Course overview
This course will extend the student's knowledge and understanding of the foundation and laws of Quantum Physics and to develop an appreciation of how these laws operate in advanced materials and devices. Quantum physics: Foundations of quantum physics, wave-particle duality, wave function, expectation values, Heisenberg uncertainty principle, observables and operators, measurement in quantum physics, Schrodinger equation, potential wells, tunnelling, scanning tunnelling microscopes, Schrodinger equation in three dimensions, energy levels in Hydrogen atoms, atomic structure. Advanced Materials and Applications: structures and properties of metals, glasses, polymers, composites, metamaterials, semiconductors, processing, nanoparticles and applications, superconductivity, Josephson junctions, SQUIDS, magnetic materials, shape memory alloys, tunnelling junction sensors.
Course learning outcomes
- Describe clearly in writing and discuss orally, at an advanced level, a wide range of laws, principles and theories of quantum mechanics covered in the syllabus.
- Apply quantum physics knowledge to describe simple quantum systems.
- Describe and explain the properties of different types of materials and their applications in advanced devices.