MSE 5715 - Engineering Quantum Mechanics

Fall. 3 credits. Letter grades only.

Prerequisite: PHYS 2214, MATH 2930, and MSE 2620 or equivalent such as ECE 3150 or CHEM 3890. Co-meets with ECE 4060.

N. Benedek.

An introduction to quantum mechanics at a level suitable for advanced undergraduates and MS/PhD students. This course will focus on both fundamental aspects of quantum mechanics, and its applications in modern materials science and engineering. The emphasis will be on understanding and interpreting the behavior of materials on the quantum level. Topics to be covered include: the failures of classical physics; the Schrodinger equation (time-dependent and time-independent); barriers and tunneling; heat capacity and thermal transport; electronic band structure (Bloch’s theorem, Dirac comb); formal aspects related to operators, commutators, compatible observables; and angular momentum (spin). Lectures will be supplemented by visits to campus labs, where students will learn how these principles are applied in common materials synthesis and characterization techniques.