Results for APPPHYS

Preference to freshmen. Choices for meeting the future energy needs of the U.S. and the world. Basic physics of energy sources, technologies that might be employed, and related public policy issues. Trade-offs and societal impacts of different energy sources. Policy options for making rational choices for a sustainable world energy economy.

Skillbuilding in biological quantitative reasoning. Topics include: biological size scales from proteins to ecosystems; biological time scales from enzymatic catalysis and DNA replication to evolution; biological energy, motion, and force from molecular to organismic scales; mechanisms of environmental sensing from bacterial chemotaxis to vision. Prerequisite: Physics 21, 41, or consent of instructor.

For advanced undergraduates or beginning graduate students. Quantitative models used in molecular biophysics. The relation of structure to function. Chemical equilibria, cooperativity, and control: elementary statistical mechanics, affinity plots, allostery, models of hemoglobin-oxygen binding, bacterial chemotaxis. Macromolecular conformations: polymer chain models, protein folding, taxonomy of globular proteins, general principles of sequence selection. Chemical kinetics. Multiple barriers: CO-myoglobin kinetics, ion diffusion through channels and ion selectivity, spectroscopy of ion channels-acetylcholine receptor. Supramolecular kinetics: conversion of chemical energy to mechanical force, myosin and kinesin, actin polymers. Nerve impulse propagation: membrane potentials, voltage sensitive ion gates, Hodgkin-Huxley equations, propagation of the nerve impulse.

Lecture/lab emphasizing analog and digital electronics for lab research. RC and diode circuits. Transistors. Feedback and operational amplifiers. Active filters and circuits. Pulsed circuits, voltage regulators, and power circuits. Precision circuits, low-noise measurement, and noise reduction techniques. Circuit simulation tools. Analog signal processing techniques and modulation/demodulation. Principles of synchronous detection and applications of lock-in amplifiers. Common laboratory measurements and techniques illustrated via topical applications. Limited enrollment. Prerequisites: undergraduate device and circuit exposure.

Lecture/lab emphasizing analog and digital electronics for lab research. Continuation of APPPHYS 207 with emphasis on applications of digital techniques. Combinatorial and synchronous digital circuits. Design using programmable logic. Analog/digital conversion. Microprocessors and real time programming, concepts and methods of digital signal processing techniques. Current lab interface protocols. Techniques commonly used for lab measurements. Development of student lab projects during the last three weeks. Limited enrollment. Prerequisites: undergraduate device and circuit exposure. Recommended: previous enrollment in APPPHYS 207.

Review of basic numerical techniques with additional advanced material: derivatives and integrals; linear algebra; linear least squares fitting, FFT and wavelets, singular value decomposition, linear prediction; optimization, nonlinear least squares, maximum entropy methods; deterministic and stochastic differential equations, Monte Carlo methods.

Research and classical concepts in photon science. Photon-electron interactions; x-ray absorption and Compton scattering. X-ray spectroscopy; EXAFS, SEXAFS, edge structure, magnetic circular dichroism, and linear dichroism. Photoemission spectroscopy and many-electron effects: angle-resolved and integrated photoemission, resonance photoemission, spin-polarized photoemission. Photoelectron diffraction and holography. X-ray interactions with condensed matter: diffraction and scattering. Photon sources: synchrotron, wigglers, and undulators. Photon and electron detectors and analyzers. Prerequisite: familiarity with quantum mechanics.

Recursive filtering, parameter estimation, and feedback control methods based on linear and nonlinear state-space modeling. Topics in: dynamical systems theory; practical overview of stochastic differential equations; model reduction; and tradeoffs among performance, complexity, and robustness. Numerical implementations in MATLAB. Contemporary applications in systems biology and quantum precision measurement. Prerequisites: linear algebra and ordinary differential equations.

Theoretical analysis of dynamical processes: dynamical systems, stochastic processes, and spatiotemporal dynamics. Motivations and applications from biology and physics. Emphasis is on methods including qualitative approaches, asymptotics, and multiple scale analysis. Prerequisites: ordinary and partial differential equations, complex analysis, and probability or statistical physics.

