Yes, there's quantum computers and information with fundamental tests of quantum mechanics, condensed matter with superconductors, soft Condensed matter in Biop

Yes, there's quantum computers and information with fundamental tests of quantum mechanics, condensed matter with superconductors, soft Condensed matter in Biophysics with dna and protein folding, computational physics that underpins huge swaths of theoretical chemistry. There's many many other fields of physics, each with dozens of exciting projects going on right now. Particle physics/cosmology is closest in some sense to "fundamental physics". Its also, as i understand, the most competitive field in physics right now with the highest achieving theoretical mathematician people (i.e. the super geniuses) but that's also an effect of the slowly drying funding making the field more selective. It's by no means the only field in physics and there are extremely intelligent and hard working people in all fields of physics doing high impact, world changing research because they love it.