Course Meeting Times
Lectures: 2 sessions / week, 1.5 hours / session
Recitations: 2 sessions / week, 1 hour / session
Textbook
Hagelstein, Peter L., Stephen D. Senturia, and Terry P. Orlando. Introduction to Applied Quantum and Statistical Physics. New York, NY: Wiley, 2004. ISBN: 0471202762.
Homework
There will be about ten homework sets and two quiz-completion exercises (see also Quizzes below). Homework due dates vary and are listed on the Schedule. You may use any resource available on the homework, including textbooks, and you may work with other students in developing both insight and answers. However, you are required to write up your own final solutions and MATLAB® codes. Copying a solution from another student or from a previous problem solution is not permitted. As a precaution against any misunderstanding, we suggest that if you learn the solution to a problem from another source, whether printed or human, you identify the source on your homework paper.
Quizzes
There will be two one-hour quizzes in class.
Quiz Dates: Ses #16 and Ses #27.
One sheet of notes is permitted at the quizzes. After completing and turning in your Quiz paper, you will be given until the start of class on the Wednesday following the Quiz to write up complete Quiz solutions as a take-home exercise. Quiz grades will be computed as the average of your in-class score and your final completed score.
Final Exam
There will be a 3 hour final exam.
Grading
The instructors reserve the right to use judgment instead of formulae when assigning final grades.
| ACTIVITIES | WEIGHTS |
|---|---|
| Homework | 1/3 |
| Quizzes | 1/3 |
| Final Exam | 1/3 |
Calendar
The calendar below provides information on the course’s lecture (L), recitation (R), and quiz (Q) sessions.
| SES # | TOPICS | KEY DATES |
|---|---|---|
| L1 | Introduction: Classical and Quantum Mechanics | Problem set 1 out |
| L2 | Probability Amplitudes and Development of Quanta | |
| R1 | Fourier Transforms / MATLAB® | |
| L3 | Dispersion, Wavepackets |
Problem set 2 out Problem set 1 due |
| L4 | Operators and Ehrenfest’s Theorem | |
| R2 | Examples of Operators and Ehrenfest’s Theorem | |
| L5 | Eigenfunctions, Eigenvalues, Superposition |
Problem set 3 out Problem set 2 due |
| L6 | Finite Well and 1D Box | |
| L7 | Tunneling Barriers |
Problem set 4 out Problem set 3 due |
| L8 | Simple Harmonic Oscillator | |
| R3 | Tunneling Examples, STM, SHO | |
| L9 | Raising and Lowering Operators |
Problem set 5 out Problem set 4 due |
| L10 | LC Circuit & SHO Wavepackets | |
| L11 | WKB Approximation, Variational Method | Problem set 5 due |
| L12 | Finite Basis Set Approximation | |
| Q1 | Quiz 1 | |
| L13 | Two-level System (dc Drive) | Problem set 6 out |
| L14 | Two-level System (cont.) | |
| R4 | Examples of Two-level Systems | |
| L15 | Two-level System: Dynamic Drive |
Problem set 7 out Problem set 6 due |
| L16 | Coupled Systems | |
| R5 | Two-level Examples and Coupled System | |
| L17 | Coupled Systems |
Problem set 8 out Problem set 7 due |
| L18 | 2D and 3D; Density of States | |
| R6 | Examples and Periodic Boundary Conditions | |
| L19 | Quantization of the E and M Fields | Problem set 8 due |
| Q2 | Quiz 2 | |
| L20 | Fermi’s Golden Rule | Problem set 9 out |
| L21 | Statistical Physics | |
| R7 | Examples of Statistical Physics | |
| L22 | Statistical Physics II |
Problem set 10 out Problem set 9 due |
| R8 | Thermionic Emission | |
| L23 | Metals and Semiconductors I | Problem set 10 due |
| L24 | Metals and Semiconductors II | |
| R9 | Examples of Metals and Semiconductors | |
| L25 | H-Atom I | |
| L26 | H-Atom II | |
| R10 | H-Atom Examples | |
| L27 | Summary | |
| Final Exam |
