MESOSCOPIC NANOSCIENCE

PHY4MES

2014

Credit points: 15

Subject outline

Topics beyond the concepts traditionally taught in condensed matter physics are considered, in particular, modern electronic systems that have arisen primarily through an ability to construct devices on nanometer length-scales and in reduced dimensions. The course examines semiconductor materials and doping, bandstructure engineering, quantum confinement and electronic transport in wells, wires and dots, quantized conductance and the quantum Hall effect. The electronic properties of emerging carbon materials, such as carbon nanotubes, diamond and graphene, and of metallic systems engineered on the atomic scale via molecular manipulation are examined. Attention then turns to the mesoscopic properties of superconducting systems, examining the Josephson effects, flux quantization, SQUIDs and superconducting nanowires. Much of the material taught underlies emerging quantum technologies, with application to metrology, sensor development and quantum information.

Faculty: Faculty of Science, Tech & Engineering

Credit points: 15

Subject Co-ordinator: Brian Abbey

Available to Study Abroad Students: Yes

Subject year level: Year Level 4 - UG/Hons/1st Yr PG

Exchange Students: Yes

Subject particulars

Subject rules

Prerequisites: Acceptance into an honours or masters program (PSMSC) or (SMNT) or (SZHSN) in the Department of Physics, or approval of Department of Physics postgraduate co-ordinator

Co-requisites: N/A

Incompatible subjects: N/A

Equivalent subjects: N/A

Special conditions: N/A

Learning resources

Readings

Resource TypeTitleResource RequirementAuthor and YearPublisher
ReadingsThe Physics of Low-Dimensional SemiconductorsPrescribedJohn H. DaviesCAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS (1998).

Melbourne, 2014, Semester 1, Day

Overview

Online enrolment: Yes

Maximum enrolment size: N/A

Enrolment information:

Subject Instance Co-ordinator: Brian Abbey

Class requirements

Laboratory ClassWeek: 11 - 22
Nine 4.0 hours laboratory class per study period on weekdays during the day from week 11 to week 22 and delivered via face-to-face.
"The equivalent of 36 hours of laboratory/workshops or similar per semester."

LectureWeek: 10 - 22
Two 1.0 hours lecture per week on weekdays during the day from week 10 to week 22 and delivered via face-to-face.

Assessments

Assessment elementComments%
one 3-hour examinationStudents must pass the laboratory and tutorial component to pass the unit.60
practical laboratory reports and tutorial problem sets (equivalent to 1500-words).40