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2012-13 Catalog: Applied Physics

Ch/APh 2

Introduction to Energy Sciences

9 units (4-0-5)   |  third term
Prerequisites: Ch 1 ab, Ph 1 ab, Ma 1 ab.
Energy production and transduction in biological, chemical, and nuclear reactions. Bioenergetics: energy sources and storage; components of biological energy flows: pumps, motors, and solar cells; circuitry of biological energy flows and biological energy transduction pathways. Chemistry of energy production and utilization: fossil fuel utilization and energy conversion pathways; artificial photosynthesis, solar cells, and solar energy conversion. Principles of nuclear energy production: nuclear energy decay processes, fission and fusion reactions, and reactor principles. Not offered on a pass/fail basis. Satisfies the menu requirement of the Caltech core curriculum. Not offered 2012-13.
APh/EE 9 ab

Solid-State Electronics for Integrated Circuits

6 units (2-2-2)   |  first, second terms
Prerequisites: Successful completion of APh/EE 9 a is a prerequisite for enrollment in APh/EE 9 b.
Introduction to solid-state electronics, including physical modeling and device fabrication. Topics: semiconductor crystal growth and device fabrication technology, carrier modeling, doping, generation and recombination, pn junction diodes, MOS capacitor and MOS transistor operation, and deviations from ideal behavior. Laboratory includes computer-aided layout, and fabrication and testing of light-emitting diodes, transistors, and inverters. Students learn photolithography, and use of vacuum systems, furnaces, and device-testing equipment.
Instructor: Scherer
APh 17 abc

Thermodynamics

9 units (3-0-6)   |  first, second, third terms
Prerequisites: Ma 1 abc, Ph 1 abc.
Introduction to the use of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics in physics and engineering. Entropy, temperature, and the principal laws of thermodynamics. Canonical equations of state. Applications to cycles, engines, phase and chemical equilibria. Probability and stochastic processes. Kinetic theory of perfect gases. Statistical mechanics. Applications to gases, gas degeneration, equilibrium radiation, and simple solids. Not offered 2012-13. APh majors are required to take Ph 12 instead.
APh 23

Demonstration Lectures in Optics

6 units (2-0-4)   |  second term
Prerequisites: Ph 1 abc.
This course cover fundamentals of optics with emphasis on modern optical applications, intended to exhibit basic optical phenomena including interference, dispersion, birefringence, diffraction, and laser oscillation, and the applications of these phenom-ena in optical systems employing two-beam and multiple-beam interferometry, Fourier-transform image processing, holography, electro-optic modulation, and optical detection and heterodyning. System examples to be selected from optical communications, radar, and adaptive optical systems.
Instructor: Yu
APh 24

Introductory Modern Optics Laboratory

6 units (0-4-2)   |  third term
Prerequisites: APh 23.
Laboratory experiments to acquaint students with the contemporary aspects of modern optical research and technology. Experiments encompass many of the topics and concepts covered in APh 23.
Instructor: Yu
APh 77 bc

Laboratory in Applied Physics

9 units (0-9-0)   |  second, third terms
Selected experiments chosen to familiarize students with laboratory equipment, procedures, and characteristic phenomena in plasmas, fluid turbulence, fiber optics, X-ray diffraction, microwaves, high-temperature superconductivity, black-body radiation, holography, and computer interfacing of experiments.
Instructor: Bellan
APh 78 abc

Senior Thesis, Experimental

9 units (0-9-0)   |  first, second, third terms
Prerequisites: instructor's permission.
Supervised experimental research, open only to senior-class applied physics majors. Requirements will be set by individual faculty member, but must include a written report. The selection of topic must be approved by the Applied Physics Option Representative. Not offered on a pass/fail basis. Final grade based on written thesis and oral exam.
Instructor: Staff
APh 79 abc

Senior Thesis, Theoretical

9 units (0-9-0)   |  first, second, third terms
Prerequisites: instructor's permission.
Supervised theoretical research, open only to senior-class applied physics majors. Requirements will be set by individual faculty member, but must include a written report. The selection of topic must be approved by the Applied Physics Option Representative. Not offered on a pass/fail basis. Final grade based on written thesis and oral examThis course cannot be used to satisfy the laboratory requirement in APh.
Instructor: Staff
APh 100

Advanced Work in Applied Physics

Units in accordance with work accomplished
Special problems relating to applied physics, arranged to meet the needs of students wishing to do advanced work. Primarily for undergraduates. Students should consult with their advisers before registering. Graded pass/fail.
Ae/APh/CE/ME 101 abc

