Details of PH4105 (Autumn 2012)

Level: 4 Type: Theory Credits: 3.0

Course CodeCourse NameInstructor(s)
PH4105 Atomic and Molecular Physics Ayan Banerjee,
Dhananjay Nandi

Syllabus
One Electron Atoms

  • Hydrogen and Hydrogenic atoms:
    Accidental degeneracy in Hydrogen, the Runge-Lenz vector, H-atom eigen values using Lenz vector associated angular momentum operators.

  • Transitions: Selection rules, parity, dipole approximation, lineshapes and linewidths.

  • Removal of accidental degeneracy:
    Relativistic corrections, Fine structure of Hydrogen.

  • H-atom in external fields: Zeeman and Stark effect.



Multielectron Atoms


  • Helium atom: Ground state, excited states - direct integral, exchange integral.

  • Alkalis: Quantum defect, Central field approximation, Hartree Fock method, Slater determinants, Fine structure in Alkalis.

  • Correlation effects: Russel-Saunders (LS) and jj coupling, Spectra of multi-electron atoms.

  • Hyperfine structure: Hyperfine structure for s-electrons, Isotope shifts, Zeeman effect in hyperfine structure, measurement of hyperfine structure.



Interaction of atoms with radiation


  • Perturbation by oscillating electric field, Rotating wave approximation, Einstein coefficients.

  • Interaction with monochromatic radiation: $\pi$ and $\pi/2$ pulses, Bloch vector and Bloch sphere, optical Bloch equations.

  • Optical absorption cross sections: Radiative broadening, saturation intensity, Power broadening.

  • AC Stark effect.

  • Doppler free laser spectroscopy: Doppler broadening, Saturated-absorption spectroscopy.

  • Laser cooling and trapping of neutral atoms: Doppler cooling, Polarization gradient cooling, magnetic trapping, evaporative cooling, introduction to BEC.



Collision Physics

  • Types of collisions, potential scattering, method of partial waves, Born approximation, Frank-Condon principle.

  • Electron-Atom (Molecule) collisions : Structure and Scattering

  • Photon-Atom collisions : Photoeffect, Compton Effect

  • Ion-Atom collisions: Single-Electron capture, Target Ionization.

  • Particle Kinematics : Fragmentation of Atoms and Molecules.





References

  1. B. H. Bransden and C. J. Joachaim, Physics of atoms and molecules, Pearson education (2003).

  2. C. J. Foot, Atomic Physics, Oxford University Press, (2005)

  3. C. E. Burkhardt and J. L. Leventhal, Foundations of Quantum Mechanics, Springer, (2010).





Course Credit Options

Sl. No.ProgrammeSemester NoCourse Choice
1 IP 1 Not Allowed
2 IP 3 Not Allowed
3 MS 7 Not Allowed
4 RS 1 Not Allowed