Master

The Master of Science degree prepares you optimally for further continuation to a Ph.D. program in physics. It is awarded after completion of 30 credits of graduate coursework which include the following required courses:

and two additional elective courses, chosen in consultation with an academic advisor. These courses may be used to conduct research to graduate with an MS Thesis (PEP 900.) Courses with material already covered in undergraduate preparation must be replaced in consultation with an academic advisor.

Intermediate Waves and Optics
The general study of field phenomena; scalar and vector fields and waves; dispersion phase and group velocity; interference, diffraction and polarization; coherence and correlation; geometric and physical optics. Typical text: Hecht and Zajac, Optics. Spring semester.

Modern Optics Lab

The course is designed to familiarize students with a range of optical instruments and their applications. Included will be the measurement of aberrations in optical systems, thin-film properties, Fourier transform imaging systems, nonlinear optics, and laser beam dynamics.

Fall term. This course may sometimes be offered in the spring term if space

Photonics I
This course will cover topics encompassing the fundamental subject matter for the design of optical systems. Topics will include optical system analysis, optical instrument analysis, applications of thin-film coatings and opto-mechanical system design in the first term. The second term will cover the subjects of photometry and radiometry, spectrographic and spectrophotometric systems, infrared radiation measurement and instrumentation, lasers in optical systems and photon-electron conversion. Typical texts: Military Handbook 141 (U.S. Govt. Printing Office); S.P.I.E Reprint Series (Selected Issues); W.J. Smith, Modern Optical Engineering .

Photonics II
This course will cover topics encompassing the fundamental subject matter for the design of optical systems. Topics will include optical system analysis, optical instrument analysis, applications of thin-film coatings and opto-mechanical system design in the first term. The second term will cover the subjects of photometry and radiometry, spectrographic and spectrophotometric systems, infrared radiation measurement and instrumentation, lasers in optical systems and photon-electron conversion. Typical texts: Military Handbook 141 (U.S. Govt. Printing Office); S.P.I.E Reprint Series (Selected Issues); W.J. Smith, Modern Optical Engineering .

Mathematical Methods of Science and Engineering I
Fourier series, Bessel functions, and Legendre polynomials as involved in the solution of vibrating systems; tensors and vectors in the theory of elasticity; applications of vector analysis to electrodynamics; vector operations in curvilinear coordinates; numerical methods of interpolation and of integration of functions and differential equations.

Electromagnetism
Electrostatics; Coulomb-Gauss law; Poisson-Laplace equations; boundary value problems; image techniques;dielectric media; magnetostatics; multipole expansion; electromagnetic energy; electromagnetic induction; Maxwell’s equations; electromagnetic waves, radiation, waves in bounded regions, wave equations and retarded solutions; simple dipole antenna radiation theory; transformation law of electromagnetic fields. Spring semester. Typical text: Reitz, Milford and Christy, Foundation of Electromagnetic Theory.

Quantum Mechanics II

Basic concepts of quantum mechanics, states, operators; time development of Schrödinger and Heisenberg pictures; representation theory; symmetries; perturbation theory; systems of identical particles, L-S and j-j coupling; fine and hyperfine structure; scattering theory; molecular structure.

Spring semester.

Typical texts: Gottfried, Quantum Mechanics, Schiff, Quantum Mechanics.

Laser Theory and Design

An introductory course to the theory of lasers; treatment of spontaneous and stimulated emission, atomic rate equations, laser oscillation conditions, power output and optimum output coupling; CW and pulsed operation, Q switching, mode selection, and frequency stabilization; excitation of lasers, inversion mechanisms, and typical efficiencies; detailed examination of principal types of lasers, gaseous, solid state, and liquid; chemical lasers, dye lasers, Raman lasers, high power lasers, TEA lasers, gas dynamic lasers. Design considerations for GaAlAs, argon ion, helium neon, carbon dioxide, neodymium YAG and pulsed ruby lasers.

Fall semester.

Typical text: Yariv, Optical Electronics.

