ORGANIZATION:

1. You will be working in teams of two students. Both of you will receive the same grade for the presentation, but separate grades for their term paper.
2. Each team has to chose a topic on advanced quantum mechanics of its own choice. Examples for topics are listed below. You may also pick a section in the textbook that will not be covered in class. If you intend to chose a topic that is neither on the list below nor part of the textbook, you need to obtain my approval.
3. Each presentation on a given topic should be 20 minutes long (10 minutes for each student). I will schedule your presentation. You can use your laptop or write on the board. The format is entirely up to you.
4. You have to write a paper of about 5 pages in length on the same topic as your presentation. Note that it is due some time before the final exam (check the syllabus).
5. You are on your own concerning the literature search. I regard this as part of your research.

SUGGESTIONS (that may influence the grading):

1. Provide a brief overview on literature and history.
2. Mention experimental observations, if any (how does the phenomenon manifests itself in experimental data?).
3. Explain theoretical techniques and models.
4. Chose examples.
5. What are the open questions (prospects for future research)?

PLEASE BE CAREFUL (these will almost certainly influence the grading):

1. You need to comprehend the topic independently from the instructor.
2. Try to present the topic in a clear and systematic manner so that your fellow students will be able to comprehend the material.
3. Do not copy complete sections from books or articles (provide references instead).
4. Reformulate the topic in your own words.
5. Try to avoid a typical "read-and-present" situation. Instead consider (i) where are the limits of the theory/idea/concept? (ii) what are the fundamental problems this concept addresses? (iii) be critical of existing ideas!

EXAMPLE TOPICS:

Lamb shift                                                           

Hyperfine structure of hydrogen

Stark and Zeeman effects

Hydrogen molecule and variational method

Bose-Einstein Condensates

Alpha-particle decay

Thermonuclear fusion

Nuclear weapons

Tunneling in solids

Band structure in semiconductors

Quantum Dots

Quantum computing

Neutrino oscillations

Lyman alpha-forest in cosmology

Lasers