Physics Courses | 2024-2025 Graduate Catalog | SIU

Induced electromotive force, quasisteady currents and fields, Maxwell's equations, electromagnetic waves and radiation, with applications. Prerequisite: PHYS 320 with grade of C or better.

Credit Hours: 3

Coordinated two-hour lecture and four-hour laboratory study of electronics. Emphasis is on overall modern electronics and its applications in the experimental research laboratory setting. Topics include DC and AC circuit theory, measurement techniques, semiconductor active devices, operational amplifiers and feedback, digital circuits, Boolean algebra, microprocessors and large scale integration, digital to analog/analog to digital conversion, and data acquisition. Prerequisite: PHYS 203B or 205B and MATH 111 with a grade of C or better.

Credit Hours: 4

Structure of a crystalline solid; lattice vibrations and thermal properties; electrons in metals; band theory; electrons and holes in semiconductors; opto-electronic phenomena in solids; dielectric and magnetic properties; superconductivity. Prerequisite: PHYS 310, 320, and 430 with grade of C or better.

Credit Hours: 3

Properties of electromagnetic waves in space and media, polarization and interference phenomena and devices, electro- and magneto-optic effects, optical gain, and lasers. Prerequisite: PHYS 420 with grade of C or better.

Credit Hours: 3

An introduction to quantum phenomena, wells, barriers, Hydrogenic atoms, angular momentum and identical particles. Prerequisite: PHYS 305, 310, and 320 with a grade of C or better. Prior or concurrent enrollment in PHYS 420 is desirable.

Credit Hours: 3

Atomic spectra and structure; molecular spectra and structure. Prerequisite: PHYS 430 with a grade of C or better.

Credit Hours: 3

Basic nuclear properties and structure; radioactivity, nuclear excitation, and reactions, nuclear forces; fission and fusion. Prerequisite: PHYS 430 with grade of C or better.

Credit Hours: 3

Applications of quantum mechanics to include time-independent and time-dependent perturbation theory, variational methods, introduction to solid-state physics and materials. Prerequisite: PHYS 430 with grade of C or better.

Credit Hours: 3

Laws of thermodynamics; Principles and Applications of Classical and Quantum Statistical Mechanics; Introduction to Phase Transitions. Prerequisites: PHYS 305 and PHYS 301 both with a grade of C or better; MATH 251 with a grade of C or better.

Credit Hours: 3

Introduces students to experimental research and encourages them to develop and carry out experiments. Prerequisite: PHYS 305 and PHYS 355 with a grade of C or better. Lab fee: $50.

Credit Hours: 3

Properties of laser beams and resonators, fluorescence and two photon spectroscopy, diffraction, Fourier transformation and frequency filtering, electro- and magneto-optic modulation, fiber propagation and related experiments. Prerequisite: PHYS 428 with grade of C or better.

Credit Hours: 2

Each student chooses or is assigned a definite investigative project or topic. Prerequisite: PHYS 310, 320 or consent of instructor.

Credit Hours: 1-3

These courses are advanced special topics in physics designed to enable undergraduate and graduate students to become well-versed in a particular and current research area of physics with the intention of preparing them for future research and/or industrial applications. They are offered as the need arises and interest and time permit. Students are required to give presentations. Special approval needed from the instructor.

Credit Hours: 3-6

This course provides an introduction to how physics principles and techniques are applied to study and describe complex and emergent processes found at the biological and biomolecular level. This course combines several topics not usually covered in standard undergraduate science courses to qualify and quantify cell structure, mechanics, dynamics, self-assembly, and biological functionality. Prerequisites: Two semesters of an introductory physics sequence (PHYS 203A,B or PHYS 205A,B) with minimum grades of C, MATH 150 or concurrent enrollment.

Credit Hours: 3

This course provides foundational knowledge in the usage of computers for solving natural problems in different types of physical systems. The class will give a thorough understanding of various numerical techniques such as interpolating/extrapolating data, integrating ordinary and partial differential equations, and solving linear algebra problems. Students will be guided to write programs for solving several applied physics problems in classical and modern physics. A brief survey of High Performance Computing will also be presented giving students a working knowledge of scientific computing. Prerequisites: Two semesters of an introductory physics sequence (PHYS 203A,B or PHYS 205A,B), with minimum grades of C and concurrent enrollment in PHYS 305. PHYS 301, PHYS 310 and PHYS 320 are not required but recommended.

Credit Hours: 3

This course will serve as an introductory course in Materials Science and Nanoscale Physics. Topics to be covered include: The need for studying Materials Science, classification of materials, advanced concepts in materials manufacturing, modern materials, nanoscale materials, electrical, thermal, magnetic and optical properties of materials, tailoring materials for application development, Techniques of Materials characterization, Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology, and Societal Impact. Prerequisites: Two semesters of an introductory physics sequence (PHYS 203A,B or PHYS 205A,B), with minimum grades of C, MATH 150 or concurrent enrollment.

