PHYS 485 :: Physics Illinois :: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Course Description

Overview

Physics 485 is a one-semester exploration of the core concepts of the celebrated quantum theory, which underlies our modern understanding of the physical world. We have two major goals in this course:

1. To build a reasonably rigorous working knowledge of the fundamentals of quantum physics. To that end, we will develop the conceptual and mathematical foundations of single-particle quantum physics (Schrodinger's equation, two-level systems, wavefunctions, interpretations, etc), work through classic exactly solvable systems (particle in a box, simple harmonic oscillator, hydrogen atom), and obtain an introduction to quantum statistics and associated many-body quantum phenomena.

2. To highlight the applications of quantum physics in a wide variety of fields in science and technology. Examples will be drawn from light and lasers; quantum tunneling and STMs; atomic structure and chemistry; astrophysical realms; MRI and Quantum Computation; Electrical properties of materials; Bose-Einstein condensation and superconductivity; and more...

Prerequisites for the course are MATH285 and PHYS214, or equivalent.

Course Team

Instructor: Prof. Smitha Vishveshwara--smivish@illinois.edu
Teaching Assistants:
Tahereh Mozafarishamsi--tahereh2@illinois.edu
Boyuan Zhu-- boyuanz@illinois.edu

If you would like to meet us, you can do so during our office hours and also meet the instructor briefly after classes.

Office Hours TBD

Course Components — Lectures

Lectures will be held in Loomis 158, 2:00-3.20pm on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Please consult the Schedule link for the specific breakdown of lectures and topics. The lectures will be a mix of Powerpoint, handwritten presentations, and brief discussions. Lecture slides will be posted on the Schedule link. While they will reflect the rich material covered in class, they are neither a substitute for taking notes nor are precise, authoritative references.

To make this a fullfilling experience for all of us, please participate! Be present, take an active interest in this beautiful subject matter, and ask questions that enhance learning. If you manage to nucleate discussion or study groups, those too can be a great way of exploring and assimilating these incredible topics.

Course Components — Assignments

The Schedule page gives you an overview of what to expect and when. There are two categories of assignments in this course:

Homework: 8 regular assignments, submitted via Gradescope. Release and due dates are indicated on the Schedule and will also be mentioned in class, including any changes that may come up
.Participation questions: A brief question in class, handwritten submission in class, therefore requiring attendance.

All assignments are submitted via Gradescope, which can be accessed through the corresponding link in this website's Menu. Some possibly useful links about Gradescope:

You are welcome to discuss the homework with your classmates, but all work must be your own. Plagiarism will not be tolerated, as per the campus student code. We expect work to be primarily coming from you and strongly discourage defaulting to AI tools.

Late Homework Policy: Late homework is accepted for partial credit. You will receive 50% of the points earned for an assignment submitted up to three days after the deadline ,except when indicated. Credit cannot be given after a solution set is posted.

Course Components — Examinations

This course will have two exams, both administered in-person:

Midterm exam: This will cover the first half of the course, and will occur in-class. It is tentatively scheduled for October 14th.
Final exam: This will cover the entire course, and is tentatively scheduled for December 15th.

If you have DRES accommodations relevant to your exam, please contact Prof. Vishveshwara with a CC to undergrad@physics.illinois.edu.

Equation Sheet: Link

Course Grading

Course grading will be out of a total of 1000 points, divided as follows:

Homework: 50%
Participation: 10%
Midterm: 15%
Final exam: 25%

Course grading will proceed in compliance with University policy, as given in Article 3, Part 1 of the Student Code.

Academic Integrity

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Student Code should also be considered as a part of this syllabus. All activities in this course, including documentation submitted for petition for an excused absence, are subject to the Academic Integrity rules as described in Article 1, Part 4, Academic Integrity, of the Student Code. Academic dishonesty may result in a failing grade. Do not hesitate to ask the instructor(s) if you are ever in doubt about what constitutes plagiarism, cheating, or any other breach of academic integrity.

Community Resources

Disability Accommodations

To obtain disability-related academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids, students with disabilities must contact the course instructor and the Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES) as soon as possible. To contact DRES you may visit 1207 S. Oak St., Champaign, call 217-333-1970 (V/TTY), or e-mail a message to disability@illinois.edu.

Mental Health Resources

The department has assembled a Mental Health Resources page, which links a variety of resources available to students.

Run > Hide > Fight

Emergencies can happen anywhere and at any time. It is important that we take a minute to prepare for a situation in which our safety or even our lives could depend on our ability to react quickly. For useful information, please see this handout from the UI Police.