Physics 7910, Section 038
Fall 2008
Quantum Magnetism
Monday, Wednesday: 11:00am-12:20pm
JFB 334
Instructor: Dr.
Oleg Starykh
Office: JFB 306
Phone: 801-581-6424
Fax: 801-581-4801
E-mail:
starykh {at} physics.utah.edu
Office hours: Thursday, 2:00 - 3:00 pm, JFB 306
The aim of Quantum Magnetism
course is to explain
basic notions and concepts of quantum magnetism and many-body physics
in general. Theoretical development will follow closely
modern experiments in various quantum magnets.
The idea is to explain how
the multitude of observed phenomena
follow from few basic concepts, and to illustrate close
connections between various theoretical models and real magnetic materials.
Topics to be covered
- Origins of magnetism
- Interaction between spins: exchange
- Magnetic structures: broken symmetry
- Magnetic excitations: spin waves
- Magnetic susceptibility, neutron scattering, NMR, ESR and other experimental probes
- Modern magnetism: low-dimensional magnets, spin chains and ladders,
spintronics, spins as qubits
-
Exotica: valence bond solids and spin liquids; spinons and triplons;
magnetization plateaux; spin ice and magnetic monopoles
Course structure
Lecture notes will be
provided. There is no single required textbook.
The course will be supplemented by suggested reading from textbooks
such as: D. Mattis ``Theory of magnetism made simple", S. Blundell
``Magnetism in Condensed Matter", A. Auerbach ``Interacting electrons and
quantum magnetism", S. Sachdev ``Quantum phase transitions", X.-G. Wen
"Quantum field theory of many-body systems", and few others.
There will be regular homeworks, one every two weeks.