PHYS261-Atomic Physics and Physical Optics - Fall Term 2013

Study materials:
There will be distributed detailed notes during the lecture period (for both parts).
References to other books and texts will be given throughout the lectures.
It is not necessary to purchase a specific book.

Exam:
The examination is oral and will take place in the first part of December. The precise date will be agreed on,
depending on the needs of the students.

Atomic physics Part PHYS261


0. Physics of atoms - Introduction

History
Hydrogen and hydrogen-like ions
Quantum Mechanics
Textbook facts, Schrödinger Equation
Wavefunctions
Spectra, Selection rules
Rydberg atoms

1. Helium and two electron atoms

Coordinate system, Schrödinger Equation
Two electrons and spin
Helium spectra
Symmetry and Antisymmetry of wavefunctions
Parahelium and Orthohelium
Approximations to describe helium atom
Evaluation of repulsion term - Radial Integral
Exchange interaction
Variational method
Doubly excited states of Helium

2. Many electron atoms

Pauli-principle    and Hund’s rule
Antisymmetric functions for n-particles
Filling Shells 
Ionization energies
Hartree Method - Selfconsistent field
Configurations
Screened potential and Centrifugal barrier
Slater Determinants
        Helium example
        Lithium example - Counting nonzero terms
Schrödinger equation from variational method
Variational method - deriving Hartree-Fock Equations
Total energy and the selfconsistent orbital energies
Evaluation of electron repulsion    
Configuration mixing

3. Light - Atom Interaction

Overview of physical phenomena involved
Time dependent QM
Quantum Theory of Electromagnetic Field
Charged Particles In an Electromagnetic Field

Time dependent QM
Two-well problem vs One level in continuum
Time-Dependent Schrödinger Equation Perturbation theory for TDSE
Dirac delta-function
Fermi Golden Rule
Density of States
Constant rate and exponential decay
Line width from exponential decay
Golden Rule Simulator Time-Dep.  Schrödinger Eq. in Simulator

Quantum Theory of Electromagnetic Field
Eigenmodes for coupled vibrations.
Algebraic Method for Harmonic Oscillator
Quantum Theory of extended systems - fields  

Charged Particles In an Electromagnetic Field
The Hamiltonian of Interaction

Emission of Radiation by Excited Atom
The matrix element reduction
Dipole Approximation
Detailed Evaluation of Emission rate
Final W = 1 / T result ( T - lifetime )
Stimulated emission

Physical Optics Part PHYS261

  1. Maxwell’s Equations
  2. Pulse Propagation in a Dispersive Medium
  3. Harmonic Plane Waves - Polarisation
  4. Reflection and refraction of a plane wave
  5. Generalisation of the reflection law and Snell’s law
  6. Reflectance and transmittance
  7. Unpolarised light (natural light)
  8. Rotation of the plane of polarisation upon reflection and refraction
  9. Boundary Value Problems
  10. Rayleigh-Sommerfeld’s and Kirchhoff’s diffraction integrals
  11. Diffraction problems
  12. Focusing and imaging
  13. Electromagnetic radiation problems
  14. Asymptotic diffraction theory