Physics 138, Spring 2009
Atomic Physics
When and where:
TuTh 12:30-2P, 385 LeConte Hall
Format: two 1.5-hr class meetings per week
(student participation strongly encouraged); discussion on individual
basis (by appointment)
Instructor: Professor Dmitry Budker
Office hour: Teusdays, 2-3, or by
appointment; in 273 Birge
Course credit will be given on the basis of
the homework (50%) and oral presentations (50%). Each student is
required to make at least one presentation during the semester; more
presentations are encouraged! A brief one-page (professionally
formatted and edited) abstract of the presentation should be turned in
at the time of presentation. Please include the presenter's name and
the date of the presentation in the abstract. The abstract should be
composed as if it was for a talk to be presented at the American
Physical Society meeting, and should give your colleagues a
convincing reason to attend your talk. It should contain important
key-words that will help them identify the subject area of your
research and the most important result(s) to be presented.
Synopsis and goals of the course:
The course will provide an introduction to and overview of the the vast
field of modern atomic physics. It will start with a review of basic
properties of atoms (such as, for example, state classification and
angular momenta), and the interactions of atoms with light. We will
then move on to discussing "hot" topics, such as, for example, laser
cooling, Bose-Einstein condensation, atomic parity violation, etc.,
with a choice of specific topics determined by the mutual interests of
the audience and the instructor. Initially, I anticipate that the
following themes will be touched upon most extensively:
Tentative course outline:
1. Introduction and Review 6 hours
Hydrogenic Atoms; theory of angular momentum; many-electron
systems; Zeeman and Stark effects; fine structure; hyperfine structure;
isotope shifts; Lamb shift
2. Emission and Absorption of Radiation 6 hours
E1, M1, E2 Multipoles; spontaneous emission; stimulated
emission and absorption; line width
3. Atomic Beams and Magnetic Resonance 3 hours
4. Lasers 6 hours
Basic principles; tunable lasers; non-linear optics
5. Laser Spectroscopy 8 hours
Linear spectroscopy: fluorescence, photo-ionization,
absorption; optical pumping; non-linear spectroscopy: 2-photon
processes, saturation spectroscopy; linear and non-linear Faraday
rotation
6. Laser Cooling and Trapping 7 hours
7. Fundamental Symmetries 8 hours
Parity violation in atoms; search for P- and T- odd effects
(electric dipole moments)
8. Student Conference (Final Examination) 5 hours
We might opt to have student presenatations throughout the
semester
Recommended core Atomic Physics text: Foot,
C.J., ATOMIC PHYSICS, Oxford
Recommended texts (general):
- Bransden & Joachain, PHYSICS OF ATOMS AND
MOLECULES, 2nd edition, Longman
- D. Budker, D. F. Kimball, and D. P. DeMille, Atomic
Physics. An Exploration through Problems and Solutions,
Second Edition, Oxford University Press, 2008
Recommended texts (good textbooks on specific
subfields):
- C. Cohen-Tannoudji, Atoms in Electromagnetic
Fields, 2nd ed., World Scientific, 2004.
- H. J. Metcalf and P. Straten, Laser Cooling and Trapping,
3rd Ed., Springer-Verlag, New York, 1999
Physics (and not-quite-physics) bed-time reading:
- Richard A. Muller, Physics
for Future Presidents, W.W. Norton, 2008 (ISBN-13:
978-0393066272); there is also a podcast
- Gino Segre, Faust in Copenhagen: A Struggle
for the Soul of Physics, Penguin,
2008 (ISBN: 978-0143113737)
- Charles H. Townes, How the Laser Happened:
Adventures of a Scientist, Oxford University Press, 1999
(ISBN: 0195122682)
- Seabrook, W. Doctor Wood, Modern Wizard of the
Laboratory. New York, Harcourt, Brace and company, 1941
(Physics Library QC16.W6 S4)
- Margarita Ryutova-Kemoklidze, The Quantum
Generation: Highlights and Tragedies of the Golden Age of Physics,
Springer Verlag, 1995 (ISBN: 0387532986)
- Segrè, Emilio. A Mind Always in
Motion: The Autobiography of Emilio Segre. Berkeley:
University of California Press, c1993. http://ark.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/ft700007rb/
- Luis W. Alvarez. Adventures of a Physicist. Here it is on Amazon.com
News flash!
Seminars and
Colloquia
Lecture Notes,
Viewgraphs, Electronic Tutorials
Assorted Physics-Related Links, Web Resources
Individual research topics and presentations
(some are from past years for reference):
Derivation of the Lamb shift in hydrogen: talk by Dylan Gorman
Light-Induced Atomic Desorption (LIAD): talk by Etsuko Mieda
Pyramid magneto-optical trap (MOT): talk by Guilherme A. P. Miranda
Bloch
oscillations: talk
by Alan Wu
Bloch oscillations of cold atoms in optical
lattices: talk
by Guillermina Ramirez San Juan
Natural (astrophysical) masers: talk by James
McBride: Abstract
Optical Trapping of Neutral Atoms: talk by Brendan Abolins:
Abstract
Quantum
computers and qbit cryptography: talk by Patrick Lii: Abstract and slides
WIMP search by bubble chamber: talk by Ahram Kim: Abstract and slides
Experimental searches for axions: talk by Jian-Long Liu: Abstract
Positronoim: talk by TzuCheng Chuang
Quantum Computing: talk by Paul
McGuirk
The Helium Atom: talk
by Nikki Meshkat
The Faraday Effect: talk by Zachary
Marshall
Geonium: talk
by Miriam Graf
Self-Induced Transparency: talk
by Christine Tsai
Spectroscopic analysis of trace molecules in the
atmosphere: talk
by Nicola Lumley
Light-Induced Drift (LID) of atoms
Modern Optical Parametric Oscillators as light sources for
spectroscopy
Superfluorescence
The Kapitsa-Dirac effect: talk by Victor Acosta
Most recent precision measurements of Lamb shift in hydrogen
Bose-Einstein condensation in neutral atomic traps: talk
by Brian Krausz
Electromagnetically-induced transparency
Orthopositronium lifetime measurements: talk by Charles
Fang
Casimir Effect
Resarch with antiatoms
Gravitation measurements with atomic interferometers
Chaos in atoms
Laser spectroscopy of neutral clusters
Circular states in atoms
The Autler-Townes effect
Precision experiments with muonic atoms
Measurements of the dc Kerr effect in
cryogenic liquids
Spin and orbital angular momentum
of light
beams
Femtosecond-Laser Frequency Combs
for Optical
Metrology
The green laser pointer: talk by
Mac Herrera
Novel artificial "atoms":
whispering
gallery-mode resonators, microdisks, photonic-bandgap cavities
Measurements of
magnetic-field direction in
plasma using the Stark shift induced by the vxB
electric fields
Spinor Bose-Einstein
condensates (see, e.g.,
work at MIT
and Berkeley)
Space
Elevators (from atomic-physics point of
view): talk
by
Thomas Rand-Nash
Imaging
using entangled photons: talk
by Timothy Shokair
Absorption
spectrum of the Earth's atmosphere: talk by Alyssa
Atwood
Diamagnetic
Levitation: talk
by Dustin Brumley
Make up
your own topic !
Homework:
Assignment 1. Due on
Thursday, 02/05
Assignment 2.
Due on
Thursday, 02/19
Assignment 3.
Due on
Thursday, 03/05
Assignment 4.
Due on
Thursday, 03/19
Acknowledgment and
Disclaimer: This material is based in part upon work
supported by the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings
and conclusions or recomendations expressed in this material are those
of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National
Science Foundation (NSF).