Physics with Nanoscience MSci

You’ll study a selection of mathematical techniques that are used for analysing physical behaviour. Topics will include:

• complex numbers
• calculus of a single variable
• plane geometry
• differential equations
• calculus of several variables
• matrix algebra

You’ll spend around three hours per week in workshops and lectures studying this module.

How does the world really work?

We’ll take you from Newton’s mechanics, the pinnacle of the scientific revolution and the foundation of our understanding of modern physics, right through to our current understanding of physics with Einstein’s theory of relativity and quantum mechanics.

This module will underpin your entire physics degree. It contains all the ideas and principles that form the basis of our modern world. As you’ll find out, some of these ideas are very strange indeed.

You’ll study:

• Newton’s laws of mechanics
• The physics of waves and oscillations
• Electricity and magnetism
• Quantum mechanics and the foundations of modern physics
• Einstein’s relativity

In this module you will receive: an introduction to the basic techniques and equipment used in experimental physics; training in the analysis and interpretation of experimental data; opportunities to observe phenomena discussed in theory modules and training in the skills of record keeping and writing scientific reports.

This module will cover major areas at the forefront of modern research, beyond those encountered in the core modules. You’ll be introduced to cutting-edge topics in medical physics, nanoscience, and astronomy by experts in each of these fields.

The frontiers of knowledge in physics are constantly changing. This module will cover major areas at the forefront of modern research, beyond those encountered in the core modules. You’ll be introduced to cutting-edge topics in medical physics, nanoscience, and astronomy by experts in each of these fields.

You’ll study:

• Medical physics: the physics of sound and hearing; radioactivity in medicine; magnetic resonance imaging
• Nanoscience: physics at the nanoscale; introduction to quantum mechanics; viewing and manipulating matter at the atomic level; chaos
• Astronomy: stars, galaxies, and black holes; gravitational waves; the Big Bang; climate change

You’ll receive training in basic computing techniques using Python, and will be introduced to their use in solving physical problems.

You’ll spend two hours in computer classes and a one hour lecture each week. 

We will study some of the fundamental forces at the nanoscale and look at the role of key concepts such as entropy. We will also learn how we can visualise and measure the nanoscale structures that form.

The nanoscale world is very different from our regular experience. Thermal energy pushes and pulls everything towards a state of disorder whilst nanoscale forces allow for materials to resist this and stay together. We will study some of the fundamental forces at the nanoscale and look at the role of key concepts such as entropy. We will also learn how we can visualise and measure the nanoscale structures that form.

While the forces we will study operate over distances as small as 1 nanometre we will explore how these concepts are responsible for phenomena in our everyday world we often don’t even think about:

• Why is a droplet spherical?
• What is going on when you scramble an egg?
• How can a gecko walk across a perfectly smooth ceiling?
• Why do you use soap when you wash?
• Why don’t oil and water mix?

This module provides an introduction to the theory and elementary applications of quantum mechanics, a theory that is one of the key achievements of physics. Quantum mechanics is an elegant theoretical construct that is both beautiful and mysterious. Some of the predictions of quantum mechanics are wholly counter-intuitive and there are aspects of it that are not properly understood. Nonetheless, it has been thoroughly tested empirically for nearly a century and, wherever predictions can be made, they agree with experiment.

The notes, videos, and simulations for the first semester of The Quantum World are all publicly available and freely accessible. Check out the notes online, which include embedded links to the videos and interactive simulations.

You’ll study:

• Quantum vs classical states
• Fourier series and transforms: translating from position to momentum space
• The Heisenberg uncertainty principle (particularly from a Fourier perspective)
• The time-dependent and time-independent Schrödinger equation
• Bound and unbound states, scattering and tunnelling
• Wavepackets
• The subtleties of the particle in a box
• Operators, observables, and the thorny measurement problem
• Matrix mechanics and Dirac notation
• The quantum harmonic oscillator
• Conservation and correspondence principles
• Angular momentum
• Stern-Gerlach experiment
• Spin
• Zeeman effect, Rabi oscillations
• 2D and 3D systems
• Degeneracies
• Hydrogen atom and the radial Schrödinger equation
• Entanglement and non-locality
• ... and, of course, that ever-frustrating feline...

Macroscopic systems exhibit behaviour that often differs from that of their microscopic constituents. This module explores the relationship between the macro and micro worlds, and the complexity which emerges from the interplay of many interacting degrees of freedom.

You’ll study:

• Laws of thermodynamics, and how they are still relevant
• Macroscopic characterisation of matter, for example how liquid nitrogen is made and understood
• Statistical formulation, linking micro and macro systems
• Quantum statistics, providing a theory for everything!

The physics of waves features in our everyday lives. Waves are important phenomena. They include:

• electromagnetic waves that we know as light
• communication via radio and microwaves
• surface waves on water
• shock waves in earthquakes

Understanding light and how it can be manipulated leads to important technical applications such as optics and cameras in mobile phones, telecommunication and the internet or even quantum computers.

