Physics with European Language MSci

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.

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.

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. 

This year-long module will train you in the mathematical modelling of physical processes. You’ll cover topics such as basic statistics and errors, dimensional analysis, curve sketching, orders of magnitude and estimates, and integrating problems in physics among others.

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!

In this module you will explore the concepts of scalar and vector fields. You will learn the mathematics of vector calculus, which give us a powerful tool for studying the properties of fields and understanding their physics.

You will then study its application in two important and contrasting areas of physics: fluid dynamics, and electromagnetism. We use examples such as water draining from a sink or wind in a tornado to provide intuitive illustrations of the application of vector calculus, which can then help us to understand the behaviour of electric and magnetic fields.

You’ll study:

• The fundamental principles and techniques of vector calculus, and methods to visualise and calculate the properties of scalar and vector fields
• The application of vector calculus to fluid flow problems
• Maxwell’s equations of electrodynamics, and their applications in electrostatics, magnetic fields and electromagnetic waves.

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

In this module you will develop your experimental technique and gain experience of some key instruments and methods. The experiments will cover electrical measurements, optics and radiation. You will also learn how to use a computer to control experiments and to record data directly from measuring instruments.

In this module you will further develop your laboratory skills.

• You will learn how to create software to perform automated laboratory experiments, such as driving a robot buggy, measuring the time taken for heat to flow through a thin metal sheet, and developing a sensitive temperature controller.
• You will explore topics at greater depth by performing open-ended laboratory investigations in areas such as chaos, quantum physics, elementary particles, x-ray and gamma radiation, and magnetic resonance imaging.

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

After more than 200 hundred years of Newtonian gravity, Einstein revolutionised the way we view space and time. This module will introduce you to the key concepts and tools used to describe gravitational physics as set down in General Relativity.

You’ll study:

• How geometry plays a central role in physical measurements
• How to compute the paths of objects in curved spacetime
• The spacetime geometry of black holes

This module will explain how the intrinsic spin of nuclei and electrons is exploited in magnetic resonance experiments. It will describe the classical and quantum pictures of the phenomenon of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and show why NMR forms such a powerful analytical tool, today. Basic electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) will also be described, along with the equipment used for NMR and EPR, and some applications of these techniques. 

In this module you'll gain an appreciation of the broad societal impact of physics (and science in general). You'll be introduced to the politics surrounding science policy (on, e.g., global warming/renewable energy R&D) and research funding. You'll also explorre some of the key ideas in the philosophy of physics and science, particularly as they relate to public perception of scientific research.

Modern science is data rich. For example, it’s not uncommon for a single experiment to generate terabytes, or even petabytes of data. As scientists, one of the major challenges we face is to collapse these vast data archives into meaningful information that we can understand, and use to draw conclusions.

In this module, you will learn the critical mathematical techniques that are used to do this. We will cover techniques from simple image processing, all the way to advanced blind source separation and machine learning. You will then put these techniques into practice, in a data processing project that may range from satellite imaging to measuring the amount of information stored by the human brain.

This module will develop the modern theoretical description of phase transitions and critical phenomena and provide an introduction to the dynamics of non-equilibrium systems. Topics to be covered will include:

 • ordered phases of matter;

 •  order parameters;

 •  scaling behaviour at critical points;

 •  mean-field approaches;

 •  finite-size scaling;

 • stochastic processes;

 • Langevin dynamics and the Fokker-Planck equation.
Applications, both within and beyond, condensed matter physics will be discussed.

Electronic devices such as transistors and light emitting diodes are the basic building blocks of the technology that underpins all aspects of the modern world.

Previous modules on Solid State Physics and Semiconductor Physics should have given you a good understanding of how these devices work. The move to make these building blocks ever smaller leads us into regimes where we have to treat the quantum nature of electrons in solids much more seriously.

Research in this area has led to the development of entirely new types of electronic devices such as quantum well lasers. It has also uncovered entirely new physical phenomena like the quantum Hall effects. It is this new physics and its applications that is the topic of this module.

You will study:

• The quantum theory of electrical transport in solids – elastic and inelastic scattering, conductance quantization
• Quantum confinement – technology for producing 2d, 1d and 0d electronic systems
• Quantum interference phenomena – weak and strong localization, Aharonov Bohm effect
• Carbon Nanotubes and Graphene
• Quantum Dots – tunnelling, charging effects, optoelectronic applications
• Quantum Hall Effects and Topological Insulators.

This module develops a range of modern astronomical techniques through student-centered approaches to topical research problems. You’ll cover a range of topics related to ongoing research in astronomy and astrophysics, and will encompass theoretical and observational approaches. This module is based on individual and group student-led activities involving the solution of topical problems including written reports and exercises, and a project.

The module provides a detailed presentation of advanced research topics in nanoscience. The focus is on analysis of experimental data (workshops), self-guided study of current literature (literature review) and developing an experimental proposal (group project).

You’ll study:

• Atoms and molecules at surfaces: surfaces in ultra-high vacuum (UHV), characterisation of surfaces and molecules via scanning probe microscopy (SPM), diffusion at surfaces, on-surface synthesis.
• Near-field optics and optical spectroscopy: advanced optical microscopy, vibrational properties of molecules and nanomaterials, nearfield scanning probe optical microscopy.
• Magnetism at the Nanoscale: Magnetic ordering at the nanoscale, nanoscale magnetic imaging techniques and electrical control of magnetic order.

In earlier modules on quantum mechanics, the focus was mostly on individual quantum systems. In this module we will investigate quantum systems that can interact with each other. These will be solid-state devices in which the interactions and behaviours are engineered to create the desired properties. We will describe the theoretical and experimental techniques needed to create the solid-state devices that are now being used to make quantum computers and quantum sensors.

You’ll study:

• Composite quantum systems – quantum systems that are coupled together
• Superconducting quantum devices and their use in quantum computers
• Nanoelectromechanical systems and NV- defects in diamond
• Experiments that probe the boundary between quantum and classical physics.

This module introduces you to the key ideas behind modern approaches to our understanding of the role of inflation in the early and late universe, in particular through the formation of structure, the generation of anisotropies in the cosmic microwave background radiation, and the origin of dark energy. You’ll study through a series of staff lectures and student-led workshops.

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. 

This module will give you insights into how physics is applied in a range of academic and industrial environments including research to advance knowledge, product development and problem-solving.

How is physics used in the real world? This module will give you insights into how physics is applied in a range of academic and industrial environments including research to advance knowledge, product development and problem-solving.

You’ll gain:

• knowledge of the areas of research conducted in the School of Physics and Astronomy and their applications.
• insights into how physicists work in industry from presentations given by invited speakers from companies and national facilities
• experience of working in a team in which you will use the skills you have gained to solve problems such as those faced in industry.