Physics 578A General information

  578A: Excited State Electronic Structure and Response Functions
                                  
  Location: Physics/Astronomy B417

  Time: Tu 2:00 - 3:30 and Th 2:30 - 3:30 

  Instructors: J. Rehr, Office: B413 Physics, Tel. 543-8593
                     e-mail  jjr@phys.washington.edu
                  Office Hr: by appointment

  URL   http://www.phys.washington.edu/~jjr/578A

  Course description:

This course covers the emerging field of excited state electronic structure
and response functions, focusing both on modern many-body and computational
techniques.  In recent decades, computational condensed matter physics has
achieved enormous successes in describing ground-state properties, leading
for example to a Nobel Prize for the density functional theory of the ground
state to W. Kohn. However, quantitative and reliable descriptions of electronic
excitations and response functions are just emerging. The field is of
great current interest, as modern photon sources (synchrotrons, ultra-fast
lasers, etc.) and electron-microscopes now probe materials with unprecedented
resolution and offer the potential for many novel materials studies.
Materials research relies increasingly on computational modeling to interpret
experimental measurements.  Starting from a theoretical background on the
Green's functions and response functions of an interacting many-particle system,
the lecturer will develop the current techniques for dealing with systems
having moderate to large number of atoms and electrons.  For example, concepts
such as quasiparticles and spectral functions are used to replace the
conventional wave-function treatment of quantum mechanics.  The theory will be
illustrated with a number of applications to experiment including optical
and x-ray spectroscopy, photoemission, electron energy loss spectra, and
inelastic x-ray scattering.

  Prerequisites: Graduate Quantum Mechanics and E&M 

  Exams: In lieu of exams, this course will require a term paper not
  to exceed 10 pages on a topic relevant to the course.

  Homework: Occasional home work assignments will also be given.

  Grade: This is a CR/No-CR course; the term paper is 100 pts.