This unit covers two topics basic to an understanding of the physical universe we live in.
The first part of the unit deals with the classical theory of electromagnetism, which is the first successful unified theory in physics. The second part deals with the fascinating world of quantum physics.
The electromagnetism part of the unit is an extension of the work covered in PHYS202, taking you further through the development of this exact theory, from the encapsulation of the original experimental results into the single set of equations by Maxwell, through to the prediction of a natural wave associated with electromagnetic fields, including light and radio waves. You will be shown how the theory offers solutions to every conceivable problem in electromagnetism and optics, from the research environment through to that of industry. Topics include special techniques for calculating potentials, scalar and vector potentials, Maxwell's equations for electrodynamics, energy and momentum in electrodynamics (Poynting's theorem), electromagnetic wave equations, and the theory of waveguides.
The second half of the unit is concerned with providing a modern introduction to quantum mechanics, one of the most extraordinarily successful theories of modern physics. As well as being the theory that underlies most of modern physics, it also provides a viewpoint about the nature of the physical world that is completely at odds with our familiar concepts. The material covered here aims to provide an introduction to the basic ideas of quantum mechanics and the mathematical language that is needed to describe the new physics it contains. A general perspective, inspired by the Feynman approach to quantum mechanics and based on an early introduction of the Dirac formalism, is adopted. The abstract notion of a state is developed and expressed in terms of the Dirac notation. Linear superpositions of states, probability amplitudes and probabilities, operations on states, Hermitian operators and observables, and the time development of quantum systems, are some of the topics considered. Double-slit interference, the Stern-Gerlach experiment, and simple two-state and three-state systems are used to illustrate the general principles.
Extensive laboratory work is a substantial core activity in this unit, giving you the opportunity to explore these topics using state-of-the-art measurement techniques.
