Introduction to quantum processes and devices

2025/2026

Учебный год

ENG

Обучение ведется на английском языке

4

Кредиты

Кто читает:

Департамент электронной инженерии

Статус:

Курс обязательный

Когда читается:

4-й курс, 1 модуль

Преподаватель

Пугач Наталия Григорьевна

Course Syllabus

Abstract

In this lecture course, we will discuss the physical phenomena and processes related to cooperative transport of spin and charge in quantum hybrid nanoscale structures, both in the normal and in superconducting state. We pay special attention to transport manifestations of spin-orbit coupling, such as spin Hall effect, direct and inverse spin-galvanic effect, and their phase-coherent superconducting analogs, which play a key role in spintronics. In most hybrid structures and devices, the motion of charge carriers is diffusive because of elastic scattering on inevitably present random inhomogeneities. Nonetheless, at low temperatures and particularly in the superconducting state, the phase coherence may persist on scales comparable to the size of the device structure. The latter leads to the possibility of specifically quantum spintronics phenomena. One of such effects we will discuss in detail, namely, the quantum phase battery that is closely related to the anomalous Josephson effect. Diffusive character of motion in hybrid metallic structures significantly simplifies the understanding and the theory of transport processes. Basic equations can be formulated using simple physical and symmetry arguments. That is precisely what we plan to do in this course, emphasizing the symmetry nature of the underlying physical phenomena, the governing equations, and their interrelations.

Learning Objectives

• • The main aim of this course is to give an idea of the basic physical phenomena, underlying the work of structures and devices in superconducting spintronics (spin-orbitronics). In addition, an important methodological purpose of the corse is to teach phenomenological approaches to the theory of physical phenomena, which are based on general principles and symmetry arguments. The ability to construct and apply such phenomenological models and theories is especially relevant for engineering specialties focused on the analysis of real devices and structures in situations where quantitative microscopic description is practically impossible.

Expected Learning Outcomes

• Students know about mesoscopic hybrid structures and characteristic scales relevant for transport phenomena.
• Students understand physics of diffusive transport, they know the equations of spin and charge diffusion and can use them for the description of spin valve type structures.
• Students know about tensor and pseudotensor physical quantities, and understand the role of coordinate transformations and the symmetry in the theory of transport phenomena.
• Students are familiar with the quantum theory of linear response, they know the Onsager reciprocity theorem and can use it for the analysis of transport coefficients.
• Students understand the physics of spin-orbit coupling and are able to describe its transport manifestations — the spin-galvanic and the spin Hall effects.
• Students understand basic physics of coherent spin-galvanic effects in superconducting structures.
• Students know about anomalous Josephson effect, and understand the working principle of the quantum phase battery.

Course Contents

• Раздел 1. Introduction to physics and mathematics of transport in hybrid structures.
• Раздел 2. Combined spin and charge transport in normal metallic structures.
• Раздел 3. Coherent transport of spin and charge in superconducting structures.

Assessment Elements

• Экзамен
• Практические занятия

Interim Assessment

• 2025/2026 3rd module
  0.6 * Практические занятия + 0.4 * Экзамен

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• Теоретическая физика. Т. 3: Квантовая механика : нерелятивистская теория, Ландау, Л. Д., 2016
• Теоретическая физика. Т. 5: Статистическая физика: Ч. 1, Ландау, Л. Д., 2013
• Физика твердого тела. Т.1: ., Ашкрофт, Н., 1979

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Roberto Piazza. (2016). Statistical Physics : A Prelude and Fugue for Engineers (Vol. 1st ed. 2017). Springer.

Authors

• PUGACH Nataliia GRIGOREVNA