This module will cover the wave description of light; geometrical optics and imaging, interference and diffraction; optical interferometry. The second half of the module will introduce more general methods for the discussion of wave propagation, and Fourier methods.

You’ll study:

• Imaging and matrix methods
• Microscopes and telescopes. State of the art telescopes such as the Hubble Telescope, the VLT (Very Large Telescope) and the James Webb Telescope.
• Interference patterns and their applications, for example to study the structure of proteins, of crystals and of fullerenes

This module explores how physics-based techniques are used to gain insight into complex molecular systems of biological relevance. In studying the physics underpinning this area of research where chemistry, biology and physics all overlap, we will draw on principles derived from quantum mechanics and statistical physics to develop a better understanding of the biomolecular world.

Physics has made significant contributions in our efforts to understand the underlying molecular principles of life. For instance, physics plays an important role in the development of sophisticated methods that make it possible to measure the complex structure of biological molecules and their mutual interactions and dynamics. Two important groups of such biomolecules that will be discussed in the module are proteins and deoxynucleic acids (DNA).

Topics covered in this module include:

• Introduction into the important classes of complex biomolecules
• What are the underlying principles that make molecules to acquire a functional 3-dimensional structure?
• How can molecular structure be measured with high accuracy?
• How do molecular motors work and can molecules carry out directional motion?
• How can molecular forces and distances be measured between individual molecules.

This module aims to to give you a basic grounding in key concepts in soft condensed matter physics. It will focus on the dynamic, structural and kinematic properties of these materials as well as their self-assembly into technologically important structures for the production of nanostructured materials.

Key differences and similarities between soft matter, hard matter and liquid systems will be highlighted and discussed throughout the module. Material that will be covered includes:

• Introduction to soft matter
• Forces, energies and timescales in soft matter
• Liquids and glasses
• Phase transitions in soft matter (solid-liquid and liquid-liquid demixing)
• Polymeric materials
• Gelation
• Crystallisation in soft systems
• Liquid crystals
• Molecular order in soft systems
• Soft Nanotechnology

Understanding the dynamics of quantum systems is crucial, not just for describing the fundamental physics of atoms, but also for the development of exciting new quantum-based technologies. This module will equip you with the key theoretical concepts and methods needed to explore how quantum systems evolve with time.

You’ll study:

• Connections between the dynamics of quantum systems and that of more familiar classical ones
• When (and how) to use approximations that allow complex problems to be made much simpler
• The extent to which the evolution of quantum states can be controlled
• How to put theory into practice using one of IBM’s prototype quantum computers.

This module will introduce students to the physics of atoms, nuclei and the fundamental constituents of matter and their interactions. The module will also develop the quantum mechanical description of these.

Topics to be covered are:

• Approximation techniques first order perturbation theory, degeneracies, second order perturbation theory, transition rates, time-dependent perturbation theory, Fermi's golden rule
• Particle Physics protons and neutrons, antiparticles, particle accelerators and scattering experiments, conservation laws, neutrinos, leptons, baryons and hadrons, the quark model and the strong interaction, weak interactions, standard model
• Introduction to atomic physics review of simple model of hydrogen atom, Fermi statistics and Pauli principle, aufbau principle, hydrogenic atoms, exchange, fine structure and hyperfine interactions, dipole interaction, selection rules and transition rates
• Lasers optical polarization and photons, optical cavities, population inversions, Bose statistics and stimulated emission, Einstein A and B coefficients
• Nuclear Physics Radioactivity, decay processes, alpha, beta and gamma emission, detectors, stability curves and binding energies, nuclear fission, fusion, liquid drop and shell models.

Solid state physics underpins almost every technological development around us, from solar cells and LEDs to silicon chips and mobile phones.

The aim of this module is to introduce to you the fundamental topics in solid state physics. We start by looking at why atoms and molecules come together to form a crystal structure. We then follow the electronic structure of these through to interesting electronic, thermal and magnetic properties that we can harness to make devices.

You’ll study:

• Why atoms and molecules come together to form crystal structures
• The description of crystal structures, reciprocal lattices, diffraction and Brillouin zones
• Nearly-free electron model – Bloch's theorem, band gaps from electron Bragg scattering and effective masses
• Band theory, Fermi surfaces, qualitative picture of transport, metals, insulators and semiconductors
• Semiconductors – doping, inhomogeneous semiconductors, basic description of pn junction
• Phonons normal modes of ionic lattice, quantization, Debye theory of heat capacities, acoustic and optical phonons
• Optical properties of solids absorption and reflection of light by metals, Brewster angle, dielectric constants, plasma oscillations
• Magnetism – Landau diamagnetism, paramagnetism, exchange interactions, Ferromagnetism, antiferromagnetism, neutron scattering, dipolar interactions and domain formation, magnetic technology

