260052 VU Engineered quantum many-body systems (2024S)

This is a rather practically-minded course on advanced topics in theoretical quantum many-body physics with a focus on synthetic quantum systems. We will touch on topics of current research and get acquainted with methods to treat the interplay of interactions, topology, and disorder as well as their control by means of driving, dissipation, and feedback.

By the end of the course, you will have a first understanding of some of the questions in quantum science and technology, the language to describe, and the tools to address them.

Planned topics include elements of quantum dynamics (adiabatic evolution, Landau-Zener transitions, Berry phase), second quantization (bosons and fermions, Bogoliubov theory, Kitaev chain), open quantum systems (quantum noise approach, Lindblad equation), introduction to topological phases, quantum phase transitions, and reservoir engineering (Bose-Hubbard model, Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model, Hatano-Nelson model).

The course format will combine lecture units and exercises.