Overview
Quantum club helps you explore the exciting world of quantum physics through:
- Weekly 2-hour tutorials in small groups
- Virtual and/or real lab tours
- Laboratory practicals (circumstances permitting)
- 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) in a UK school. Good knowledge of school math and physics is required, including the basics of:
- trigonometry
- general problem-solving skills
- theory of probabilities (including the notions of expectation value and variance)
Participants will need to take an entrance test.
Entrance test
We have a two-stage entrance test. The problem set for the first stage can be found under the link "Information for participants" below. Please send your complete solutions (typed or scanned) to the address provided in the problem set by 15 October. Please send your work from the same email address as in your registration form and don't forget to write your name on your work. The subject of your email must be “Quantum Club Entrance Test”.
Marked solutions and scores will not be returned to you, but correct solutions will be published.
Those who pass the first stage successfully will be invited to an online oral interview, which will take place in late October to early November.
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.
The first assignment will be published shortly after the entrance test. The first tutorials will take place in the end of November and run weekly till the end of the academic year.
How to apply
Please register via the link below. We will email you with the information regarding the entrance test.
Contact us
Contact Alex.Lvovsky[at]physics.ox.ac.uk with your enquiries.
FAQ
Is the test focused on physics or maths?
Mostly maths. See the last year's test as an example. The focus areas (in addition to general problem solving skills) are listed under "Eligibility" above. Note that complex numbers are not included this time. Also note that the format of the test will be different this year (details to follow).
I have not covered calculus at school yet...
If you solve other problems well, there is still a good chance for you to get admitted.
How many places do you have in the Club?
We will do our best to accommodate every deserving candidate.
I am an international student, can I still join?
Our funding is currently limited to the UK students, but we may be able to accept international students based on a scheme similar to Foundation COMPOS for a moderate non-commercial fee to cover the tuition costs. You would still need to pass the entrance test. Please register via the link above if interested.
I like the idea of Socratic method but what if I get stuck?
Please ask your tutors! They will be happy to point you in the right direction. You can also ask in the group chat line.
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. I will be happy to write a reference letter in the end of the course certifying the progress you have made.