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Echange en 2ème année avec
Imperial College of London
Filière Physique-Nanosciences
Term 1
Programme des cours
(septembre-décembre)
P.3.2 Solid state physics
15 lectures
0,25 unit = 3 ECTS
Introduction and overview: history and age of the subject. What solid state physics can achieve and what it can’t (yet); success stories.
Reading list. Scope of course.
Crystals and lattices: crystal symmetries and shapes—the lattice; lattice vectors; basis; primitive unit cells; conventional unit cells.
Examples: Miller notation; plane separations; Bragg diffraction; planar spacings. Periodocities. Reciprocal space: Braggs’ laws in
reciprocal space; k-space ideas; constructing and working with the three-dimensional reciprocal lattice mathematically.
Electrons in crystals: atoms and atomic core levels; origins of electron bands; bands in molecules; bands in a solid; bonding/antibonding
states; square well analogies of bonding and anti-bonding. Bloch’s theorem; consequences of Bloch’s theorem; k as suitable quantum
number in crystals; crystal momentum; limitations to applicability of Bloch’s theorem. Effective mass.
Electrical transport and conductivity: carrier mobility and diffusion; momentum relaxation mechanisms; diffusion currents. Einstein
relation between D and m; carrier recombination times. Success stories—the p-n junction in thermal equilibrium; sketching band-edge
diagrams; electrostatics of the built-in potential step; the p-n junction as a rectifier; analysis of current characteristics; injection, diffusion
lengths and the Shockley equation. Magnetism; E+M basics; diamagnetism; paramagnetism; ferromagnetism; magnetic data storage
technologies.
Optical properties: optical properties and the classical dipole model; E+M basics, frequency dependent dielectric function; complex
refractive index; absorption coefficients; atomic polarisability; frequency dependencies. Birefringence and dichroism. Ensemble of
oscillators models of the optical properties of a solid; examples of dipoles; bulk absorption in an insulator/semiconductor; optical fibres
and dispersion away from resonance; optical anisotropies. The quantum view of optical properties. Optical devices; the pn junction as
an optical detector; the p-n junction as a light emitter; heterostructure diode lasers: quantum well lasers.
Phonons and thermal properties: phonons, the quanta of sound; linear chain model; phonon dispersion curves. Uses of Phonon
dispersion curves: phonons in electron scattering; intraband relaxation processes; carrier recombination; speed of sound; IR optical
properties; crystal specific heats.
P.3.3 Atomic and molecular physics
15 lectures
0,25 unit = 3 ECTS
Fine-structure in the hydrogen atom and in hydrogen-like ions including spin-orbit coupling and the Lamb shift. Many-electron atomic
structure. Time-independent and time-dependent perturbation methods applied to problems in atomic structure. Zeeman effect and
Stark effect. Einstein A and B coefficients.
Allowed and forbidden transitions and selection rules. Lifetimes of atomic states. Line broadening.
Quantum defect method. Electronic structure of simple molecules. Covalent and ionic bonding in molecules.
PO.4.7 Device physics
26 lectures
0,5 unit = 6 ECTS
Silicon based electronic devices. Review and extension of relevant topics in Electrons in solids and Solid state physics courses. Charge
carrier generation and recombination in semiconductors. Boltzmann equation, relaxation-time approximation and charge carrier
transport in semiconductors. Drift-diffusion model of carrier transport. Electrical characteristics of p-n junction diodes (as used in rectifier
diodes, light emitting diodes (LEDs), lasers), bipolar junction transistors and heterojunction bipolar transistors. Device fabrication (wafer
growth, MBE, doping, lithography, organic deposition). Schottky diodes and Ohmic contacts, CV characteristics, thermionic emission,
tunnelling. Metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) capacitors (computer memory, optical imaging), CV characteristics, effect of traps and
interface states. MOS field effect transistors (MOSFETs) (computer processors, flat-screen displays) DC and AC characteristics. MOS
optical devices (charge-coupled-devices). Advanced silicon based technologies (strained Si, challenges of scaling, large-area displays)
Optical properties of semiconductors. The III-V family of semiconductors. Recombination processes in semiconductors. Theory of
heterojunctions based on GaAs/AlGaAs material system. Use of heterostructures in semiconductor lasers, LEDs, detectors and
heterojunction bipolar transistors. Optical waveguiding in heterostructures.
