PHYS4141 Advanced Theoretical Physics (2010/11)

Details of the module's prerequisites, learning outcomes, assessment and contact hours are given in the official module description in the Faculty Handbook - follow the link above.  A detailed description of the module's content, together with book lists, is given below.  For an explanation of the library's categorisation system see http://www.dur.ac.uk/physics/students/library/.

Content

Quantum Optics

Dr R.M. Potvliege

18 lectures in Michaelmas Term

Syllabus: Quantization of light, creation and annihilation operators, Hamiltonian of the field, number states, coherent states, squeezed states, photon bunching and anti-bunching, density operator, pure states, mixed states, entangled states, decoherence, EPR experiments, applications.

Textbooks:

Introduction to Quantum Optics, H. Paul (CUP), B
Quantum Mechanics, L.E. Ballentine (World Scientific), B
The Quantum Theory of Light, R. Loudon (OUP), B
Optical Coherence and Quantum Optics, L. Mandel and E. Wolf (CUP), B

Quantum Theory in Condensed Matter

Dr S.A. Gardiner

18 lectures in Epiphany Term

Syllabus: Review of Bose-Einstein condensation in the ideal gas and in dilute atomic gases. Superfluidity, interactions, and excitations (phonons, rotons) in Helium II. Phenomenology of superconductivity. Ginzburg-Landau theory. Introduction to many-body quantum field theory in bosonic and fermionic systems. Phonons and Cooper pairs, BCS theory and quasiparticles.

Textbooks:

Superfluidity and Superconductivity, D.R. Tilley and J. Tilley B (IOP publishing 1990), E
Quantum Theory of Many-Particle Systems, A. L. Fetter, J. D. Walecka (Dover, 2003), R
Superconductivity, Superfluids and Condensates, J.F. Annett (Oxford University Press, 2004), B

Revision

2 lectures in Easter Term, one by each lecturer

Teaching methods

Lectures: 2 one-hour lectures per week

Problem exercises: See http://www.dur.ac.uk/physics/students/problems/