Fluid Mechanics

9 units (3-0-6)   |  first, second, third terms
Prerequisites: APh 17 or ME 18, and ME 19 or equivalent, ACM 95/100 or equivalent (may be taken concurrently).
Fundamentals of fluid mechanics. Microscopic and macroscopic properties of liquids and gases; the continuum hypothesis; review of thermodynamics; general equations of motion; kinematics; stresses; constitutive relations; vorticity, circulation; Bernoulli's equation; potential flow; thin-airfoil theory; surface gravity waves; buoyancy-driven flows; rotating flows; viscous creeping flow; viscous boundary layers; introduction to stability and turbulence; quasi one-dimensional compressible flow; shock waves; unsteady compressible flow; and acoustics.
Instructors: Pullin, Dimotakis
Ae/APh 104 abc

Experimental Methods

9 units (3-0-6) first term   |  (1-3-5) second, third terms
Prerequisites: ACM 95/100 abc or equivalent (may be taken concurrently), Ae/APh/CE/ME 101 abc or equivalent (may be taken concurrently).
Lectures on experiment design and implementation. Measurement methods, transducer fundamentals, instrumentation, optical systems, signal processing, noise theory, analog and digital electronic fundamentals, with data acquisition and processing systems. Experiments (second and third terms) in solid and fluid mechanics with emphasis on current research methods.
Instructor: McKeon
APh/MS 105 abc

States of Matter

9 units (3-0-6)   |  first, second, third terms
Prerequisites: APh 17 abc or equivalent.
A survey emphasizing unifying concepts, such as order parameters, scaling laws, quasi-particle excitations, and correlation functions. Topics: long-range ordered states such as crystals, superfluids, and ferromagnets; phase transitions; critical phenomena; ideal classical and degenerate gases; theory of liquids; band theory of solids; fluctuations; noise. Part c taught concurrently with MS 106. Students may not receive credit for both MS 106 and APh/MS 105 c.
Instructors: Johnson, Fultz
APh 109

Introduction to the Micro/Nanofabrication Lab

9 units (0-6-3)   |  first, second, third terms
Introduction to techniques of micro-and nanofabrication, including solid-state, optical, and microfluidic devices. Students will be trained to use fabrication and characterization equipment available in the applied physics micro- and nanofabrication lab. Topics include Schottky diodes, MOS capacitors, light-emitting diodes, microlenses, microfluidic valves and pumps, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and electron-beam writing.
Instructor: Ghaffari
APh 110

Topics in Applied Physics

2 units (2-0-0)   |  first, second terms
A seminar course designed to acquaint advanced undergraduates and first-year graduate students with the various research areas represented in the option. Lecture each week given by a different member of the APh faculty, who will review his or her field of research. Graded pass/fail.
Instructor: Bellan
APh 114 abc

Solid-State Physics

9 units (3-0-6)   |  first, second, third terms
Prerequisites: Ph 125 abc or equivalent.
Introductory lecture and problem course dealing with experimental and theoretical problems in solid-state physics. Topics include crystal structure, symmetries in solids, lattice vibrations, electronic states in solids, transport phenomena, semiconductors, superconductivity, magnetism, ferroelectricity, defects, and optical phenomena in solids.
Instructors: Atwater, Schwab
APh/Ph 115

Physics of Momentum Transport in Hydrodynamic Systems

12 units (3-0-9)   |  first term
Prerequisites: ACM 95 or equivalent.
Contemporary research in many areas of physics requires some knowledge of the principles governing hydrodynamic phenomena such as nonlinear wave propagation, symmetry breaking in pattern forming systems, phase transitions in fluids, Langevin dynamics, micro- and optofluidic control, and biological transport at low Reynolds number. This course offers students of pure and applied physics a self-contained treatment of the fundamentals of momentum transport in hydrodynamic systems. Mathematical techniques will include formalized dimensional analysis and rescaling, asymptotic analysis to identify dominant force balances, similitude, self-similarity and perturbation analysis for examining unidirectional and Stokes flow, pulsatile flows, capillary phenomena, spreading films, oscillatory flows, and linearly unstable flows leading to pattern formation. Students must have working knowledge of vector calculus, ODEs, PDEs, complex variables and basic tensor analysis. Advanced solution methods will be taught in class as needed. Second term is APh/Ph/Ae 116.
Instructor: Troian
APh/Ph/Ae 116

