Physics (PHYS)

PHYS-114  Newtonian Mechanics    3 Credits

Corequisites: MATH-102, PHYS-115
Prerequisites: MATH-101 or MATH-101X
A calculus-based introduction to classical Newtonian mechanics including; vectors, translational and rotational kinematics and dynamics, work, energy, impulse, and linear and angular momentum.
Lecture: 3, Lab 0, Other 1

PHYS-115  Newtonian Mechanics Laboratory    1 Credits

Corequisites: COMM-101, MATH-102, PHYS-114
Prerequisites: MATH-101 or MATH-101X
Laboratory activities will explore position, velocity, and acceleration, force, momentum and energy, all as function of time. Applications to vehicle crash safety are incorporated. Laboratory skills, including: uncertainty, simple data acquisition and sensor instrumentation, and analysis techniques are essential.
Lecture: 0, Lab 2, Other 0

PHYS-224  Electricity and Magnetism    3 Credits

Corequisites: MATH-203, PHYS-225
Prerequisites: PHYS-114 and PHYS-115 and (MATH-102 or MATH-102X or MATH-102H)
An investigation of the physics of electricity and magnetism with a focus on the physics of electric and magnetic fields and their effects on electric charges. Topics will include the relationships between charges, forces, fields, potentials, and currents, as well as the physics of capacitors, resistors, and inductors.
Lecture: 3, Lab 0, Other 1

PHYS-225  Electricity and Magnetism Laboratory    1 Credits

Corequisites: MATH-203, PHYS-224
Prerequisites: PHYS-114 and PHYS-115 and (MATH-102 or MATH-102X or MATH-102H)
This laboratory investigates the physics of electricity and magnetism. It includes a practical study of electric potential and electric current, as well as the fundamental circuit elements: capacitors, resistors, and inductors.
Lecture: 0, Lab 2, Other 0

PHYS-302  Vibration, Sound and Light    4 Credits

Corequisites: MATH-204
Prerequisites: PHYS-224 and PHYS-225 and (MATH-203 or MATH-203H or MATH-203X)
Minimum Class Standing: Sophomore 2
The phenomena of vibration and waves provide a fundamental background necessary to approach a wide variety of applications in physics and engineering. The first part of this course will introduce students to the basics of vibration, including the effects of real damping, response to driving forces, nonlinear oscillation and application to several acoustical, optical, electrical, and mechanical systems. After this introduction to vibration, the course will focus on wave motion. The behavior of non-dispersive waves in solids, acoustic sound waves, electromagnetic waves, and transverse waves on a string will be discussed along with an introduction to Fourier analysis as a means of analyzing wave signals. Non-dispersive waves in non-uniform media will also be explored with applications to several different types of waves occurring in nature. Basic wave phenomena including reflection, refraction, diffraction and interference will be discussed with respect to a variety of wave types. Students successfully completing this course will be well prepared for further study in optics, acoustics, vibration, and electromagnetic wave propagation.
Lecture: 4, Lab 0, Other 0

PHYS-304  The Science of Sensors    4 Credits

Prerequisites: PHYS-224 and PHYS-225
Sensors are a driving technology in nearly every industry. In this course, we will explore the “why’s” and “how’s” behind the operation of sensors in general, and then delve into the science behind your specific types of sensors work. The course will wrap up with a project in which students create their own sensing system using an Arduino microcontroller and multiple sensors to perform a task.
Lecture: 4, Lab 0, Other 0

PHYS-354  Medical Physics Principles    4 Credits

Prerequisites: PHYS-224 and PHYS-225
Minimum Class Standing: Sophomore
This course is designed to give physicists, engineers, chemists, pre-med students, and other technical majors an introduction to the application of physics in the field of medicine. Students will be introduced to the fundamental science and real-world application of diagnostic imaging, nuclear medicine, radiation therapy, and health physics. This course will cover topics such as radiation interactions with matter, the concept of radiation dose, the effect of radiation on biology, 2D x-ray imaging, computed tomography (CT) imaging, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, biomedical optics, single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), positron emission tomography (PET), and the treatment of cancer utilizing radiation therapy.
Lecture: 4, Lab 0, Other 0

PHYS-366  Quantum Physics    4 Credits

Prerequisites: PHYS-224 and PHYS-225
This course is an overview of the discoveries and applications of physics from the early 20th century on. Topics include quantum phenomena, wave-particle duality, quantum physics, solid state physics, semiconductors and superconductors.
Lecture: 4, Lab 0, Other 0

