General Information

Builds off of PHYS 3316 and goes into how quantum mechanics applies into more specific subfields of physics, such as atomic physics, solid state physics, particle physics, nuclear physics, quantum statistics, etc. It doesn’t introduce any new formalism or many new concepts apart from what was in PHYS 3316.

Prerequisites

PHYS 3316

Topics Covered

  • Physics of single and multi-electron atoms
  • Introduction to quantum statistics
  • Band theory of solids
  • Superconductivity
  • Nuclear structure
  • Elementary particle physics

Workload

Weekly problems sets. 2 lectures and 1 discussion section per week. 3 prelims and no final exam. Towards the end of the semester, you will write a 4-page final report of an application of quantum mechanics not covered already in class.

Not too difficult; Weekly problem sets of varying length; Very fun Take home prelim and final [Fall 2023]

General Advice

  • Office hours are a great place to be. Sometimes you need to go just to understand what the question is asking for. Collaborating with others is the way to succeed in this class! [Fall 2023]

Testimonials

Lectures can be a little unorganized, but detailed lecture notes are posted. There is a textbook but lecture notes cover the material pretty well. Discussion sections are very helpful in understanding the material. Very interesting problems in the psets and the exams. [Fall 2023]

Past Offerings

Semester Professor Median Grade Syllabus
Fall 2021 Yuval Grossman A- PHYS3317_FA21.pdf
Fall 2023 Yuval Grossman   PHYS3317_FA23.pdf