Dr. Muhammad Maqbool

• Position: Professor and Chair
• Department: Physics
• Office Location: Building 58, Room 101
• mmaqbool@uwf.edu
• Campus: 850.474.2271

Biography

Dr. Muhammad Maqbool, Department of Physics Chair, obtained a Ph.D. in Experimental Condensed Matter Physics from Ohio University, USA. During his Ph.D. studies, his research focused on the growth, characterization, and optical and luminescent properties of wide-bandgap nitride semiconductors doped with rare-earth elements and transition metals. He got his M.S. degree in Medical and Radiation Physics from the University of Birmingham, UK. He has over 20 years of experience in graduate and undergraduate teaching. He has taught over 50 graduate, undergraduate, and introductory-level courses. He has also developed several new courses and updated several existing courses.

He has published over 120 peer-reviewed articles, 2 books, and a book chapter. His articles are published in highly ranked journals including but not limited to Advanced Functional Materials, ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, ACS Applied nano Materials, Applied Physics Letters, Optics Letters, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters, Advances in Colloid and Interface Science, View, Biomaterials Advances, and Radiation Physics and Chemistry. Dr. Maqbool has obtained a US patent for inventing the smallest semiconductor infrared ring laser on an optical fiber. He has presented his work to more than 50 invited and contributed to talks. He has mentored many graduate and undergraduate students in research. He also worked as a foreign evaluator and committee member for the Ph.D. dissertations of graduate students abroad. He and his research students have obtained several international and national awards.

Dr. Maqbool has also served as an NSF grant proposal panel evaluator, APS Ohio Region Annual Meeting Organizing Co-Chair, APS sessions Chair, Optica (former Optical Society of America) technical section chair, President of the Health Physics Society, Alabama Chapter, and Chair of the Health Physics Society Science Support Committee. He worked as an Editor, Editorial Board member, and a Reviewer for several highly ranked journals. Dr. Maqbool also served as Chairperson of the Laser Safety Advisory Committee and the Faculty Promotion and Tenure Committee, and as a member of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee.

Degrees & Institutions

• Ph.D. Physics, Ohio University, USA.
• M.S. Physics, Ohio University, USA.
• M.S. Medical & Radiation Physics, University of Birmingham, UK.
• B.S. Physics, University of Peshawar, Pakistan.

Research

Dr. Maqbool’s research focuses on the characterization of optical materials and semiconductors for optics & photonics, laser cavities, and biophotonics applications. He also focuses on biomedical optics, biomedical applications of optical materials, and radiation shielding and protection. He obtained a US Patent for inventing the smallest Semiconductor Ring Laser on Optical Fiber. He has obtained funding from NSF, NRC, IAS, Nonohmic, and from several institutions.

Special Interests

NSF Engineering Grant Proposals Reviewer

Publications

D. Banks, E. Kapshtica, J. Ali, S. Raja, M. Raja, M. Ali, and M. Maqbool, X-Ray Interaction and the Electronic, Atomic Cross-Sections and Compton Mass-Attenuation Coefficients of Human Blood, Breasts, Eye Lens, Ovaries, and Testis. Radiation 5(3): 24 (2025). https://doi.org/10.3390/radiation5030024

I. Ahmad, A Khan, A. Rehman, M. Zahid, J. Khalid, S. Saleem, U. Majeed, Q. Khan, and  M. Maqbool. Blinking effect in quantum dots, its suppression mechanism, and applications in medical imaging and biosensing: A review. AVS Quantum Science 7(2): Article 021101 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1116/5.0244906

Hunain Maqbool, Wardah Naim, and M. Maqbool. X-Ray Interaction Cross-Sections and  Scattering Coefficients of 21Sc45, 25Mn55, 31Ga70, 56Ba137, and 78Pt195 for Applications in  Radiation Shielding and Radiology. International Journal of Radiology Case Reports 2(1):  17 – 27 (2025). https://doi.org/10.61797/ijrcr.v2i1.436

A. Ali, T. Khan, S Zulfiqar, M.R. Shaik, G. Khan, S.A. Khattak, M. Maqbool, and S.A. Hussain, Multi-wave mixing dependence on the Goos-Hanchen shift of structured light in an atomic medium. Journal of Nonlinear Optical Physics and Materials 2025. https://doi.org/10.1142/S0218863525500080

 A. Ullah, N. Mabood, M. Ullah, M. Shafi, and M. Maqbool, Single-Molecule Methods,  Activation-Induced Cytidine Deaminase, and Quantum Mechanical Approach to explore and prevent Carcinogenesis. VIEW 2024, 20240018. https://doi.org/10.1002/VIW.20240018