IMPRS Course Archive 2019

Location: CFEL (Bldg. 99)

Non-linear Optics (IMPRS-UFAST Core Course)

IMPRS-UFAST core course
Nonlinear optics (NLO) is one of the most fascinating fields of modern physics. It deals with light-matter interactions at extreme electro-magnetic field strengths. Such fields are today routinely available thanks to laser technology. NLO started with the observation of second harmonic generation from a ruby laser in 1961, just 1 year after the first laser was operated. It allows producing optical pulses with durations in the femtosecond (fs, 10-15 s) and even attosecond (as, 10-18 s) order. With such sources, one can observe chemical reactions, physical and biological phenomena in real time. During the lectures, I will give a short overview of NLO. I will discuss the main physical phenomena (second harmonic generation, optical parametric amplification, difference and sum frequency generation, white light generation, third harmonic generation, high harmonic generation…) and some of their applications, and conclude with the newest trends of research like coherent pulse synthesis. [more]

Strongly Correlated Electrons from the Perspective of Dynamical Mean-Field Theory (IMPRS-UFAST Focus Course)

IMPRS-UFAST focus course
Strong electronic correlations are a main driver behind many exciting phenomena in quantum many-body systems, ranging from correlated quantum materials (Mott transition, high-temperature superconductivity) to cold atoms in optical lattices. However, the strong-correlation problem still poses many challenges when it comes to a quantitative and even qualitative understanding of the relevant degrees of freedom and microscopic interactions that drive phase transitions in solids. Dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT), first developed in the late 1980s and 1990s, provides one key limit in which the correlation problem becomes tractable, namely the one of large spatial dimensions, or local self-energies. In this focus course we will discuss the basics behind DMFT and learn how this allows one to understand the paradigmatic Mott metal-to-insulator transition. [more]

Solid State Physics

IMPRS-UFAST core course
From a microscopic point of view, a solid is just a regular arrangement of atoms, embedded in a soup of electrons. Yet, a remarkably rich manifold of phenomena emerges from this simple starting point, ranging from simple metals and semiconductors to multiple kinds of magnetic order or superconductivity. In this course we will discuss basic properties of solids and their microscopic understanding.Topics include:- band theory- screening- phonons - ordered phases [more]
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