Physics of Optical Communication Systems
This course explains the physics behind modern optical communication systems at high data rates. The first half of this course covers information theory and light propagation over fiber optic waveguide channels; semiconductor laser sources and detectors; high speed digital optic links; and dense wavelength division multiplexing methods and devices. The second half of this course covers quantum optical information theory; coherent systems and quantum correlations; optical solition-based communication; squeezed light and noise limitations; de-phasing and de-coherence; teleportation and secure communication system protocols; and cryptography and chaotic optics.

Solid State Devices
Operating principle, modeling and fabrication of solid state devices for modern optical and electronic system implementation; recent developments in solid state devices and integrated circuits; devices covered include bipolar and MOS diodes and transistors, MESFET, MOSFET transistors, tunnel, IMPATT and BARITT diodes, transferred electron devices, light emitting diodes, semiconductor injection and quantum-well lasers, PIN and avalanche photodetectors.

Introduction to Solid State Physics

Description of simple physical models which account for electrical conductivity and thermal properties of solids. Basic crystal lattice structures, X-ray diffraction and dispersion curves for phonons and electrons in reciprocal space. Energy bands, Fermi surfaces, metals, insulators, semiconductors, superconductivity and ferromagnetism. Fall semester.

Typical text: Kittel, Introduction to Solid State Physics.

Modern Optics Lab

Fall term. This course may sometimes be offered in the spring term if space

Introduction to Mechanics
Particle motion in one dimension. Simple harmonic oscillators. Motion in two and three dimensions, kinematics, work and energy, conservative forces, central forces, and scattering. Systems of particles, linear and angular momentum theorems, collisions, linear spring systems, and normal modes. Lagrange’s equations and applications to simple systems. Introduction to moment of inertia tensor and to Hamilton’s equations.

Quantum Mechanics II

Spring semester.

Typical texts: Gottfried, Quantum Mechanics, Schiff, Quantum Mechanics.

Statistical Physics and Kinetic Theory

Kinetic theory: ideal gases, distribution functions, Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution, Boltzmann equation, H-theorem and entropy, and simple transport theory. Thermodynamics: review of first and second laws, thermodynamic potentials, Legendre transformation, and phase transitions. Elementary statistical mechanics: introduction to microcanonical, canonical, and grand canonical distributions, partition functions, simple applications, including ideal Maxwell-Boltzmann, Einstein-Bose, and Fermi-Dirac gases, paramagnetic systems, and blackbody radiation.

Typical text: Reif, Statistical and Thermal Physics.

Fall semester.

Physics and Applications of Semiconductor Nanostructures

This course is intended to introduce the concept of electronic energy band engineering for device applications. Topics to be covered are electronic energy bands, optical properties, electrical transport properties of multiple quantum wells, superlattices, quantum wires, and quantum dots; mesoscopic systems, applications of such structures in various solid state devices, such as high electron mobility, resonant tunneling diodes, and other negative differential conductance devices, double-heterojunction injection lasers, superlattice-based infrared detectors, electron-wave devices (wave guides, couplers, switching devices), and other novel concepts and ideas made possible by nano-fabrication technology.

Fall semester.

Typical text: M. Jaros, Physics and Applications of Semiconductor Microstructures; G. Bastard, Wave Mechanics Applied to Semiconductor Heterostructures.

Introduction to Quantum Mechanics

This course is an introduction to quantum mechanics for students in physics and engineering. Techniques discussed include solutions of the Schrodinger equation in one and three dimensions, and operator and matrix methods. Applications include infinite and finite quantum wells, barrier penetration and scattering in one dimension, the harmonic oscillator, angular momentum, central force problems, including the hydrogen atom, and spin. Fall semester. Typical text: Quantum Physics by Gasiorowicz

Introduction to Solid State Physics
Description of simple physical models which account for electrical conductivity and thermal properties of solids. Basic crystal lattice structures, X-ray diffraction and dispersion curves for phonons and electrons in reciprocal space. Energy bands, Fermi surfaces, metals, insulators, semiconductors, superconductivity and ferromagnetism. Fall semester. Typical text: Kittel, Introduction to Solid State Physics.

Statistical Physics and Kinetic Theory

Nanoscale Science and Technology
This course deals with the fundamentals and applications of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Size-dependent phenomena, ways and means of designing and synthesizing nanostructures, and cutting-edging applications will be presented in an integrated and interdisciplinary manner.

