOP: May 4, 2013. Vol 11(3). 739-746. DOI: 10.1007/s13762-013-0277-1. Impact Factor: 3.519.
  • Nayyer A. Zaigham, Omar S. Aburizaiza, Zeeshan A. Nayyar, Gohar A. Mahar, Azhar Siddique. 2013. Salt-Tectonics Plays Major Role in Contributing High Seawater Salinity in Arabian/persian Gulf: A Constant Constrain on Seawater Desalination. International Journal of Water Resources and Arid Environments. DOP14.: December 2013. Vol 2(4). 187-194.  ISSN: 2079-7079. UoK BASR Recognize Journal.
  • Omar S. Aburizaiza, Nayyer A. Zaigham, Zeeshan A. Nayyar, Gohar A. Mahar, Azhar Siddique, Sabahat Noor. 2013. Environmental Assessment of Natural & Anthropogenic Hazards and Impact on Seawater Desalination along Red Sea Coast of Saudi Arabia. Journal of Water Resource and Protection. DOP: April 2013. Vol. 5(4).  414-426. DOI: 10.4236/jwarp.2013.54041. Impact Factor: 0.990.
  • Zeeshan A. Nayyar, Nayyer A. Zaigham. 2013. Assessment of wind potential in southeastern part of Pakistan along coastal belt of Arabia Sea. Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering. February 6, 2013. Vol. 38(7). 1917-1927. DOI: 10.1007/s13369-013-0546-9. Impact Factor: 2.807.
  • Zeeshan A. Nayyar, Nayyer A. Zaigham, Abdul Qadeer. 2012. Long Term Wind Trends Analysis of Coastal Belt of Pakistan. Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences. Vol. 8(2). 537-546. DOI: 10.6000/1927-5129.2012.08.02.45. HEC Category ‘Y’ Journal.
  • Nayyer A. Zaigham, Zeeshan A. Nayyar. 2011. Impact of Natural Hazard on Water Management - Remote Sensing Identifies Evidences in Pakistan. International Journal of Water Resources and Arid Environments. DOP: August 2011. Vol. 1(4). 251-260. ISSN: 2079-7079. UoK BASR Recognize Journal.
  • Zeeshan A. Nayyar, Nayyer A. Zaigham, Abdul Qadeer. 2011. Utilization of Markov Chain Technique to Generate High-Density Wind Speed Data for the Coastal Belt of Pakistan. Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences. Vol. 7(2). 151-155. DOI: 10.6000/1927-5129.2011.07.02.12. HEC Category ‘Y’ Journal.
  • Nayyer A. Zaigham, Zeeshan A. Nayyar. 2010. Renewable Hot Dry Rock Geothermal Energy Source and its Potential in Pakistan. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. DOP: April 2010. Vol. 14(3). 1124-1129. DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2009.10.002. Impact Factor: 16.799.
  • Nayyer A. Zaigham, Zeeshan A. Nayyar, Noushaba Hisamuddin. 2009. Review of Geothermal Resources in Pakistan. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. DOP: January 2009. Vol. 13(1). 223-232. DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2007.07.010. Impact Factor: 16.799.
  • Nayyer A. Zaigham, Zeeshan A. Nayyar. 2008. Integrated Analysis of Satellite Images of Arabian Sea & Surrounding Regions Reveals Growth Factors of Phytoplankton. Journal of Space Science Technology. Vol. 2(1). 65-74.
  • Gohar A. Mahar, Zeeshan A. Nayyar. 2006. Tsunami Generation and Propagation along the Coastal Zone of Makran and Karachi. Proceeding of IEEE 2006 International Conference on Advances in Space Technologies. IEEE. Islamabad. Pakistan. 88-91. DOI: 10.1109/ICAST.2006.313804. IEEE’s Peer Reviewed Proceeding.  INSPEC Accession Number: 9528138 (HEC Recognized Abstracting & Indexing Service).
  • Nayyer A. Zaigham, Zeeshan A. Nayyar. Prospects of Renewable Energy Sources in Pakistan. In Renewable-Energy Technologies and Sustainable Development, Khan H. A., Qurashi M. M., Hussain T., Hayee I. (eds.). 2005. COMSATS’ Series 4. Islamabad. Pakistan. 65-86.

http://comsats.org/Publications/Books_SnT_Series/04.%20Renewable-Energy%20Technologies%20and%20Sustainable%20Development%20(Feb.%202005).pdf (Book Chapter)