The concept of low-dimensional structures: quantum wells, wires and dots. Carrier confinement in quantum wells. Optical transistions in
quantum wells. Excitons in quantum wells. Principles of operation of semiconductor quantum well lasers. Examples of applications of
semiconductor quantum well lasers in optical communications and optical data storage. The quantum confined Stark effect and its
application to optical modulation.
Other technologies: Magnetic materials and devices. Superconducting materials and devices. Organic semiconductor technologies
(organic LEDs, solar cells, FETs).
PT.3.1 Foundations of quantum mechanics
26 lectures
0,5 unit = 6 ECTS
Hilbert space complex vector spaces, inner product, Dirac notation, bras and kets, orthonormal bases, linear operators, self-adjoint
(Hermitian) operators, matrix representation of operators with respect to a basis.
Quantum mechanics formal postulates of quantum mechanics (the Copenhagen Interpretation), states, observables, the Born rule,
commuting and non-commuting observables, recovery of wave mechanics = quantum mechanics in the position representation, the
momentum representation.
The harmonic oscillator solution by operator methods, raising and lowering operators, the energy spectrum, recover connection with
energy eigenstates in wave mechanics.
Dynamics: motion in time The Schrödinger equation, the time evolution operator, time dependence of expectation values, Schrödinger
and Heisenberg pictures, the Heisenberg equations of motion, physical equivalence of the Schr�ödinger and Heisenberg pictures.
Angular momentum invariance and symmetry, translations generated by momentum, translation invariance and conservation of
momentum, rotations generated by angular momentum, rotational invariance and conservation of angular momentum, the angular
momentum commutation relations, the eigenspectrum for angular momentum, integral and half-odd-integral angular momentum, spin,
tensor products and addition of angular momentum.
The meaning of the quantum state superpositions vs statistical mixtures, the density matrix, pure states and mixed states, Copenhagen
rules restated. Entanglement, the EPR-Bohm entangled spin system, locality, the Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt-Bell in-equalities and
implications.
PT.3.5 Computational physics
26 lectures, practicals and projects
0,5 unit = 6 ECTS
Solution of initial-value ordinary differential equations using finite difference methods.
Analysis of the accuracy and stability of numerical methods for solving differential equations.
Solution of partial differential equations using finite difference methods.
Linear matrix algebra. Iterative methods for solution of linear equations and eigenvalue problems.
Use of matrix methods to solve elliptic (boundary-value) differential equations.
Fourier transform methods and their use in solving differential equations.
Monte Carlo and deterministic methods for simulating assemblies of particles.
Optimisation problems. Finding the minimum of general multi-dimensional functions.
An introduction to some of the library routines available to solve numerical problems.
Example problems will be drawn from all areas of physics like mechanics, fluid dynamics, electrostatics, electromagnetism, quantum
physics, statistical physics, solid-state physics and high energy physics.
PL.3 Physics laboratory III
About 100 hours
0,5 unit = 6 ECTS
Students take three advanced experiments (or equivalent). The experiments are chosen from a list of 15, comprising waves on a string,
astronomical image processing, NMR, waveguide experiments, the Hall effect, the p–n junction, Boltzmann's constant by bipolar p–n
junctions electronics for measurement, the photo-electric effect, radiation laws, the Compton effect, X-ray diffraction, solar radiation,
wind turbulence.
There is also a taught course with associated practical work on programming of microprocessors in assembler language.
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Cours à choix du Term 1
(peut être adapté selon le cursus poursuivi en 3ème année)
PO.4.4 Optical communications physics
About 26 lectures
0,5 unit = 6 ECTS
(pour les cursus physique appliquée en PNS3A)
Information content and encoding: quantifying information; Shannon’s formula for channel capacity; digital encoding of analogue signals;
sampling theorem; Nyquist rate; quantisation; analogue and digital signalling; multilevel signalling; information theory; redundancy; data
compression; error detection and correction.
Transmission of information: principles of communication systems; system limitations: bandwidth, attenuation, noise, dispersion.
Baseband and modulated carrier transmission; multiplexing (time-division, wavelength division, space division, statistical).
Transmission media: free-space, twisted pair cable, coaxial cable, optical fibre.
