Spintronics
Madalina Ioana Furis

The University of Vermont Department of
                        Physics


Instructor: M. Furis, A510 Cook.

Phone: 656-5177 (office), 656-2644 (department)

e-mail: Madalina.Furis@uvm.edu

Office Hours: Mon. 2:00-3:00pm, Thurs. 1:00-2:00pm, or by appointment



Lab Coordinator: Luke Donforth (Luke.Donforth@uvm.edu)

Office: Room A414 Cook Building

Phone: 656-0052

Office Hours: During Lab Hours



Topics Covered:

Special and general relativity, particles and waves, introduction to quantum mechanics, atomic physics, statistical mechanics, molecules and solids. The prerequisites are either Physics 125 (Physics for Engineers II) or 152 (Fundamentals of Physics II), and Math 121 (Calculus III).

Materials:

  • Textbook: "Modern Physics" by Randy Harris, Second Edition, ISBN 978-0-8053-0308-7.
  • Pocket calculator with trigonometric functions, scientific notation and exponential functions.
  • Use of student-owned laptops during class time without instructor permission is strictly forbidden!
  • Use of electronic note-taking devices such as tablets or hybrid laptops with WACOM technology is allowed with prior instructor permission
  • Use of student-owned laptops during Laboratory (Experimental) activities is allowed and encouraged.

Online Communication Resources:

All students must have online reliable access to the University of Vermont Blackboard (BB) course website, This access requires internet connection (free of charge for all UVM students while on campus). You will need your UVM net ID and password to log into the BB system. All supplementary course materials, course updates and announcements will be made via the BB system. It is the student responsibility to check his/her UVM email and BB course website for updates at least once a day! The instructor will not answer to any solicitations coming via Gmail, Yahoo, Facebook, What’s App, Skype etc.

Course Format:

Three lectures per week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday starting at 9:35 am, A402 Cook. See Course Outline for a lecture- by lecture listing of topics covered in the course. Laboratory activities are mandatory and they take place on some Tuesdays from 8:30am. See the same Course Outline and Lab Manual for details on topics and scheduling. The manual will be distributed to you, free of charge, on the first day of classes.

Homework:

Homework problems serve as illustrations of the lecture material for each chapter and are essential towards consolidation of the students’ grasp of physical principles. The Homework Schedule shows the homework assignments for each chapter.

In-Class Quiz:

A 10-15 min quiz covering topics from the preceding chapter will take place on the day discussion of a new Chapter starts.(See Course Outline for the dates when that happens). This quiz will be part of your final grade.

Examinations:

There will be two hourly exams based on lecture, homework and textbook material. The final examination will be cumulative

Course Grades:

For each student, a score will be computed based on 100 points to be distributed as follows:

  • Hourly Exams: 2x10=20 points
  • Homework: 30 Points
  • Laboratory Work: 20 Points
  • Final Examination: 20 Points.

Numerical to Letter Grade Conversion:

Final grades will be calculated and rounded up to the nearest one-tenth of a point. Letter grades will be assigned as follows:

  • A range = 100.0 - 90.0
  • B range = 89.9 - 80.0
  • C range = 79.9 - 70.0
  • D range = 69.9 - 60.0
  • F = below 60.

Grade Posting:

All grades will be posted on Blackboard to ensure privacy. It is each student’s responsibility to verify the accuracy of the postings regularly. Report any discrepancies promptly.

Attendance:

Attendance at lectures will be taken frequently. A student’s attendance record provides additional information for assessing a student’s overall attitude in the course. It will be used for advising, for documentation in a letter of reference, etc. Regular attendance is not in itself adequate justification for awarding college credit. It is the student's responsibility to keep up with missed material, announcements, etc.

Reasons for Absence

Often, circumstances beyond a student's control warrant an absence. Valid reasons for such absences must be supported by written documentation from the academic dean, the attending physician, the team coach, the officiating clergyman, the presiding judge, the arresting officer, the FEMA official, etc. Merely being seen by a physician is not a valid reason for absence, neither is a sibling's out-of- town wedding, a planned family vacation, a rock concert in Albany or a family pet's funeral in Toronto.

Missing Hourly Exams:

Missing an hourly exam will result in a score of zero unless the student has a valid reason as defined above. A student with a valid reason may be given a make-up exam at a time that is mutually convenient for the student and the instructor.

Missing the Final

Missing the final examination will result in a final course grade of F unless the student has arranged with the instructor through the appropriate academic dean for an "Incomplete."

Academic Dishonesty Disclosure:

Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Perceived failures to abide by the standards of academic integrity will be prosecuted as set forth in the Academic Integrity Code.





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