Universität Wien

260047 VU Matter-Waves (2024S)

5.00 ECTS (3.00 SWS), SPL 26 - Physik
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 15 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Tuesday 05.03. 14:45 - 17:15 Josef-Stefan-Hörsaal, Boltzmanngasse 5, 3. Stk., 1090 Wien
  • Tuesday 19.03. 14:45 - 17:15 Josef-Stefan-Hörsaal, Boltzmanngasse 5, 3. Stk., 1090 Wien
  • Tuesday 09.04. 14:45 - 17:15 Josef-Stefan-Hörsaal, Boltzmanngasse 5, 3. Stk., 1090 Wien
  • Tuesday 16.04. 14:45 - 17:15 Josef-Stefan-Hörsaal, Boltzmanngasse 5, 3. Stk., 1090 Wien
  • Tuesday 23.04. 14:45 - 17:15 Josef-Stefan-Hörsaal, Boltzmanngasse 5, 3. Stk., 1090 Wien
  • Tuesday 30.04. 14:45 - 17:15 Josef-Stefan-Hörsaal, Boltzmanngasse 5, 3. Stk., 1090 Wien
  • Tuesday 07.05. 14:45 - 17:15 Josef-Stefan-Hörsaal, Boltzmanngasse 5, 3. Stk., 1090 Wien
  • Tuesday 14.05. 14:45 - 17:15 Josef-Stefan-Hörsaal, Boltzmanngasse 5, 3. Stk., 1090 Wien
  • Tuesday 21.05. 14:45 - 17:15 Josef-Stefan-Hörsaal, Boltzmanngasse 5, 3. Stk., 1090 Wien
  • Tuesday 28.05. 14:45 - 17:15 Josef-Stefan-Hörsaal, Boltzmanngasse 5, 3. Stk., 1090 Wien
  • Tuesday 04.06. 14:45 - 17:15 Josef-Stefan-Hörsaal, Boltzmanngasse 5, 3. Stk., 1090 Wien
  • Tuesday 11.06. 14:45 - 17:15 Josef-Stefan-Hörsaal, Boltzmanngasse 5, 3. Stk., 1090 Wien
  • Tuesday 18.06. 14:45 - 17:15 Josef-Stefan-Hörsaal, Boltzmanngasse 5, 3. Stk., 1090 Wien

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

Matter-wave research started in 1923 with the idea by Louis de Broglie that all matter in motion should be associated with a wave like phenomenon. This bold hypothesis has meanwhile be proven to be true for electrons, neutrons, atoms, molecules up to large polypeptides, cluster of atoms and molecules and even for antimatter.
Quantum delocalization of matter challenges our understanding of reality and the meaning of measurement. It opens new avenues for applications in precision measurements of fundamental constants, as well as of atomic and molecular properties. It enables tests of gravitational phenomena with quantum particles and helps explore physics beyond the standard model. On the applied side it paves the way for nanoimaging techniques of bulk and surface structures and even soft biomatter.

1. Theory
2. Experimental techniques
3. Applied matter waves
4. Fundamental physics probed by matter waves

Aims:
Students will gather the knowledge and skills necessary to discuss matter-wave physics and to analyze state-of-the-art matter-wave experiments and applications both qualitatively and quantitatively.

This is a VU. Each week, 2 hours of the lecture will introduce the students to new content. The lecture is then complemented by 1 hour of exercises and also homework, in which students perform calculations, compute exercises, and read and present papers, that solidify the knowledge gained during the lecture.

Assessment and permitted materials

- In the first half of the course, weekly ungraded exercises will provide the required feedback and training that is necessary to discuss matter wave physics and experiments.
- In the second half of the course, weekly paper discussions will introduce the students to the state-of-the-art in matter wave science. Each student will have to present one paper.
- Presence in 80% of the exercises is mandatory.
- There will one written test (duration: 1.5 hours). You will be allowed to use a hand-written formulary (max. 1 A4 page).

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Presence in 80% of the exercises is mandatory.

The paper presentation shows in-depth knowledge about the research described in the paper, its context and relevance.

You pass the test with >50% of all possible points. The scale above that is linear.

Examination topics

All lecture and exercise material

Reading list

Lecture slides will be provided. The content will be collected from books on optics, electron optics, atomic physics, and molecular physics, as well as from research articles.

As an introduction, we recommend the following review articles:

Optics and interferometry with atoms and molecules, Alexander D. Cronin, Jörg Schmiedmayer, and David E. Pritchard, Rev. Mod. Phys. 81, 1051, (2009)

Colloquium: Quantum interference of clusters and molecules, Klaus Hornberger, Stefan Gerlich, Philipp Haslinger, Stefan Nimmrichter, and Markus Arndt, Rev. Mod. Phys. 84, 157 (2012)

Atom interferometry, Varenna Summer School eds. G. Tino and M. Kasevich
Publisher: IOS, Vol. 188 (2014)

Association in the course directory

M-VAF A 2, M-VAF B

Last modified: Fr 26.01.2024 10:46