Studies subatomic structure; basic constituents and their mutual interactions.
An introduction to quantum computation, a modern discipline looking for ways to harness the power of quantum mechanics to gain exponential speedup of computations and simulations. We will go through …
The statics and dynamics of particles and rigid bodies. Discusses the methods of generalized coordinates, the Langrangian, Hamilton-Jacobi equations, action-angle variables, and the relation to quantum theory. Prerequisite: PHYS 3210 …
Discusses thermodynamics and kinetic theory, and the development of the microcanonical, canonical, and grand canonical ensembles. Includes Bose-Einstein and Fermi-Dirac distributions, techniques for handling interacting many-particle systems, and extensive applications …
A consistent mathematical account of the phenomena of electricity and magnetism; electrostatics and magnetostatics; macroscopic media; Maxwell theory; and wave propagation. Prerequisite: PHYS 7250 or instructor permission.
Development of the theory of special relativity, relativistic electrodynamics, radiation from moving charges, classical electron theory, and Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulations of electrodynamics. Prerequisite: PHYS 7420 or instructor permission.
Introduces the physical basis of quantum mechanics, the Schroedinger equation and the quantum mechanics of one-particle systems, and stationary state problem. Prerequisite: Twelve credits of 3000-level physics courses and MATH …
Includes angular momentum theory, techniques of time-dependent perturbation theory, emission and absorption of radiation, systems of identical particles, second quantization, and Hartree-Fock equations. Prerequisite: PHYS 7610 or instructor permission.
Independent research or practical training supervised by a faculty member. May be repeated for credit.
Studies nonlinear optical phenomena; the laser, sum, and difference frequency generation, optical parametric oscillation, and modulation techniques. Prerequisite: PHYS 5310 and exposure to quantum mechanics.
This course will build upon PHYS 5240 and will explore topics in relativity that are frequently used in research in gravitation and cosmology theory. This will include Hamiltonian, tetrad, and …
Studies the principles and techniques of atomic physics with application to selected topics, including laser and microwave spectroscopy, photoionization, autoionization, effects of external fields, and laser cooling. Prerequisite: PHYS 7620 …
The description and basic theory of the electronic properties of solids including band structure, electrical conduction, optical properties, magnetism and super-conductivity. Prerequisite: PHYS 7620 or instructor permission.
Introduces the quantization of field theories, including those based on the Dirac and Klein-Gordon equations. Derives perturbation theory in terms of Feynman diagrams, and applies it to simple field theories …
Applies field theory techniques to quantum electrodynamics and to the renormalization-group description of phase transitions. Introduces the path integral description of field theory. Prerequisite: PHYS 8630.
Discusses nuclear theory and experiment from the modern perspectives of the fundamental theory of the strong interaction: Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD).
Introduction to the Standard Model of Electroweak and Strong Interactions, to be followed by physics beyond the Standard Model, including aspects of Grand Unification, Supersymmetry, and neutrino masses.
Studies the quantum theory of light and other boson fields with a special emphasis on the nonclassical physics exemplified by squeezed and entangled quantum states. Applications to quantum communication, quantum …
For master's thesis, taken under the supervision of a thesis director.
Workshops given by UVA Physics faculty describing their research. Restricted to Arts and Sciences graduate students in Physics only