Techniques of Surface and Nanostructure Characterization
Lectures, demonstrations and laboratory experiments, selected from among the following topics, depending on student interest: vacuum technology; thin-film preparation; scanning electron microscopy; infrared spectroscopy, ellipsometry: electron spectroscopies-Auger,
photoelectron, LEED; ion spectroscopies SIMS, IBS, field emission; surface
properties-area, roughness, and surface tension.

Introduction to Microelectronics and Photonics
An overview of Microelectronics and Photonics Science and Technology. It provides the student who wishes to specialize in the application, physics or fabrication with the necessary knowledge of how the different aspects are interrelated. It is taught in three modules: design and applications, taught by EE faculty; operation of electronic and photonic devices, taught by Physics faculty; fabrication and reliability, taught by the
Materials faculty.

Introduction to Solid State Physics

Typical text: Kittel, Introduction to Solid State Physics.

Solid State Electronics for Engineering I
This course introduces fundamentals of semiconductors and basic building blocks of semiconductor devices that are necessary for understanding semiconductor device operations. It is for first-year graduate students and upper-class undergraduate students in electrical engineering, applied physics, engineering physics, optical engineering and materials engineering, who have no previous exposure to solid state physics and semiconductor devices. Topics covered will include description of crystal structures and bonding; introduction to statistical description of electron gas; free-electron theory of metals; motion of electrons in periodic lattice-energy bands; Fermi levels; semiconductors and insulators; electrons and holes in semiconductors; impurity effects; generation and recombination; mobility and other electrical properties of semiconductors; thermal and optical properties; p-n junctions; metal-semiconductor contacts.

Solid State Electronics for Engineeing II
This course introduces operating principles and develops models of modern semiconductor devices that are useful in the analysis and design of integrated circuits. Topics covered include: charge carrier transport in semiconductors; diffusion and drift, injection and lifetime of carriers; p-n junction devices; bipolar junction transistors; metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors; metal-semiconductor field effect transistors and high electron mobility transistors; microwave devices; light emitting diodes, semiconductor lasers and photodetectors; integrated devices.

Reliability and Failure of Solid State Devices
This course deals with the electrical, chemical, environmental and mechanical driving forces that compromise the integrity and lead to the failure of electronic materials and devices. Both chip and packaging level failures will be modeled physically and quantified statistically in terms of standard reliability mathematics. On the packaging level, thermal stresses, solder creep, fatigue and fracture, contact relaxation, corrosion and environmental degradation will be treated.

Microfabrication Techniques
Deals with aspects of the technology of processing procedures involved in the fabrication of microelectronic devices and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Students will become familiar with various fabrication techniques used for discrete devices, as well as large-scale integrated thin film circuits. Students will also learn that MEMS are sensors and actuators that are designed using different areas of engineering disciplines, and they are constructed using a microlithographically-based manufacturing process in conjunction with both semiconductor and micro-machining microfabrication technologies.

Physical Design of Wireless Systems
Physical design of wireless communication systems, emphasizing present and next generation architectures. Impact of non-linear components on performance; noise sources and effects; interference; optimization of receiver and transmitter architectures; individual components (LNAs, power amplifiers, mixers, filters, VCOs, phase-locked loops, frequency synthesizers, etc.); digital signal processing for adaptable architectures; analog-digital converters; new component technologies (SiGe, MEMS, etc.); specifications of component performance; reconfigurability and the role of digital signal processing in future generation architectures; direct conversion; RF packaging; minimization of power dissipation in receivers.

Optical Communication Systems
Components for and design of optical communication systems; propagation of optical signals in single mode and multimode optical fibers; optical sources and photodetectors; optical modulators and multiplexers; optical communication systems: coherent modulators, optical fiber amplifiers and repeaters; transcontinental and transoceanic optical telecommunication system design; optical fiber LANs.

Introduction to VLSI Design
This course introduces students to the principles and design techniques of very large scale integrated circuits (VLSI). Topics include: MOS transistor characteristics, DC analysis, resistance, capacitance models, transient analysis, propagation delay, power dissipation, CMOS logic design, transistor sizing, layout methodologies, clocking schemes, case studies. Students will use VLSI CAD tools for layout and simulation. Selected class projects may be sent for fabrication.