Courses

    Theory of quantum many body systems, including methods based on Green's functions, Feynman diagrams, and coherent state path integral with applications to interacting quantum gases, superconductivity and superfluidity, quantum phase transitions, quantum magnetism, quantum motion in the presence of disorder, and topological states of matter. Prerequisites: Restricted to graduate students only.
    Radiation theory; relativistic wave equations with simple applications; introduction to field theory and second quantization. Prerequisites: Restricted to graduate students only.

    Quantum theory of fields, elementary particles, symmetry laws, and topics of special interest. Prereq., PHYS 7270 or instructor consent.

    Sophisticated approach to electrostatics, boundary value problems, magnetostatics, applications of Maxwell's equations to electromagnetic wave propagation, wave guides, and resonant cavities and magnetohydrodynamics. See also PHYS 7320. Prereq., PHYS 5030. Prerequisites: Restricted to Physics (PHYS-MS or PHYS-PhD) graduate students only.

    This is a continuation of PHYS 7310. Topics include relativistic particle dynamics; radiation by moving charges; multiple fields; radiation damping and self-fields of a particle; collisions between charged particles and energy loss; radiative processes; and classical field theory. See also PHYS 7310. Prereq., PHYS 7310.

    Introduces the science of liquid crystals, polymers, biological membranes, biopolymers, block copolymers, molecular monolayers, colloids, nanoparicle suspensions, emulsions, foals, gels, elastomers, and other soft materials. Topics vary from semester to semester and the course is geared toward graduate students with diverse preparation backgrounds, including students from the Physics Department as well as other science and engineering departments.

    Stresses application to the solid state of physical concepts basic to much of modern physics, single-particle approximation, and the energy-band description of electron states in solids, pseudopotential theory applied to ordered and disordered systems, dynamical behavior of electrons in solids, lattice dynamics, Hartree-Fock and random-phase approximation in solids, many-body aspects of magnetism, and superconductivity. Prerequisites: Restricted to graduate students only.

    The second semester of condensed matter physics covers topics in soft condensed matter physics, liquid crystals, semiconductors, Quantum Hall effect, Fractional Quantum Hall effect, superconductivity,and other topics at the discretion of the instructor.

    Covers theory of atomic structure and spectra, including coupling of angular momenta, tensor operators, energy levels, fine and hyperfine structure, transition probabilities, Zeeman and Stark effects. Molecular spectra: electronic, vibrational, and rotational states. Rotation matrices, symmetric top.

    Covers quantum optical and atomic systems including topics such as: coherent and squeezed states, theory of optical coherence, atom-radiation interaction, optical Bloch equations, open quantum systems, dynamics on the Bloch sphere, resonance fluorescence, beam-splitters and interferometry, entanglement and quantum information. Recommended prereqs., PHYS 3220 and PHYS 4410.

    Covers the field of ultrafast optics including both experimental and theoretical aspects. Topics include: description of ultrashort optical pulses, propagation of pulses including dispersion and nonlinearity, their integration, measurement and manipulation and their use in applications including spectroscopy. Recommended prereqs., PHYS 4510 or PHYS 5160.

    Covers the field of ultrafast optics including both experimental and theoretical aspects. Topics include description of ultrashort optical pulses, propagation of pulses including dispersion and nonlinearity, their generation, measurement and manipulation and their use in applications including spectroscopy. Prereq., PHYS 5160, or PHYS 4510, or ECEN 5645.

    Systematics of elementary particles, leptons, quarks,gauge bosons, symmetries and symmetry breaking, scattering cross sections, decay rates, electron-positron annihilation, lepton scattering and hadron structure, quantum chromodynamics, electroweak interactions, gauge theories.

    Various topics not normally covered in the curriculum; offered intermittently depending on student demand and availability of instructors. May be repeated up to 7 total credit hours. Prerequisites: Restricted to graduate students only.

    Teaches strategies used in scientific writing with emphasis on problem statement, audience analysis, and principles of sound argument; reviews and reinforces essential writing skills, stressing the need for careful and strategic revision; provides experience in writing academic and professional communications; presentation skills and proposal writing. Most appropriate for students beginning to write journal articles, Comps II paper, or dissertation chapter. May be repeated for a total of 7 credit hours.

    One credit 'journal club' style course covering current and significant historical advances in plasma physics research. Each week the class is assigned a journal article to read in advance of the meeting, and one student is selected (on a rotating basis) to present a synopsis and lead a round-table discussion. Course cannot be used for minimum credit hour requirements of graduate program. See also PHYS 7810 and PHYS 7820. May be repeated for a total of 7 credit hours. Graded pass/fail.

    Subject matter to be arranged. May be repeated up to 7 total credit hours. Same as PHYS 7850.

    Subject matter to be arranged. May be repeated for a total of 7 credit hours. Same as Phys 7840.

    Various seminar topics not normally covered in the curriculum: offered intermittently depending on student demand and availability of instructors. May be repeated up to 3 hours per semester. Prerequisites: Restricted to graduate students only.

    All doctoral students must register for not fewer than 30 hours of dissertation credit as part of the requirements for the degree. For a detailed discussion of doctoral dissertation credit, refer to the Graduate School section.

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