Courses Offered (AY2026/2027)

Quantum technology is a field of physics and engineering which exploits quantum phenomena, such as entanglement, superposition and tunneling, for advanced applications, including quantum computing, quantum key distribution, quantum metrology, and information processing. This is a fast emerging field with strong industry potential. In this course, students will be equipped with essential knowledge in the physics and technology of a wide range of quantum devices, including quantum detectors, quantum light sources, quantum number generators, quantum sensors, and quantum computers. Students will also learn skills in the characterization of these devices, including data analysis and interpretation of quantum behavior.

This third undergraduate module in quantum mechanics starts with a recap of the main contents covered by lower-level quantum mechanics courses, in particular time-independent and time-dependent perturbation theory, with more depth. Matlab is introduced to implement the discrete variable representation to solve time-independent Schrodinger equations, and the Split-Operator technique to solve time-dependent Schrodinger equations, with necessary coding from the stratch. This module also covers a number of frontiers topics, including adiabatic theorem, adiabatic control, shortcuts to adiabaticity, geometric phases, density matrix, reduced density matrix, quantum measurement models, quantum master equations, spin-boson model, decoherence, and dynamical decoupling.

Computation is playing an increasingly important role in materials discovery. This course introduces the basic concepts and provides an overview of methods in modern computational condensed matter physics. Major topics to be covered include a brief review on empirical and semi-empirical approaches in electronic structure calculation, density functional theory, methods for solving the Kohn-Sham equation, applications to different types of materials, modelling effects of external fields and transport property. The course is suitable for upper level undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in computer modelling and simulation in condensed matter physics and materials science.

This course introduces students to elements of the physics of crystalline solids. Topics covered include: energy bands of the nearly free electron model, tight binding method, Fermi surfaces and their experimental determination, plasmons, polaritons and polarons, optical processes and excitons. We will also cover superconductivity, dielectrics and ferroelectrics, diamagnetism, paramagnetism, ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism, and magnetic resonance. This course is targeted at physics majors, and is useful for science and engineering students who already have background knowledge of solid state physics on par with PC3235 Solid State Physics I.

This course presents the fundamentals of statistical mechanics. Starting with the classical and quantum postulates, the three ensembles of Gibbs are derived. The statistical interpretation of thermodynamics then follows. The thermodynamic quantities are obtained in terms of the number of states, partition and grand partition functions. Applications to independent electron systems, with and without magnetic field, and Bose-Einstein condensation are given. The course ends with a brief introduction to phase transitions. This course is targeted at physics students with at least one year of thermal physics.

The objective of this course is to provide students with a background to the important developments in atomic physics over the last 30 years that have now become standard techniques utilized in many laboratories around the world. The lectures provide a detailed description of the interaction of atoms with electromagnetic fields and applies this analysis to a number of applications such as laser spectroscopy, laser cooling, and magnetic and optical trapping. The course will provide students with a comprehensive background to the tools of modern atomic physics.

This is an introductory course on the fundamental constituents of matter and their basic interactions; important concepts and principles, recent important experiments, underlying theoretical tools and calculation techniques in elementary particles physics will be expounded. The topics covered are: basic properties of elementary particles and the standard model, relativistic kinematics; symmetries: isospin and SU(3), quark model; parity and CP violation; Feynman diagrams and rules; quantum electrodynamics; cross sections and lifetimes: deep inelastic scattering; and introductory gauge theories and unified models. This course is mainly targeted at physics majors.

This course is an introduction to the quantum description of the electromagnetic fields at optical frequencies. Students will learn how to construct quantum models of common experiments in quantum optics. Topics include the quantisation of the electromagnetic fields, common quantum optical states, quantum models of linear optics and loss, common optical measurements, interferometers, squeezing, and the generation of entangled photons via spontaneous parametric down conversion. Important applications of quantum optics are discussed, including the use of squeezed light in interferometers for gravitational-wave detection and the use of entangled photons in experimental tests of quantum mechanics.

This course provides an introduction to the theory of general relativity. The topics covered are: general tensor analysis, the Riemann tensor, the gravitational field equation, the Schwarzschild solution, experimental tests of general relativity, black holes, and Friedmann-Robertson-Walker models of the expanding universe. While this course is mainly targeted at physics majors, it is also suitable for science students with a strong mathematical foundation.

Starting with an introduction to the nuclear physics of stars and the processes of nucleosynthesis, following a brief introduction to nuclear physics. nucleosynthesis via quiescent burning, and the processes that lead to the production of heavy (A>60) elements are covered. The endstages (brown dwarfs, white dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes) are discussed in detail. In the second part of the course, large structures in the universe, are discussed, including star clusters, galaxy structure, and galaxy clustering. The course ends with a discussion of the cosmological scale structure of the universe. This course is a continuation of PC3246 Astrophysics I.

The scope of the course embraces the basic principles of thin-film deposition techniques such as chemical vapor deposition and physical vapor deposition as well as their applications in the microelectronics industry. The basic principles include vacuum technology, gas kinetics, adsorption, surface diffusion and nucleation. These are the fundamental features which determine the film growth and the ultimate film properties. Common thin-film characterization methods which measure film composition and structure as well as mechanical and electrical properties are also covered. This course is for senior physics students with an interest in pursuing a career in industry.

Remote sensing is the acquisition of information about a target from a distance, in particular from satellites, aircrafts, and drones. This course equips students with knowledge to understand, and model, satellite orbital dynamics and global positioning, radiometry, multi-spectral and hyper-spectral imaging of atmosphere, land, and ocean. Students will also learn skills in data processing of real-life satellite images through project work, including the application of radiometric, terrain and atmospheric corrections. The course will also leverage on access to Singapore’s Centre for Remote Imaging, Sensing and Processing.

This course covers the principles of statistics in relation to biophysics and bio soft materials. It focuses on: modeling of biomacromolecular structure and statistical complexities; molecular mechanics of biomolecules; statistical models for structural transitions in biopolymers, statistical physical description of structural transitions in macromolecules, simulation of macromolecular structure, structural transitions in polypeptides and proteins; coil-helix transitions; prediction of protein secondary and tertiary structures; statistics of structural transitions in polynucleotides and DNA; modeling of non-regular structures of biomacromolecules. This course is targeted at both physics and non-physics students who already have basic knowledge in physics, thermodynamics and molecular biology.

This course introduces important mathematical methods for the solution of a variety of mathematical problems in physics. The following topics are covered: functions of a complex variable, singularities and residues, contour integration; transformations in physics, symmetries and group theory, discrete groups, group representations and their applications in physics; tensor analysis, application to classical mechanics, electrodynamics, and relativity.

This course establishes the foundation of climate science and climate modelling, and exposes students to the evolving realities of climate change. It spans topics in basic atmosphere and ocean science like dynamics, radiation, convection and chemistry. The coverage includes defining the concept of ‘climate’, describing how climate elements are observed, discussing key feedbacks that regulate climate, and distinguishing climate change from natural variabilities like ENSO. Throughout the course, fundamental mechanisms of balance, instability and transfer are revealed using mathematical analysis and results of numerical modelling. At the end, students will appreciate the complexity of the climate system across spatio-temporal scales.