Physics of Thermal and Mass Transport in Hydrodynamic Systems

12 units (3-0-9)   |  second term
Prerequisites: ACM 95 or equivalent and APh/Ph 115 or equivalent.
Contemporary research in many areas of physics requires some knowledge of how momentum transport in fluids couples to diffusive phenomena driven by thermal or concentration gradients. This course will first examine processes driven purely by diffusion and progress toward description of systems governed by steady and unsteady convection-diffusion and reaction-diffusion. Topics will include Fickian dynamics, thermal transfer in Peltier devices, Lifshitz-Slyozov growth during phase separation, thermocouple measurements of oscillatory fields, reaction-diffusion phenomena in biophysical systems, buoyancy driven flows, and boundary layer formation. Students must have working knowledge of vector calculus, ODEs, PDEs, complex variables and basic tensor analysis. Advanced solution methods such as singular perturbation, Sturm-Liouville and Green's function analysis will be taught in class as needed. First term is APh/Ph 115.
Instructor: Troian
MS/APh 120

Diffraction and Structure

9 units (3-0-6)   |  first term
Prerequisites: graduate standing or instructor's permission.
Content is identical to MS/APh 122 but without the laboratory exercises.
Instructor: Fultz
MS/APh 122

Diffraction, Imaging, and Structure

12 units (3-3-6)   |  second term
Principles of electron and X-ray diffraction, with applications for characterizing materials. Topics include scattering of electrons, X rays, and neutrons by atoms. Instrumentation for diffractometry and transmission electron microscopy. Kinematical theory of diffraction: effects of strain, size, disorder, and temperature. Crystal defects and their characterization. Autocorrelation functions in solids, and introduction to dynamical theory. A weekly laboratory complements the lectures. Not offered 2012-13.
APh/EE 130

Electromagnetic Theory

9 units (3-0-6)   |  first term
This course reviews EM theory and optical concepts that are frequently encountered. EM theory: tensor matrix, kDB space, Poynting theorem. Dispersion and absorption. Reflection at an interface. Nonlinear optics. Polarization: Jones matrix and Stokes vectors. Ray tracing: ABCD matrix, optical aberrations. Noise. Diffraction. Interferometry: system design, homodyne, heterodyne, spectral domain analysis. Not offered 2012-13.
EE/APh 131

Optical Wave Propagation

9 units (3-0-6)   |  second term
This course focuses on optical wave propagation and related applications. Topics to be covered include Huygens' principle, Fourier optics, Gaussian waves, imaging, gratings, spectroscopy, interferometry, Fabry-Perot cavities, coherence, holography, femtosecond optics, dispersion, Kramers-Kronig relation, Mie scattering theory, photonic band gaps, and near-field imaging.
Instructor: Crosignani
APh/EE 132

Optoelectronic Materials and Devices

9 units (3-0-6)   |  third term
Interaction of light and matter, spontaneous and stimulated emission, laser rate equations, mode-locking, Q-switching, semiconductor lasers. Optical detectors and amplifiers; noise characterization of optoelectronic devices. Propagation of light in crystals, electro-optic effects and their use in modulation of light; introduction to nonlinear optics. Optical properties of nanostructures. Not offered 2012-13.
APh 150

Topics in Applied Physics

Units to be arranged   |  first term
Content will vary from year to year, but at a level suitable for advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate students. Topics are chosen according to the interests of students and staff. Visiting faculty may present portions of this course.
Instructor: Schwab
APh 156 abc

Plasma Physics

9 units (3-0-6)   |  first, second, third terms
Prerequisites: Ph 106 abc or equivalent.
An introduction to the principles of plasma physics. A multitiered theoretical infrastructure will be developed consisting of the Hamilton-Lagrangian theory of charged particle motion in combined electric and magnetic fields, the Vlasov kinetic theory of plasma as a gas of interacting charged particles, the two-fluid model of plasma as interacting electron and ion fluids, and the magnetohydrodynamic model of plasma as an electrically conducting fluid subject to combined magnetic and hydrodynamic forces. This infrastructure will be used to examine waves, transport processes, equilibrium, stability, and topological self-organization. Examples relevant to plasmas in both laboratory (fusion, industrial) and space (magneto-sphere, solar) will be discussed.
Instructor: Bellan
BE/APh 161

