no 12/16 office hour

Dear Class,

Professor Rappe will not be able to hold office hours today. He hopes to be able to schedule a makeup.

Mariya

Announced on 16 December 2005  10:11  a.m. by Mariya Barch

Send Powerpoint today!

I have Powerpoints from

Duffy
Galia
Kevin
Lisa
Mo

Those on the list, if you want to send an update, do so today!
Everyone else, please send me your Powerpoint today!

Andrew

Announced on 15 December 2005  9:10  a.m. by Andrew Rappe

Office hours by appointment today and tomorrow

Dear Class,

I think that the best way for me to help everyone is
to have office hours by appointment Thurs and Fri.

So please just email me, and we'll set up a time to meet!
Suggest some possible times.

Andrew

Announced on 15 December 2005  8:24  a.m. by Andrew Rappe

Anyons, anyone?

Dear Class,

I mentioned to you earlier this semester that it is possible
to model certain systems (including fractional quantum Hall
effect) as though they have particles with general
exchange symmetry (not fermion or boson), called anyons.

Well, Frank Wilczek (MIT physics professor, 2004 Nobel Prize winner)
is giving a tutorial on anyons. This could be a wonderful chance to
learn something about this interesting subject.

Andrew

"A Tutorial on Exotic Quantum Statistics"
Frank Wilczek
MIT
Abstract: The general principles of quantum mechanics can
accommodate particles with exotic quantum statistics (neither bosonic
nor fermionic) in two dimensions. Indeed such articles,
generically called anyons, have long been a prominent feature in the
theory of he fractional quantum Hall effect. Three recent
Developments Have rekindled interest in this subject: the design and
(perhaps) the accomplishment of experiments that are sensitive to
this predicted behavior; the prediction of non-abelian statistics for
some known states; and the visionary prospect of quantum computation
by manipulating non-abelian anyons. I will survey these ideas,
trying to keep the discussion as simple as possible - but no simpler.
Lunch @ 11:45 A.M.
Seminar @12:00 Noon
Monday, December 19th, 2005
MIT Room 12-132

Announced on 13 December 2005  2:30  p.m. by Andrew Rappe

Notes posted

Dear Class,

I wrote up a little thing on coordinate transformations.
this is very important for your education!
Please read these notes, and ask questions Wed!

Also, reexamine our phonon notes, to see how
the phonon derivation is the 3N generalization of
what I am giving in the coordinate transformation notes.

Andrew

Announced on 13 December 2005  12:07  p.m. by Andrew Rappe