Entry requirements

120 credits with Quantum Mechanics, Advanced Course or Functional Analysis

Learning outcomes

On completion of the course, the student should be able to:

• use second quantisation in quantum field theory,
• explain the theories for Fermi gas and Fermi liquid,
• describe derivation behind and use Green's functions for many body systems,
• describe derivation behind and use Feynman diagrams for many body systems,
• use some commonly used approximations for interacting electron gas,
• use the T-matrix formalism for defects,
• use linear response theory and describe the Kubo formalism,
• describe BCS theory for superconductivity.
• explain and summarise one or several advanced topics in many body theory.

Content

The course introduces the student to quantum field theoretical and statistical methods used to study materials at the microscopic scale, while at the same time describing macroscopic phenomena.

Part I: Second quantisation. Fermi gas and Fermi liquid. Green's functions. Feynman diagrams. Hartree-Fock and random phase approxmations. Scattering from defects. Linear response theory. Susceptiblitities. Kubo formalism. Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BSC) theory for superconductivity.

Part II: Advanced topic(s) in many body theory chosen in consultation with course responsible teacher, either directly related to the course content in Part I or related to the student's research interests.

Instruction

Lectures and student-run seminars.

Assessment

Written hand-in assignments (Part I, 7 credits), oral presentation and written report on advanced topic(s) as well as required attendance on oral presentations (Part II, 3 credits).

If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the disability coordinator of the university.