PHYS-376  Photonics and Optoelectronics    4 Credits

Prerequisites: PHYS-366
This course is an introduction to the fundamentals of photonics and semiconductor optoelectronics materials and devices, their principles of operation and their applications. The course provides the students with the broad background knowledge needed to operate in the semiconductor devices industry, with specific emphasis on semiconductor optoelectronic and photonic devices. The growing level of integration of traditional semiconductor electronic functions, on the one hand, and optics and photonics functions on the other hand, is central to this course. The course starts with the wave-particle duality of light and light phenomena. It then covers the basic electrical, optical and electro-optical properties of dielectrics, semiconductors and semiconductor structures beginning with the pn-junction. Practical devices discussed in the course include lasers, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and laser diodes (LD), light detectors (photodiodes, silicon photomultipliers, CCD and CMOS imaging sensors), semiconductor light amplifiers, light modulators and photovoltaic devices. Silicon photonics and hybrid photonics-integrated-chips (PIC) will also be discussed in the context of increasing demands for higher data transmission capacity (bandwidth) and processing speeds for optical communications and AI.
Lecture: 4, Lab 0, Other 0

PHYS-388  Acoustics in the Human Environment    4 Credits

Prerequisites: PHYS-224 and PHYS-225
Minimum Class Standing: Junior
This course surveys elements in acoustics that involve human factors, including the physiology of hearing, psychoacoustics and sound quality metrics, and the basic signal processing needed for these metrics. Topics in architectural and room acoustics will also explore how we experience and control our acoustic environment. While the level of prerequisites and mathematical sophistication is intermediate, intense independent learning and academic maturity is expected. Computer software will be used to manipulate audio signals and understand processing that is often automated (and used carelessly). In this course, less emphasis will be placed on technical practice that may change. Instead, students will be challenged to understand why standards are written as they are, how metrics are designed, and how “rules of thumb” originated.
Lecture: 4, Lab 0, Other 0

PHYS-412  Theoretical Mechanics    4 Credits

Prerequisites: PHYS-114 and (MATH-204 or MATH-204H) and (EP-235 or MATH-305)
A look at classical physics. Topics include the projectile motion with air resistance, simple harmonic and nonlinear oscillation, central force motion, Kepler's laws and planetary motion, motion in noninertial reference frames, motion of systems of particles, rigid body motion, Lagrangian mechanics, and Hamiltonian theory. Computational methods for solving advanced physics problems will also be introduced.
Lecture: 4, Lab 0, Other 0

PHYS-452  Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics    4 Credits

Corequisites: MATH-204
Prerequisites: (MATH-203 or MATH-203X) and PHYS-224 and PHYS-225 and PHYS-366
Minimum Class Standing: Sophomore 2
Introduction to statistical approaches for the analysis of systems containing a large number of particles. Specific topics include the fundamentals of thermodynamics, conditions for equilibrium and stability, ensemble theory, non-interacting systems, and phase transitions.
Lecture: 4, Lab 0, Other 0

PHYS-462  Quantum Mechanics    4 Credits

Prerequisites: MATH-204 and (MATH-305 or MATH-307) and PHYS-366
Minimum Class Standing: Junior
Intoduction to the fundamentals of non-relativistic quantum mechanics. Topics include: photons, matter waves, the Bohr model, the time-independent Schrodinger equation (and its application to one dimensional potentials), quantization of angular momentum, spin, the hydrogen atom, multi-electron atoms, and perturbation theory.
Lecture: 4, Lab 0, Other 0

PHYS-465  Materials Characterization    4 Credits

Corequisites: EP-446
Prerequisites: PHYS-366
This course surveys optical and electrical techniques used in industry to characterize the physical and chemical properties of semiconductor materials. An overview of the analysis performed using data obtained from the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), X-ray Photoemission Spectroscope (XPS), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), the Ellipsometer, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTIR) and Raman Spectrometer (RS) will be presented. The definition and characterization of some electrical properties of semiconductors such as resistivity, carrier concentration, mobility and carrier lifetimes will be discussed.
Lecture: 4, Lab 0, Other 0

PHYS-477  Optics and Lab    4 Credits

Prerequisites: (MATH-204 or MATH-204H) and PHYS-302
Minimum Class Standing: Junior
A study of geometrical and physical optics. Topics in geometrical optics include phenomena of reflection, refraction, total internal reflection and their application to imaging systems consisting of lenses and mirrors. Physical optics will start from the electromagnetic wave nature of light and will focus on such wave-like phenomena as optical interference, diffraction, polarization, and dispersion of light. Limited topics in interaction of light with matter, crystal optics, optical properties of materials and their applications in such areas as optoelectronics, photonics and fiber optics will also be addressed. The lab investigates optical component analysis, ray tracing, interferometry, diffraction, polarization, interference, optical fibers and other special topics.
Lecture: 3, Lab 2, Other 0