Laboratory and lectures. Advanced microscopy and imaging, emphasizing hands-on experience with state-of-the-art techniques. Students construct and operate working apparatus. Topics include microscope optics, Koehler illumination, contrast-generating mechanisms (bright/dark field, fluorescence, phase contrast, differential interference contrast), and resolution limits. Laboratory topics vary by year, but include single-molecule fluorescence, fluorescence resonance energy transfer, confocal microscopy, two-photon microscopy, and optical trapping. Limited enrollment. Recommended: basic physics, Biology core or equivalent, and consent of instructor.

The properties of solids. Theory of free electrons, classical and quantum. Crystal structure and methods of determination. Electron energy levels in a crystal: weak potential and tight-binding limits. Classification of solids: metals, semiconductors, and insulators. Types of bonding and cohesion in crystals. Lattice dynamics, phonon spectra, and thermal properties of harmonic crystals. Pre- or corequisites: PHYSICS 120 and 121; and PHYSICS 130 and 131, or equivalents.

Electronic structure of solids. Electron dynamics and transport. Semiconductors and impurity states. Surfaces. Dielectric properties of insulators. Electron-electron, electron-phonon, and phonon-phonon interactions. Anharmonic effects in crystals. Electronic states in magnetic fields and the quantum Hall effect. Magnetism, superconductivity, and related many-particle phenomena. Prerequisite: 272.

Theory, operation, and applications of nanoprobes of interest in physics and materials science. Lectures by experts. Topics include scanning tunneling microscopy, spectroscopy, and potentiometry; atomic manipulation; scanning magnetic sensors and magnetic resonance; scanning field-effect gates; scanning force probes; and ultra-near-field optical scanning.

Phenomenology of superconductivity viewed as a macroscopic quantum phenomenon. Topics include the superconducting pair wave function, London and Ginzburg-Landau theories, the Josephson effect, type I type II superconductivity, and the response of superconductors to currents, magnetic fields, and RF electromagnetic radiation. Introduction to thermal fluctuation effects in superconductors and quantum superconductivity.

Special studies under the direction of a faculty member for which academic credit may properly be allowed. May include lab work or directed reading.

Opportunity for practical training in industrial labs. Arranged by student with research adviser's approval. Summary of activities required.

For advanced undergraduates or beginning graduate students. Quantitative models used in molecular biophysics. The relation of structure to function. Chemical equilibria, cooperativity, and control: elementary statistical mechanics, affinity plots, allostery, models of hemoglobin-oxygen binding, bacterial chemotaxis. Macromolecular conformations: polymer chain models, protein folding, taxonomy of globular proteins, general principles of sequence selection. Chemical kinetics. Multiple barriers: CO-myoglobin kinetics, ion diffusion through channels and ion selectivity, spectroscopy of ion channels-acetylcholine receptor. Supramolecular kinetics: conversion of chemical energy to mechanical force, myosin and kinesin, actin polymers. Nerve impulse propagation: membrane potentials, voltage sensitive ion gates, Hodgkin-Huxley equations, propagation of the nerve impulse.

Physical biology of dynamical and mechanical processes in cells. Emphasis is on qualitative understanding of biological functions through quantitative analysis and simple mathematical models. Sensory transduction, signaling, adaptation, switches, molecular motors, actin and microtubules, motility, and circadian clocks. Prerequisites: differential equations and introductory statistical mechanics.

Cryogenics; low signal measurements and noise analysis; data collection and analysis; examples of current experiments. Prerequisites: PHYSICS 170, 171, and 172, or equivalents.

Theory and practice. Theoretical and descriptive background for lab experiments, detectors and noise, and lasers (helium neon, beams and resonators, argon ion, cw dye, titanium sapphire, semiconductor diode, and the Nd:YAG). Measurements of laser threshold, gain, saturation, and output power levels. Laser transverse and axial modes, linewidth and tuning, Q-switching and modelocking. Limited enrollment. Prerequisites: EE 231 and 232, or consent of instructor.

Laser interaction with matter. Laser devices provide radiation to explore the linear and nonlinear properties of matter. Experiments on modulation, harmonic generation, parametric oscillators, modelocking, stimulated Raman and Brillouin scattering, coherent anti-Stokes scattering, other four-wave mixing interactions such as wavefront conjugation and optical bistability. Optical pumping and spectroscopy of atomic and molecular species. Limited enrollment. Prerequisites: 304, EE 231 and 232, or consent of instructor.