The invention of the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) in the 1980s has led to a revolution in the imaging of surfaces and has provided an enormous stimulus for the development of nanoscience. The operation of a scanning probe microscope relies on the interaction between a local probe and a surface. A family of techniques has been derived from the STM which exploit a range of different forces and other interactions for image formation. The most widely-used of these techniques is atomic force microscopy which, unlike, STM, can be used to image insulating samples. In this module the focus will be on the development of physical models to describe the interaction between a local point-like probe and a surface. The operation of the STM will be considered in detail together with design considerations which are common across all scanning probe microscopes. In the second half of the course, forces between the tip and sample will be considered and methods for measuring these interactions will be discussed. The probe-surface interaction can also be used to modify the surface with a specificity which can result in placement of single atoms and molecules and these patterning processes will be discussed. Throughout the course images from the current research literature will be introduced to inform students of the range of possible applications of this these techniques.

In this year-long module you’ll work on an original theoretical or practical problem directly relevant to the research taking place in the school or in a collaborating external organisation, such as industry or an overseas university. You’ll spend semester one researching the background to your chosen project and carry out your original research in semester two.

You’ll:

• Choose a project from a wide range of options reflecting the broad range of research in the school (Astronomy; Particle Cosmology; MRI; Experimental and Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics)
• Study the background and underlying physical principles of your choice
• Carry out the original research and present your results orally and in a written report

Introducing you to the importance of, and the processes involved in the commercialisation of science and technology, the content of this module is highly relevant in the current climate where Government is placing much evidence on the wealth creation process. The aims of the module will achieved by a combination of experiential learning via lectures and seminars each week.

This module will extend previous work in the areas of atomic and optical physics to cover modern topics in the area of quantum effects in light-matter interactions. Some basic material will be introduced in six staff-led seminars and you’ll have around two hours of lectures and student-led workshops each week. 

Science is the cornerstone of modern healthcare. For example, in the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) more than 80% of clinical decisions are informed by scientific analysis.

In this module, we will explore some of the critical technologies that underpin these decisions. The course begins by exploring particle accelerators, and how they are used to create, for example, high energy photons or anti-matter particles. We will then see how these are used to either diagnose or treat illnesses such as cancer.

We will look closely at medical imaging techniques such as X-ray computed tomography (the CT scan), exploring the mathematics of how high-definition images of the body can be formed. We will cover nuclear medicine – how radiation can be used to track the function of organs in the body – and how advanced mathematical models feed into diagnostic decisions. 

This module will introduce a number of systems in which quantum coherent phenomena are observed, discuss their common features and the general underlying theoretical ideas for their description as well as some of their applications.

• Bose condensation review of Bose statistics, BEC, BEC in cold atomic gases.
• Superfluidity in Helium-4 quantum fluids, macroscopic wave functions, superfluidity, non-classical rotational inertia and vortices, phonon and roton excitations.
• Superconductivity conduction in metals, superconducting materials, zero-resistivity, Meissner effect, perfect diamagnetism, type I and type II behaviour, London theory.
• BCS theory of superconductivity.- electron-phonon interaction, Cooper pairs, BCS wave function, order parameter and microscopic origin of GL.
• Applications: squids, superconducting magnets etc.

In this module you will learn how the same physics that works on Earth – gravity, electromagnetism, thermodynamics, optics, quantum physics, atomic and nuclear physics – is used to understand stars. You will explore the most important physical processes occurring in stars of different types. You will then use this knowledge to build mathematical models of stars and to understand their internal structure, their formation, evolution, and death.

You’ll study:

• How astronomers measure the most important properties of stars such as their mass, size, distance, brightness, temperature, chemical composition and age. This module will then teach you how physics is able to explain these properties.
• How energy is generated inside stars through nuclear fusion, and how it is transported to the surface to make stars shine.
• How to write the equations that describe the structure of stars, and how to use them to build mathematical models that explain their properties and evolution.
• How stars are born, how they evolve with time, how long they live, how they die, and what remnants they leave behind. You will be able to understand, for instance, how supernovae explode and how some black holes form.

In this module we will learn how physicists can harness the health benefits of using radiation, as well as measuring and controlling levels of radiation in the environment or therapy.

Radiation is a term which can cover many different phenomena and a wide range of energies (acoustic, electromagnetic, ionizing). It can come from a wide range of sources (natural or manufactured). In the public eye radiation can often be seen as a danger e.g. location of mobile phone masts.

You will study:

• Types of radiation used in medicine for therapy and tracers.
• The properties of radiation, how it interacts with matter and tissue as a function of energy.
• The biological effects of radiation and the principles which govern safe exposure limits.
• Dosimetry and instrumentation methods.
• The way issues of radiation protection are presented to the public and perception of risk.

This module aims to provide you with a working knowledge of the basic techniques of image processing.

The major topics covered will include:

• acquisition of images
• image representation
• resolution and quantization
• image compression
• on-Fourier enhancement techniques

You’ll spend around four hours in lectures, eight hours in seminars and have a one-hour tutorial each week.