Catalogue of Courses & Student Handbook - SUPA

Condensed Matter and Material Physics
Theoretical Nanophysics (SUPATNP)
Lecturer: Ian Galbraith
Institution: Heriot-Watt
Hours Equivalent Credit: 24
Assessment: Continuous Assessment
This is a final year undergraduate course organised by Heriot-Watt
University.
Course Description
This course will focus on the theoretical description of nanophysics and
nanodevices where the small size plays a crucial role in determining
their properties and behaviours. The fundamental aim is to provide
the students with a working knowledge of contemporary theoretical
nanophysics. The course explains how nanophysical phenomena can
be modelled and predictions for behaviour made. The course will begin
with a review of solid state basics. The following topics will be covered:
correlations & coulomb effects in nanostructures; coulomb blockade;
coherent transport and Landauer-Büttiker formalism; carbon-based
nanostructures; nanothermodynamics density functional theory for
nanostructures. On completion of this module, the learner will be able to:
demonstrate a detailed knowledge and understanding of semiconductor
quantum devices; integrate previous knowledge from physics courses
with the topics discussed in the module; analyse advanced problems in
nanophysics; apply the theories of nano-scale devices to problems or
situations not previously encountered.
Quantum Scattering Theory at Low Energies (SUPAQST)
Lecturer: Manuel Valiente Cifuentes
Institution: Heriot-Watt
Hours Equivalent Credit: 6
Assessment: Exercises
Course Description
This course is an introduction to low-energy effective scattering in
non-relativistic Quantum Mechanics. After introducing the basic
formalism of general scattering theory, the basics of perturbative
renormalization will be introduced in a model-independent fashion.
These two preliminary chapters provide the necessary skills to tackle the
core part of the course, and are important by themselves. The main part
of the course introduces effective partial wave scattering at low energies.
This is done within the pseudopotential approach of Huang and Yang
as well as in the language of renormalization. Also, the novel method
of Tan’s distributions – which is very useful when tackling Fermi gases –
will be introduced for the first time in lecture format.
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