6.007 | Spring 2011 | Undergraduate

Electromagnetic Energy: From Motors to Lasers

Calendar

LEC # TOPICS KEY DATES
1 Introduction: iPhone components  
2 Energy and power Problem set 1 out
3 Electrical vs. gas engine  
4 Energy in electrical systems  
5 Electrostatics (Gauss’s law and boundary conditions)  
6 Magnetostatics (magnetic fields and forces)

Problem set 1 due

Problem set 2 out

  Lab 1: DC motor, MATLAB, oscilloscope  
7 Forces in magnetostatics (actuators)  
8 Practical MQS systems (torroids, solenoids, magnets)  
9 Magnetic materials  
10 Faraday’s law (induced emf)

Problem set 2 due

Problem set 3 out

11 Magnetic circuits and transformers  
12 Forces via energy conservation (energy method)  
13 Stored energy and magnetic actuators

Problem set 3 due

Problem set 4 out

14 Energy conversion systems: rail guns  
15 Dielectrics and dipoles  
16 Practical dielectrics  
17 Limits of statics and quasistatics  
  Lab 2: Shooting magnets  
18 Linear systems, complex numbers and phasors  
19 Electromagnetic waves (wave equation)

Problem set 4 due

Problem set 5 out

  Exam 1  
20 Examples of uniform EM plane waves (Poynting vector)  
21 Generating EM waves: antennas  
22 Interaction of atoms and EM waves (Lorentz oscillator)  
23 Lossy EM waves  
24 Polarized light and polarizers

Problem set 5 due

Problem set 6 out

25 Birefringence  
26 Liquid crystal display (LCD) technology  
27 Interference and diffraction  
28 Diffraction and holography

Problem set 6 due

Problem set 7 out

  Lab 3: Liquid crystal displays  
29 Reflection and transmission of EM waves  
30 EM reflection and transmission in layered media  
31 Optical resonators  
32 Refraction and Snell’s law

Problem set 7 due

Problem set 8 out

33 Fresnel equations and EM power flow  
34 Waveguides (optical systems)  
35 Wavepackets  
36 Photon: quantum of energy

Problem set 8 due

Problem set 9 out

  Lab 4: Spectrometer  
37 Photon momentum and uncertainty  
38 Examples of Heisenberg uncertainty principle  
  Exam 2  
39 Schrodinger equation  
40 Particle in a box  
41 Reflection from a potential step  
42 Tunneling

Problem set 9 due

Problem set 10 out

  Lab 5: Quantum mechanical tunneling  
43 Tunneling applications (flash memory, STM)  
44 From atoms to molecules  
45 Semiconductors  
46 Light emitting diodes (LEDs)  
47 Photodetectors, solar cells  
48 Electron wavepackets and microscopic Ohm’s law Problem set 10 due
49 Quantum superposition and optical transitions  
50 Lasers  
  Lab 6: Extra credit lab  
51 Final exam review  
Learning Resource Types
Demonstration Videos
Problem Sets
Lecture Notes