Physical Biology of the Cell

12 units (3-0-9)   |  second term
Prerequisites: Ph 2 ab and ACM 95 abc, or background in differential equations and statistical and quantum mechanics, or instructor's written permission.
Physical models applied to the analysis of biological structures ranging from individual proteins and DNA to entire cells. Topics include the force response of proteins and DNA, models of molecular motors, DNA packing in viruses and eukaryotes, mechanics of membranes, and membrane proteins and cell motility.
Instructor: Phillips
BE/APh 162

Physical Biology Laboratory

12 units (0-6-6)   |  second term
Prerequisites: concurrent enrollment in BE/APh 161; limited to juniors and seniors who have completed the required BE courses.
This laboratory course accompanies BE/APh 161 and is built around experiments that amplify material covered in that course. Particular topics include background on techniques from molecular biology, mechanics of lipid bilayer vesicles, DNA packing in viruses, fluorescence microscopy of cells, experiments on cell motility, and the construction of genetic networks. Not offered 2012-13.
EE/APh 180

Nanotechnology

6 units (3-0-3)   |  second term
This course will explore the techniques and applications of nanofabrication and miniaturization of devices to the smallest scale. It will be focused on the understanding of the technology of miniaturization, its history and present trends towards building devices and structures on the nanometer scale. Examples of applications of nanotechnology in the electronics, communications, data storage and sensing world will be described, and the underlying physics as well as limitations of the present technology will be discussed.
Instructor: Scherer
BE/APh/Ph 181

Biological Interfaces, Transduction, and Sensing

9 units (3-0-6)   |  third term
Prerequisites: APh 105, Ph 129 or equivalent (students without a background in statistical physics are still encouraged to take the course-additional tutorial sessions will be arranged as needed).
Basic physics and chemical physics of interfaces between the fundamental realm of biology-molecules and cells-and the physical world. The course centers on processes that are essential for transduction to energy domains in which modern sensors operate. Information transfer from the biological realm to optical, electronic, and mechanical domains will be considered. Particular attention will be paid to both the sensitivity and the kinetics of transduction processes, and to how fluctuations affect and ultimately impose fundamental limits on such interactions.
Instructor: Roukes
APh/EE 183

Physics of Semiconductors and Semiconductor Devices

9 units (3-0-6)   |  third term
Principles of semiconductor electronic structure, carrier transport properties, and optoelectronic properties relevant to semiconductor device physics. Fundamental performance aspects of basic and advanced semiconductor electronic and optoelectronic devices. Topics include energy band theory, carrier generation and recombination mechanisms, quasi-Fermi levels, carrier drift and diffusion transport, quantum transport.
Instructor: Atwater
APh 190 abc

Quantum Electronics

9 units (3-0-6)   |  first, second, third terms
Prerequisites: Ph 125 or equivalent.
Generation, manipulations, propagation, and applications of coherent radiation. The basic theory of the interaction of electromagnetic radiation with resonant atomic transitions. Laser oscillation, important laser media, Gaussian beam modes, the electro-optic effect, nonlinear-optics theory, second harmonic generation, parametric oscillation, stimulated Brillouin and Raman scattering. Other topics include light modulation, diffraction of light by sound, integrated optics, phase conjugate optics, and quantum noise theory.
Instructors: Vahala, Yariv
APh 200

Applied Physics Research

Units in accordance with work accomplished
Offered to graduate students in applied physics for research or reading. Students should consult their advisers before registering. Graded pass/fail.
Ph/APh 223 abc

Advanced Condensed-Matter Physics

9 units (3-0-6)   |  second, third terms
Prerequisites: Ph 125 or equivalent, or instructor's permission.
Advanced topics in condensed-matter physics, emphasizing the application of formal quantum field theory and group theory methods to many-body systems. Selected topics may include path integral and canonical formalisms, Green's function techniques and Feynman diagrams, Fermi liquid theory, Luttinger liquid theory, symmetry breaking and Landau-Ginzburg theory of phase transitions, group theory and its applications, field theory for interacting bosons and superfluidity, superconductivity, Kondo effect, Hubbard and t-J models, gauge theory, fractional quantum Hall effect, anyons, and topological field theory.
Instructor: Yeh
APh 250

Advanced Topics in Applied Physics

Units and term to be arranged
Content will vary from year to year; topics are chosen according to interests of students and staff. Visiting faculty may present portions of this course.
Instructor: Staff
APh 300

Thesis Research in Applied Physics

Units in accordance with work accomplished
APh 300 is elected in place of APh 200 when the student has progressed to the point where his or her research leads directly toward a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Approval of the student's research supervisor and department adviser or registration representative must be obtained before registering. Graded pass/fail.
Published Date: July 28, 2022