Physics Gems: Physics for the Next Millenium
Spring 1999
| COURSE | MAS 490 Lectures, E15-468h, Thursdays 1-4 PM MAS 490 Recitations, E15-468h, Tuesdays 1:30-2:30 PM |
| CONTENT | Interaction Free Measurements, Which Way (Welther Weg) and Quantum Zeno Experiments, Bosons, Fermions and quons, EPR (Einstein Podolsky Rosen) GHZ, Hardy and Quantum Non-locality, Unruh Radiation, The Casimir Force and 0 loop propagation, Conservation Properties and Time Reversal Symmetry, Solitons and Femtosecond Wavepackets, Paradoxes from Relativity, The Standard Model, General relativity and inflation. Emphasis is on calculating - that is, on learning tools that help us understand phenomena with quantitative precision. |
| INSTRUCTOR | Prof. Joe Jacobson, MIT Media Lab, Micromedia |
| TA | Edward Boyden, Research Assistant, Physics and Media |
| POLICIES | Problem sets, midterm, final project. |
| TEXT | Course notes below. Meystre and Sargent, Elements of Quantum Optics. Louisell, Quantum statistical properties of radiation. Peskin and Schroeder, Quantum field theory. Assorted other readings will be suggested as time goes on. |
| Week 1, 2/4/99: [Notes][Homework][Solutions] | - | Quantum optics, path integrals, axioms |
| Week 2, 2/11/99: [Notes][Homework][Solutions] | - | Welther weg and quantum zeno experiments |
| Week 3, 2/18/99: [Notes][More Notes][Homework][Solutions][Papers] | - | Bosons, fermions, quons |
| Week 4, 2/25/99: [Notes][Homework][Solutions] | - | Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen, GHZ |
| Week 5, 3/4/99: [Notes][Homework][Solutions][Paper][Paper][Paper][Meystre and Sargent] | - | Unruh, Casimir, 0-Loop Propagation |
| Week 6, 3/11/99: [Notes] | - | Symmetry and Conservation Laws |
| Week 7, 3/18/99: [Midterm] | - | Pre-springbreak test |
| Week 8, 4/1/99: [Homework][Notes][More Notes] | - | The Standard Model |
| Week 9, 4/8/99: [Notes][PRL for the last 4 years][Homework] | - | Self-induced transparency, solitons, and nonlinear optics |