Graduate Course Offering

Colorado State University 2021-2022 Course Catalog

Core Courses

PH 571 Math Methods

Credits: 3    Prerequisite: MATH 340

Vector analysis, eigenvalues and eigenvectors, infinite series, method of Frobenius, complex variables, contour integration.

PH 621 Classical Mechanics

Credits: 3    Prerequisite: (PH 341) and (PH 571, may be taken concurrently)

Central forces, scattering, noninertial reference frames, Coriolis force, Lagrange’s and Hamilton’s equations, small oscillations, continuum mechanics.

PH 641 Electromagnetism I

Credits: 3    Prerequisite: (PH 351) and (PH 571)

Electrostatics in a vacuum and a medium, general solution of Laplace’s equation, Green’s functions, magnetostatics in a vacuum and a medium.

PH 642 Electromagnetism II

Credits: 3    Prerequisite: PH 641

Maxwell’s equations, electromagnetic waves, radiation by accelerated charges, special relativity, Lagrangian formulation of electromagnetism.

PH 651 Quantum Mechanics I

Credits: 3    Prerequisite: (PH 452) and (PH 571, may be taken concurrently)

WKB theory, Heisenberg picture, 3D wells, hydrogen atom, time-independent perturbation theory, angular momentum and spin, Clebsch-Gordan coefficients.

PH 652 Quantum Mechanics II

Credits: 3    Prerequisite: PH 651

Wigner-Eckhart theorem, symmetries, density matrix, identical particles, interaction picture, time-dependent perturbation theory, scattering.

PH 671 Statistical Mechanics

Credits: 3    Prerequisite: (PH 452 and PH 462) and (PH 571, may be taken concurrently)

Canonical and grand-canonical ensembles; Maxwell-Boltzmann, Bose-Einstein, and Fermi-Dirac statistics; density operator; Bose-Einstein condensation.

Elective Courses

Introductory Electives

PH 521 Introduction to Lasers (AMO)

Credits: 3    Prerequisite: (MATH 340 and PH 353) and (CHEM 476 or PH 451)

Stimulated emission; laser resonators; theory of laser oscillation; specific laser systems; applications.

PH 531 Introduction to Solid State Physics (CMP)

Credits: 3    Prerequisite: PH 451 and PH 361

Crystal structures and bonding, electronic levels and vibrations, dielectric, optical and magnetic properties, quasiparticles, superconductivity.

PH 561 Elementary Particle Physics (HEPPA)

Credits: 3    Prerequisite: PH 451

Particle interactions and detection techniques. Quark model, scattering models and standard model of electroweak interactions, physics of colliders.

Advanced Electives

PH 631 Solid State Physics

Credits: 3    Prerequisite: PH 531

Selected topics in modern condensed matter physics. Examples include topological phases of matter, superconductivity, heavy fermions, density functional theory, surfaces and interfaces.

PH 731 Condensed Matter Theory

Credits: 3    Prerequisite: (PH 462) and (PH 531) and (PH 652)

Second quantization; electrons; phonons; electron-phonon interaction; superconductivity; magnetism; spin waves; density-functional methods; symmetry.

PH 722 Quantum Electronics

Credits: 3    Prerequisite: PH 521

One- and two-photon spectroscopy; broadening mechanisms; nonlinear optics; coherent phenomena; experimental methods.

PH 762 Elementary Particle Theory

Credits: 3    Prerequisite: PH 561 and PH 652

Symmetries, electrodynamics, renormalization, and the running coupling constant. Hadron structure, QCD, gauge symmetry and electroweak interaction.

PH 770 Quantum Theory

Credits: 3    Prerequisite: PH 652

Formal scattering theory; relativistic quantum mechanics, quantum theory of radiation, symmetries and statistics, many-body theory.

Other Courses

Course Advisory Form 

PH 692 Seminar

Credit: 1    Prerequisite: None

PH 693 Current Topics in Physics Research

Credits: 3    Prerequisite: None

Preparatory course for developing research content to pass masters oral presentation.

PH 698 Research (Pre-MS research)

Credits: Var[1-18]    Prerequisite: None

PH 699 Thesis (for Plan A MS)

Credits: Var[1-18]    Prerequisite: None

PH 784 Supervised College Teaching

Credits: Var[1-5]    Prerequisite: None

Supervised teaching of general physics laboratory and recitation sections.

PH 799 Dissertation (Post-MS research)

Credits: Var[1-18]    Prerequisite: None