Credit Hours: 3

This course provides an introduction to the theory of quantum entanglement and its use in quantum information science, especially for the task of communication. Topics include quantum teleportation, entanglement measures, and nonlocality. Prerequisite: MATH 221 with a grade of C or better.

Credit Hours: 3

Vector spaces and operators in physics. Hilbert spaces and complete orthonormal sets of functions. Elements and applications of the theory of analytic functions. Methods for the solution of partial differential equations of physics.

Credit Hours: 3

Vector spaces and operators in physics. Hilbert spaces and complete orthonormal sets of functions. Elements and applications of the theory of analytic functions. Methods for the solution of partial differential equations of physics.

Credit Hours: 3

Generalized coordinates and forces. Lagrangian, Hamiltonian, and variational formulations of mechanics. Noether's Theorem. Central forces, oscillations.

Credit Hours: 3

Determination of static, electrostatic, and magnetostatic fields. Microscopic and macroscopic theory of insulators and conductors. Maxwell's equations; radiation, propagation and scattering of electromagnetic waves. Electrodynamics and special theory of relativity. Selected topics.

Credit Hours: 3

Determination of static, electrostatic, and magnetostatic fields. Microscopic and macroscopic theory of insulators and conductors. Maxwell's equations; radiation, propagation and scattering of electromagnetic waves. Electrodynamics and special theory of relativity. Selected topics.

Credit Hours: 3

Basic principles; the harmonic oscillator and the hydrogen atom; scattering; approximation and perturbation methods; spin, statistics.

Credit Hours: 3

Basic principles; the harmonic oscillator and the hydrogen atom; scattering; approximation and perturbation methods; spin, statistics.

Credit Hours: 3

Quantum theory of radiation; applications of field theory to elementary particles; covariant quantum electrodynamics; renormalization; special topics. Content varies somewhat with instructor. Prerequisite: PHYS 530. Special approval needed.

Credit Hours: 3

Recent experimental methods in atomic and molecular spectroscopy with applications. Detailed quantum mechanical and group theoretical treatment of atomic and molecular systems. Reactions between atomic systems. Special approval needed from the instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

Principles of classical and quantum equilibrium statistics; fluctuation phenomena; special topics in equilibrium and non-equilibrium phenomena.

Credit Hours: 3

Principles of classical and quantum equilibrium statistics; fluctuation phenomena; special topics in equilibrium and non-equilibrium phenomena.

Credit Hours: 3

Using modern computers to solve physics problems. Integration of ordinary and partial differential equations, interpolation and extrapolation, finite element analysis, linear and nonlinear equations, eigensystems, optimization, root finding, Monte Carlo simulations, etc.

Credit Hours: 3

Fundamental properties and systematics of nuclei, scattering theory, nuclear two-body problem, nuclear models, nuclear many-body problem, electromagnetic properties of nuclei, radioactivity, nuclear reactions. Prerequisite: PHYS 530. Special approval needed from the instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

Fundamental concepts in solid state physics. Lattice vibrations, band theory of solids, the Fermi surface, dynamics of electrons. Transport, cohesive, optical, magnetic and other properties of solids. Special approval needed from the instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

Fundamental concepts in solid state physics. Lattice vibrations, band theory of solids, the Fermi surface, dynamics of electrons. Transport, cohesive, optical, magnetic and other properties of solids. Special approval needed from the instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

Each student works on a definite investigative topic under the supervision of a faculty sponsor. The projects are taken from the current research in the department. Resourcefulness and initiative are required. Graded S/U only. Special approval needed from the instructor.

Credit Hours: 1-9

The courses reflect special research interests of the faculty and current developments in physics. They are offered as the need arises and interest and time permit. Students are required to give presentations. Special approval needed from the instructor.

Credit Hours: 1-4

Lectures on special topics by students, faculty, or invited scholars; participation is required of all graduate students. For credit each student may present a seminar in the form of a lecture on a theoretical or experimental topic, a demonstration experiment or apparatus critique. Graded S/U only.

Credit Hours: 1

Maximum credit 50 hours. Graded S/U only. Special approval needed from the instructor.

Credit Hours: 1-9

Credit Hours: 1-6

Minimum 24 credit hours required for Ph.D. degree. Special approval needed from the instructor.

Credit Hours: 1-30

For those graduate students who have not finished their degree programs and who are in the process of working on their dissertation, thesis, or research paper. The student must have completed a minimum of 24 hours of dissertation research, or the minimum thesis, or research hours before being eligible to register for this course. Concurrent enrollment in any other course is not permitted. Graded S/U or DEF only.

Credit Hours: 1

One credit hour per semester. Concurrent enrollment in any other course is not permitted. Must be a Postdoctoral Fellow.

Credit Hours: 1