Overview
Quantum club helps you explore the exciting world of quantum physics through:
- Weekly tutorials in small groups
- A laboratory practical
- Lots of homework!
The tutorials take place online and are available for free.
The club is run by Professor ALEXANDER LVOVSKY.
Syllabus
- Hilbert spaces, quantum states, operators
- Quantum axioms. Measurements. Schrödinger equation
- Mysteries and paradoxes of quantum physics. Quantum nonlocality. Bell inequality
- Applications. Quantum cryptography, quantum teleportation, quantum computing
Additional information
Information for participants, including the full syllabus and assignments
Eligibility
Students must be studying A-level Physics (or equivalent). Good knowledge of school math and physics is required, including the basics of:
- trigonometry
- complex numbers
- general problem-solving skills
- theory of probabilities (including the notions of expectation value and variance)
Entrance test
As entrance test, you are asked to complete and solve a COMPOS assignment on complex numbers, which will be posted in August. Further instructions can be found on the Club's home page.
Marked solutions and scores will not be returned to you.
Programme dates and time commitments
There will be weekly tutorials and in addition, you will need to plan to work on the assignments for at least four hours per week.
Tutorials will begin in November and run weekly through the academic year.
How to apply
Register via the link below
Contact us
Contact Alex.Lvovsky[at]physics.ox.ac.uk with your enquiries.
FAQ
How many places do you have in the Club?
We hope to accommodate every deserving candidate.
I am an international student, can I still join?
We typically admit UK students, but we may be able to accept a few international students as well. You would still need to pass the entrance test. Please register via the link above if interested.
What are the formal indicators of my progress?
Every assignment contains a set of problems, which you need to solve and submit to your tutor. If the tutor is happy with your solution, they will mark it as solved in our database. If your solution contains errors, the tutor will ask you for a revision. You should not proceed to the next assignment until all problems in the current assignment are marked as completed.
What textbook are we using?
A. I. Lvovsky, Quantum Physics: An Introduction Based on Photons (Springer Amazon).
Do I need a tablet?
This is preferable but not necessary. A stylus-enabled tablet allows you to create a virtual whiteboard, on which you and the tutor can write at the same time. However, you can just send a scan of your solution for the tutor to read, this will work as well. Also, stylus pads offer inexpensive alternatives to tablets.
I cannot attend on a specific day of the week.
There will be several groups with different tutors, each of which can meet at a time convenient for all members.
Will I get a certificate in the end?
The tutors will keep track of the problems from the assignments that each student has solved. Upon request, Prof Lvovsky will be happy to write a completion letter in the end of the course certifying the progress you have made.