Catalogue of Courses & Student Handbook - SUPA

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Photonics Semiclassical Theory of Atom Light Interactions (SUPASTA) Lecturer: Gian-Luca Oppo Institution: Strathclyde Hours Equivalent Credit: 24 Assessment: Essay & Continuous Assessment (70%) & Oral Presentation (30%) Course Description The course is beneficial to students interested in the interaction of laser light with materials. It provides useful theoretical and numerical skills that have become basics in many research fields in photonics, quantum information processes, light-matter interaction and their applications. Topics covered include: Second Quantization, Raising and Lowering Operators, Density Matrix Approach, Two and Three Level Atoms, Electromagnetically Induced Transparency, Coherent Population Trapping, Enhanced Refractive Indices, Slow Light, Sub-natural Line Widths, Self-Focusing, Propagation and Cavity Solitons, Parametric Down-Conversion and Four Wave Mixing. Ultrafast Photonics (SUPAUPH) Lecturer: Derryck Reid Institution: Heriot-Watt Hours Equivalent Credit: 10 Assessment: Online Assessment This is a Distance Learning Course. Course Description Pico/femtosecond techniques. Standing wave and travelling wave resonators. Active and passive modelocking schemes. Saturable gain and loss. Nonlinear optical effects for enhanced modelocking. Application examples and measurement techniques associated with ultrashort laser pulses. 25
Physics and Life Sciences Introducing Biology to Physicists (SUPAIBP) Lecturer: Timothy Newman Institution: Dundee Hours Equivalent Credit: 20 Assessment: Attendance, quizzes and short research project Course Description An overview of fundamental areas of biology for students with little biology background, emphasizing evolution, connections between length and time scales in biology, and the potential role of physics to inform biology at all of these different scales. Introduction: what is life?, Darwin’s theory of evolution, Mendelian genetics, tree of life, basics of prokaryotic cells, basics of eukaryotic cells. Biochemistry and molecular biology: structure and functions of proteins, structure of DNA, DNA replication, transcription, translation, protein folding. Cell biology: membrane structure, membrane transport, metabolism and mitochondria, cytoskeleton, cell cycle. Multicellular organisms: germ cells, fertilisation, development. Populations: introduction to ecology, population genetics and evolution. The Theme of Physics and Life Sciences (PaLS) covers a large breadth of both physical and life sciences. As students come from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, and are pursuing diverse PhD projects, the exact courses to be taken should be discussed with the student’s individual supervisor. Students are also invited to select relevant courses from any of the themes and or to take appropriate and relevant non-SUPA courses within their home institution, but it is essential that the appropriate assessment (in the form of examination, written assignment or oral assignment) be discussed and agreed with the PaLS Theme Leader (Kishan Dholakia) in advance. Semester 1 Biophotonics (SUPABIP) Lecturer: Kishan Dholakia and Carlos Penedo-Esteiro Institution: St Andrews Hours Equivalent Credit: 33 Assessment: Attendance, news and views article. This is a final year undergraduate course organised by University of St Andrews. Course Description The module will expose students to the exciting opportunities offered by applying photonics methods and technology to biomedical sensing and detection. A rudimentary biological background will be provided where needed. Topics include fluorescence microscopy and assays including time-resolved applications, super-resolution imaging, optical tweezers for cell sorting and DNA manipulation, single molecule studies, photodynamic therapy, lab-on-a-chip concepts and bio-MEMS. Two thirds of the module will be taught as lectures, including guest lectures by specialists, with the remaining third consisting of problem-solving exercises, such as writing a specific news piece on a research paper, assessed tutorial sheets and a presentation. A visit to a biomedical research laboratory at St Andrews using various photonics methods will also be arranged. Collective Dynamics in Biophysical Systems (SUPACDB) Lecturer: Antonio Politi and Francesco Ginelli Institution: Aberdeen Hours Equivalent Credit: 12 Assessment: Oral Presentation Course Description The spontaneous emergence of collective behaviour is a universal property of biological systems that requires a proper theoretical and modelling framework to be fully understood. Our approach aims at showing that minimal models may capture many properties of collective biological phenomena. Minimal model are based on the essential features of the system at hand, such as conservation laws and symmetries, and allow for a deeper understanding of the universal mechanisms lying behind many biological problems. We plan to introduce the basic concepts and tools – both analytical and numerical -- of this approach by analysing two different classes of systems exhibiting non-trivial collective dynamics, both at the forefront of current research: Neural networks – Brain can be described as a network of mathematical models of single neurons, suitably coupled through various kinds of synaptic connections. Various issues must be considered: single neuron dynamics (above/below threshold, number of local variables); synaptic connections (excitatory vs. inhibitory, synaptic own dynamics); network structures (random, scale free, sparse coupling, etc.). The various classes of collective dynamics are discussed. (ii) Active matter -- Active matter is composed of particles able to self propel themselves in a systematic way by extracting and dissipating energy from their surroundings. Systems of interacting active particles describe the collective motion observed in systems as diverse as animal groups (bird flocks, fish school, etc.), bacteria, molecular motors, as well as driven granular matter. 26
Page 2 and 3: Introduction to the Scottish Univer
Page 4 and 5: Table of Contents SUPA Contacts Pag
Page 6 and 7: SUPA Graduate School Basics Course
Page 8 and 9: Frequently Asked Questions What is
Page 10 and 11: Astronomy and Space Physics Semeste
Page 12 and 13: Astronomy and Space Physics Semeste
Page 14 and 15: Condensed Matter and Material Physi
Page 16 and 17: Condensed Matter and Material Physi
Page 18 and 19: Energy Semester 2 Energy is a new t
Page 20 and 21: Nuclear and Plasma Physics Nuclear
Page 22 and 23: Particle Physics Group Theory (SUPA
Page 24 and 25: Particle Physics Lattice QCD (SUPAL
Page 28 and 29: Physics and Life Sciences Semester
Page 30 and 31: Core Skills Courses Semester 1 C++/
Page 32 and 33: Core Skills Courses Semester 2 Adva
Page 34 and 35: Student Funding This page details t
Page 36 and 37: Getting Started with Videoconferenc
Page 38: Notes

Catalogue of Courses & Student Handbook - SUPA

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