Physics of particle beams in linear and circular accelerators. Transverse beam dynamics, acceleration, longitudinal beam dynamics, synchrotron radiation, collective instabilities, and nonlinear effects. Topics of current research in accelerator physics.

Atomic spectroscopy, matrix elements using the Coulomb approximation, summary of Racah algebra, oscillator and line strengths, Einstein A coefficients. Radiative processes, Hamiltonian for two- and three-state systems, single- and multi-photon processes, linear and nonlinear susceptibilities, density matrix, brightness, detailed balance, and electromagnetically induced transparency. Inelastic collisions in the impact approximation, interaction potentials, Landau-Zener formulation. Continuum processes, Saha equilibrium, autoionization, and recombination.

Topics include comparison of physics of Bose-Einstein Condensation (BEC) to physics of lasers, system differences and similarities between the quantum statistical properties of BEC and of lasers, BEC of non-interacting particles, Bogoliubov theory of interacting BEC and Gross-Pitaevskii equation, superfluidity and quantized vortices, quantum theory of laser, quantum noise and coherence functions, quantum correlation and squeezing.

Current research and literature; offered by faculty, students, and outside specialists. May be repeated for credit.

Novel pairing symmetries, competing order parameters, reduced dimensional superconducitivity, the effects of thermal fluctuations, vortex phases and dynamics, and superconductivity in the quantum limit.

Current research topics in lasers, quantum electronics, optics, and photonics by faculty, students, and invited outside speakers. May be repeated for credit.

Topics include: random numbers, and their generation and application; disordered systems, quenching, and annealing; percolation and fractal structures; universality, the renormalization group, and limit theorems; path integrals, partition functions, and Wiener measure; random matrices; and optical estimation. Prerequisite: introductory course in statistical mechanics or analysis.

Technology issues for a secure energy future; role of solid state physics in energy technologies. Topics include the physics principles behind future technologies related to solar energy and solar cells, solid state lighting, superconductivity, solid state fuel cells and batteries, electrical energy storage, materials under extreme condition, nanomaterials.

Structure of quantum theory emphasizing states, measurements, and probabilistic modeling. Generalized quantum measurement theory; parallels between classical and quantum probability; conditional expectation in the Schrödinger and Heisenberg pictures; covariance with respect to symmetry groups; reference frames and super-selection rules. Classical versus quantum correlations; nonlocal aspects of quantum probability; axiomatic approaches to interpretation. Prerequisites: undergraduate quantum mechanics, linear algebra, and basic probability and statistics.

Laws and concepts of quantum information science. Postulates of quantum mechanics: symmetrization postulate, quantum indistinguishability and multi-particle interference, commutation relation and quantum measurement, reduction postulate and impossibility of measuring, cloning and deleting a single wavefunction. Quantum information theory: von Neumann entropy, Holevo information and Schumacher data compression. Decoherence: Linbladian, quantum error correction, and purification of entanglement.

Concepts and constituent technologies of quantum information systems. Quantum cryptography: single photon and entangled photon-pair-based quantum key distributions, quantum teleportation, quantum repeater. Quantum computer: Deutsch-Josza algorithm, Grover algorithm, Shor algorithm, quantum simulation, quantum circuits. Quantum hardwares: atomic physics, nuclear magnetic resonance, spintronics and quantum optics.

Cooperative effects in solids. Topics include the origin of magnetism in solids, crystal electric field effects and anisotropy, exchange, phase transitions and long-range order, ferromagnetism, antiferromagnetism, metamagnetism, density waves and superconductivity. Emphasis is on archetypal materials. Prerequisite: PHYSICS 172 or MATSCI 209, or equivalent introductory condensed matter physics course.

Methods of bioinformatics and biomolecular modeling from the standpoint of biophysical chemistry. Methods of genome analysis; cluster analysis, phylogenetic trees, microarrays; protein, RNA and DNA structure and dynamics, structural and functional homology; protein-protein interactions and cellular networks; molecular dynamics methods using massively parallel algorithms.

Historical development and contemporary frontiers of cavity quantum electrodynamics in the optical and microwave domains. Topics include effects of boundary conditions on spontaneous emission, development of strong coupling in experimental systems, fundamental theoretical models, linear and nonlinear phenomenology in the strong coupling regime, optical bistability, input-output theory, photon statistics and single-photon sources, and modern developments in circuit QED. Journal club format; student presentations.