Postgraduate Courses

This course will introduce the electronic, transport and optical properties of semiconductor materials and their relations with the device performance. Various fabrication techniques (i.e., MBE, MOCVD, PVD and CVD) and processing steps such as photolithography, etching, thermal oxidation, ion-implantation and thin-film deposition for semiconductor device fabrication will be presented.

The course is an introduction to the physics of quantum materials and quantum technologies at the graduate level. Topics include: qubits, quantum gates and quantum circuit model, entanglement and quantum communication, quantum algorithms and computing, and realization of quantum technologies in various physical systems.

This course introduces the fundamental physics of metamaterials and their potential applications, e.g. for photonic/phononic devices. The course will enrich students with hands-on experience in modeling techniques to achieve new functionalities for these metamaterials.

The physics and potential application of topological and correlated phenomena appearing in two-dimensional material platforms will be covered: Chern and topological insulators, superconductivity, Mott insulator, quantum spin liquid, quantum hall effect, and superconductivity and edge state arising from 2D and topological materials will be introduced. The potential of these phenomena and platforms toward their use in opto-electronic, spintronic and quantum information applications are also discussed.

This course serves as an introduction to statistical data analysis in its application to physics experiments. The topics covered include basic probability distribution functions, Monte Carlo simulation techniques, estimation of parameters, hypothesis testing and more.

Latest advances in surface science, quantum and 2D materials science and technology, soft matters, biophysics, computational physics, particle physics and cosmology will be showcased.

This course introduces the various physical properties of materials such as mechanical properties (i.e., strength, durability, hardness, flexibility, etc.), optical properties (i.e., refractive index, absorption coefficient, luminosity, etc.), thermal properties (i.e., melting point, expansion, conductivity, etc.), electrical properties (i.e., resistance, conductivity, etc.) and chemical properties (i.e., pH, corrosion resistance, reactivity, surface tension).

This course introduces various techniques such as SEM, TEM AFM, XPS/UPS, XRD, Photoluminescence, Raman and optical spectroscopy to characterize the physical, optical and electronic properties of film and nanomaterials.

This course introduces hardware and software computational and modeling tools. Hands-on experience on some common mathematics and physics simulation and modeling software such as MATLAB, Mathematica, COMSOL Multiphysics and ANSYS Lumerical will be presented. The basics about CPU, GPU and their applications in high performance computing in areas such as operating systems, parallel program design and quantum computation will also be introduced.

Basics of numerical analysis; Random processes and Monte Carlo method; Matrix methods and Eigenvalue problems; Ordinary differential equations: Initial and Boundary value problems; Partial differential equations; Systems of nonlinear equations; Optimization problems and optimization algorithms; Spectral analysis: Fourier transform, Wavelet Transform, Hilbert-Huang Transform; Causality and information flow.

This course provides students with an overview of the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) focusing on machine learning (ML) and its applications. It introduces several popular AI/ML Python software packages with an emphasis on the practical aspect of using existing software to solve problems in science. Throughout the course, students will learn systematically a set of commonly used ML models together with a framework for training, validating, and evaluating models. Students will also gain intuition and heuristics via hands-on experiences of using modern AI/ML techniques in their homework assignments and projects. Students without the prerequisites but possess equivalent background knowledge may seek instructor's approval for enrolling in the course.

Experimental or theoretical research project under supervision of a faculty member. Program Director’s approval is required. A final report and presentation by the student is required at the conclusion of the project. May be graded PP.

Exposure in latest development in science and career paths through Physics departmental seminars, and invited speakers from industry to talk about career/job/research. This course lasts for one year. The students are required to attend the seminars and tutorials in two regular terms. Graded PP, P or F.