Research
My research interests are concentrated around fundamental questions in
physics, especially the nature of quantum mechanics. I have followed
these interests by developing high-precision experiments in which quantum
systems such as atoms are under precise and coherent experimental control,
and by theoretical work including the control of atomic motion by laser
light, and bringing together classical information theory and quantum
mechanics. The latter led in particular to the discovery of quantum
error correction.
Research papers
Books
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The Wonderful World of Relativity---A precise guide for the general reader,
by Andrew M. Steane (Oxford University Press, 2011).
This book provides a lively and visual introduction to Einstein's theory of
relativity. It is for a readership including young people at school (post-16)
and the general public with an interest in modern science. It uses many
diagrams and simple equations, guiding the
reader carefully through them, in order to display the beautiful insights which
the theory provides. Paradoxes and puzzles are introduced and resolved, and used
to show how the ideas force us to understand time in a new way. The book
culminates in a thorough unfolding of the relation between mass and energy.
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Relativity made Relatively Easy,
by Andrew M. Steane (Oxford University Press, 2012).
This presents an extensive study of Special Relativity and a gentle (but exact) introduction
to General Relativity for undergraduate students of physics. Assuming almost no prior
knowledge, it presents all the Relativity needed for a final year undergraduate university
course, including some underpinning of other areas such as electromagneism. The aim is to make derivations as simple as possible and physical ideas as
transparent as possible. Lorentz invariants and four-vectors are introduced early on, but
tensor notation is postponed until needed. In addition to the more basic ideas such as
Doppler effect and collisions, the text introduces more advanced material such as
radiation from accelerating charges, Lagrangian methods, the stress-energy tensor,
and introductory General Relativity, including Gaussian curvature, the Schwarzschild
solution, gravitational lensing, and black holes.
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Teaching
Software
Graph theory, Shannon game and Hex
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Exeter College Physics course
information.
calqit