Signals: time and frequency representation; Fourier transforms; convolution; system frequency and time response; low, high amd
bandpass filters; transmission line model of electrical communication channels (twisted pair and coax), impedance matching, reflections
and time-domain response (TDR).
Noise: theory of random processes, physical origins of noise: thermal, photon (shot) noise, amplifier. Implication for analogue and digital
systems: signal to noise ratio, error rates, eye diagrams. Link power budget calculations, bandwidth specification, error rate calculations
including decision theory.
Modulation, multiplexing and coding transmission: classical analogue modulation theory, digital, binary amplitude shift keying (BASK),
phase shift keying (BPSK), frequency shift keying (BFSK), coherent and differential coding, optical context: practical IM-DD, coherent
detection in optics, practical issues in optical modulation, e.g. chirp, data rates.
Multiplexing—multiple user access: time division (SONET, SDH) wavelength division (DWDM, CWDM), code division multiple access
(CDMA).
Optical fibres: geometrical picture, multimode and single-mode fibre; EM wave modelling for full modal (evanescent wave) description,
attenuation, dispersion, non-linear processes—uses and limitations.
Modern communication systems: communication networks (local, metropolitan, wide area network); packet and circuit switched
networks; network protocols. Mobile communications network. Optical telecommunications systems: 1.3micron, 1.55micron; laser
sources; modulators; photodetectors; optical components; repeaters and optical amplifiers.
OU
PO.3.4 Advanced classical physics
About 26 lectures
0,5 unit = 6 ECTS
(pour les cursus physique fondamentale en PNS3A)
Rotation: rotating frames, centrifugal and Coriolis forces, inertia tensor, principal axes of inertia, gyroscopes.
Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics: calculus of variations, action integral, principle of least action, generalised co-ordinates and
momenta, normal modes, Lagrangian for charged particle motion in electromagnetic field, Hamiltonian, Hamiltonian’s equations,
canonical transformations, Poisson brackets, continuous symmetries.
Electrodynamics and relativity: scalar and vector potentials, Lienard-Wiechart potentials, radiation by an accelerated charge,
Bremsstrahlung, dipole radiation, antennas, Rayleigh scattering, Thomson scattering, four vectors, Lorentz transformations for
electromagnetic fields, magnetic field required by relativity, fourvector potential, Maxwell’s equations in four-vector form,
Term 2
PO.4.8 Laser technology
26 lectures plus classworks
(janvier - mars)
0,5 unit = 6 ECTS
Part 1: Laser device technology
Overview of laser fundamentals. Survey of commercial laser market. Performance of key industrial lasers: CO2, Nd:YAG and excimer.
Laser amplifiers: saturable gain coefficient and gain extraction. Laser oscillators.
Power efficiency, slope efficiency, optimising efficiency. Thermal issues in solid state lasers. Thermally induced lensing, stress induced
birefringence, depolarisation. Rod, slab and disc geometries. Spatial characteristics: single mode selection; multimode operation.
Defining M2 beam propagation parameter.
Diode lasers: edge-emitting; single-mode narrow stripe; broad stripe; diode arrays; diode stacks; fibrecoupled. Operational
characteristics of AlGaAs; red diodes; blue diodes; telecom diodes; vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs). Case study: single
mode AlGaAs diode laser. Diode-pumped solid-state lasers. Cavity design for TEM00 operation. Case study: diode end-pumped
Nd:YAG/Nd:YVO4. Survey of solid-state laser media. Tunable solid-state lasers. Fibre lasers. Spectral tuning; line-narrowing; ultrashort
pulse techniques. Frequency converted lasers. Laser applications. Focusing laser radiation, spot size, depth of focus. Industrial material
processing: cutting, welding, surface marking. Optical storage. Optical telecommunications. Medical laser therapeutics.
Part 2: Non-linear optics
Overview: history, context, importance, goals of course.
Review of linear optics: electromagnetic force on moving charges, Lorentz oscillator model, linear polarisation and susceptibility,
inhomogeneous wave equation, complex refractive index, absorption/gain and dispersion.
Foundation concepts of non-linear optics: origin of the non-linear response, susceptibility expansion for non-linear polarisation,
divergence of susceptibility expansion, catalogue of non-linear processes, introduction to phase-matching.
Second harmonic generation: description of process and introduction to important applications, photon picture, solution of wave
equation for second harmonic field, interpretation of solution, phase-matching factor, parameter scalings, phase-matching in birefringent
crystals, properties of non-linear crystals, second harmonic generation with real laser sources, application in measuring ultra-short laser
pulses.
