Applied Physics Courses Overview

FALL 2011

CLASS	COURSE TITLE	TIME	ROOM	INSTRUCTOR
MAT SCI 401	Chemical & Statistical Thermodynamics of Materials	TTH 9:30-10:50	Tech L251	Scott Barnett
PHYSICS 412-1	Quantum Mechanics	MWF 10:00-10:50	Tech M349	James Sauls
PHYSICS 422-1	Condensed-Matter Physics	TTh 11:00-12:20	Tech L158	Venkat Chandrasekhar
APP PHYS 501-0	Faculty research seminar	TTh 2:00-3:30	Annenberg G28	Venkat Chandrasekhar

 

WINTER 2012

CLASS	COURSE TITLE	TIME	ROOM	INSTRUCTOR
PHYSICS 412-2	Quantum Mechanics	MWF 10:00-10:50	TBA	James Sauls
PHYSICS 414-1	Electrodynamics	MWF 9:00-9:50	TBA	Michael Schmitt
PHYSICS 416-0	Intro. to Statistical Mechanics	MWF 10:00-10:50	TBA	John Marko

 

SPRING 2012

CLASS	COURSE TITLE	TIME	ROOM	INSTRUCTOR
MAT SCI 405	Physics of Solids	MTWF 1:00-1:50	TBA	Mark C. Hersam

 

All students (except those who place out) must complete the following nine courses:

MAT SCI 401: Chemical & Statistical Thermodynamics of Materials (Fall 2011)

The following topics in classical thermodynamics will be covered: the laws of thermodynamics; conditions for equilibrium; solutions; excess quantities; binary and ternary phase diagrams. Additionally, the following topics in statistical thermodynamics will not be covered: statisticl definition of entropy; ensembles and the Boltzmann and Gibbs distributions; quantum and classical ideal gasses; and the regular solution model.

PHYSICS 412-1,2: Quantum Mechanics (Fall 2011, Winter 2012)

First quarter: Vector spaces and linear operators, postulates of quantum mechanics, observables and Hermitian operators, state vectors and quantum dynamics, stationary states, bound states, the harmonic oscillator, statistical interpretation and the Uncertainty Principle, symmetry and conservation laws, quantization of angular momentum, intrinsic spin, the Stern-Gerlach experiment, spherically symmetric potentials.

Second quarter: Feynman's path integral formulation, the classical limit, Schroedinger's wave equation, electromagnetic potentials, Aharonov-Bohm effects, Landau levels, Coulomb potential, approximation methods, variational principles, bound-state perturbation theory, Dirac's theory of the electron, electron spin, Dirac-Pauli equation, magnetic moment of the electron, fine structure of hydrogen, hyperfine interactions.

PHYSICS 414-1: Electrodynamics (Winter 2012)

Electrostatics, boundary-value problems, Green's functions, multipoles, electrostatics of macroscopic media, conductors and dielectrics, magnetostatics, Maxwell's equations, electromagnetic waves and gauge transformations, conservation laws.

PHYSICS 416-0: Introduction to Statistical Mechanics (Winter 2012)

Statistical mechanics and probability. Microstates and macrostates. Thermodynamic limit. Ensembles: microcanonical, canonical, grand canonical. Classical ideal gas: Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution. Quantum gases: Fermi-Dirac and Bose-Einstein distributions. Thermodynamic potentials. Interacting systems. Phase diagrams and phase transitions.

PHYSICS 422-1: Condensed-Matter Physics (Fall 2011)

Periodic potentials, crystal lattices, x-ray diffraction. Electrons in metals: Drude model, electrons in periodic potentials, semiclassical approximation, Fermi surface, band structure. Electronic and thermal transport, Boltzmann equation, electron-electron interactions, screening.

or MAT SCI 405: Physics of Solids (Spring 2012)

This course provides and overview of solid state physics including free electron theory, phonons, energy bands, charge transport, semiconductors, optical properties, dielectric properties, ferroelectrics, diamagnetism, paramagnetism, and magnetic ordering.

APP PHYS 401-1: Computational Methods of Applied Physics

APP PHYS 402-1: Experimental Methods of Applied Physics

APP PHYS 501-1: Faculty research seminar (Fall 2011)

Seminars presented by faculty in the Graduate Program in Applied Physics describing ongoing research.

Additional electives will be chosen in consultation with your research advisor.

• Chemistry Courses
• Earth and Planetary Sciences
• Electrical Engineering & Computer Science
• Materials Science and Engineering Courses
• Physics and Astronomy Courses

Faculty Section Numbers for APP PHYS 499 and 590

Aydin - 01

Bedzyk - 02

Chandrasekhar - 26

Chen - 03

Dravid - 04

Dutta - 30

Ellis - 34

Garg - 40

Geiger - 05

Halperin - 46

Hersam - 06

Jacobsen, C. - 50

Jacobsen, S. - 07

Ketterson - 58

Koch - 59

Kumar - 08

Lauhon - 09

Luijten - 10

Marks - 11

Mohseni - 12

Motter - 64

Odom, B. - 71

Odom, T. - 13

Olvera de la Cruz - 14

Sauls - 78

Schatz - 15

Seideman - 16

Shahriar - 17

Van Duyne - 18

Voorhees - 19

Weiss - 20

Wolverton - 21