The electro-optic effect: origin and applications.
The optical Kerr effect: the non-linear refractive index, self-focusing and self phase-modulation, applications.
Frequency mixing processes: sum/difference frequency mixing, optical parametric amplification and oscillation, four wave-mixing and
optical phase conjugation, applications.
PT.3.4 Statistical mechanics
About 26 lectures
0,5 unit = 6 ECTS
Phase transitions, scaling and universality, scaling arguments for systems at critical points, derivation of scaling laws, Landau theory,
van der Waals gas, Ising model, real-space renormalisation, scale-free behavior in nature.
PP.3 Project III
About 100 hours
0,5 unit = 9 ECTS
Projects last one term and may be built around existing standard experiments, or they may be based on project proposals
(approximately 50 available) from demonstrators or members of academic staff, or they may be proposed by students themselves.
Some projects are located in the third year laboratory and others are located in the research groups of the Blackett Laboratory.
 choisir le projet dès le mois d’octobre parmi la longue liste proposée même s’il ne commence qu’au Term 2
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Cours à choix du Term 2
(peut être adapté selon le cursus poursuivi en 3ème année)
PO.3.3 Lasers, optics and biophotonics
About 26 lectures
0,5 unit = 6 ECTS
(pour les cursus physique appliquée en PNS3A)
Maxwell’s equations, electromagnetic waves, geometric optics, wave optics, photon momentum, electron oscillator model of refractive
index, attenuation and dispersion
Laser physics, temporal-spectral properties of laser radiation (c.w., Q-switched, mode-locked) real-world lasers, Gaussian beams;
Nonlinear optics, second harmonic generation, non-linear refractive index; self phase modulation and self focussing; super continuum
generation
Microscopy (wide-field, confocal and multiphoton), diffraction, image resolution, fluorescence, spectrally resolved imaging; fluorescence
lifetime imaging, imaging biological tissue
Imaging molecular processes beyond the diffraction limit (Forster resonant energy transfer (FRET), superresolution, single molecule
imaging)
Laser manipulation and therapy,(optical tweezers, laser surgery, photodynamic therapy)
OU
P3.1 Nuclear & Particle Physics
About 26 lectures
0,5 unit = 6 ECTS
(pour les cursus physique fondamentale en PNS3A)
Particle physics: relativistic kinematics, energy-momentum four-vectors, virtual particles, anti-particles.
Fundamental fermions; quarks, leptons and neutrinos. Fundamental bosons; electromagnetic, weak and strong interactions.
Feynman diagrams, coupling constants, cross-sections and decay rates.
Introduction to QED. Introduction to QCD; quark model, confinement and asymptotic freedom, meson and baryon resonances,
hadronizsation.
Introduction to Weak interactions; muon and tau decay, neutrino oscillations, weak decays of quarks, parity and CP non-conservation.
Production and decay of Z boson, unification of weak and electromagnetic interactions and introduction to the Higgs mechanism.
Nuclear physics: the nuclear force, nuclear structure, nuclear masses and binding energies, the semiempirical mass formula and its
uses, main properties of stable nuclei, the nuclear shell model.
Alpha, beta and gamma decay, radioactive decay chains. Fission and fusion: nuclear reactions, chain reactions, fission and fusion
reactors, nuclear reactions in stars.
OU
PO.3.2 Plasma physics
About 26 lectures
0,5 unit = 6 ECTS
Basic properties of plasmas: quasi-neutrality, Debye shielding, plasma oscillations, electromagnetic waves in plasmas.
Particle motion: guiding centre drifts, magnetisation, adiabatic invariants, magnetic mirrors.
Collisions: nature of inter-particle collisions in plasmas, resistivity, Bremsstrahlung.
Magnetohydrodynamics: MHD equations, magnetic tension/pressure, field line freezing and reconnection, MHD equilibria, Alfvén waves,
instabilities.
Fusion: background physics, break-even and ignition, the fusion power station.
Term 3
(avril-juin)
Avril
Interruption pédagogique : vacances et révisions
Mai
Révisions et début des examens (sur l’ensemble des matières de l’année)
Juin
Fin des examens (l’année se termine en général vers le 15 juin)