INTRODUCTION TO MODERN PHYSICS
To successfully engage with the course, students are expected to have a solid understanding of the fundamental content of the bachelor’s courses Physics 1 and Physics 2. Additionally, a basic knowledge of Analytical Mechanics (Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulations, Euler-Lagrange and Hamilton equations) is recommended.
Exam Requirements:
Students must submit a written laboratory report on one of the experiments conducted during the course. A report template will be provided by the instructor. Submission of the report is a prerequisite for admission to the oral exam, which will cover both modules of the course.
Exam Format:
Discussion of one or more theoretical topics covered during the course, followed by an analysis of the laboratory experiment presented in the report. Students may be asked to prove key results, solve representative exercises, and provide critical commentary on experimentally observed phenomena.
Assessment Criteria:
- Formal accuracy in the mathematical description of phenomena;
- Ability to connect theory and experiment;
- Clarity of exposition and command of scientific language.
To achieve an excellent grade, the student must demonstrate a thorough understanding of the topics, ability to independently develop and expand upon the course material, clear exposition, and critical maturity, including in the discussion of paradoxes, conceptual aspects of modern theories, and laboratory experiences.
Final grade: expressed on a 30-point scale.
The course aims to provide students with an introductory yet rigorous understanding of two fundamental conceptual revolutions in 20th-century physics: Special Relativity and Quantum Mechanics. The educational path integrates theoretical and experimental aspects, with the goal of highlighting the interaction between mathematical formulation and physical phenomenology, and preparing students to effectively present and communicate the core concepts of modern physics in educational settings.
The course is divided into two modules:
Module I – Theory: Prof. Claudio Cacciapuoti (56 hours)
Module II – Laboratory: Prof. Alessia Allevi (32 hours)
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Understand and explain the fundamental principles of Special Relativity and Quantum Mechanics, as well as the main experimental motivations that led to the formulation of these two theories;
- Use fundamental mathematical tools to analyze the basic concepts of both theories;
- Describe and carry out laboratory experiments suitable for school-level teaching;
- Integrate theoretical and experimental knowledge to effectively communicate key concepts of modern physics.
Module I – Theory (Prof. Cacciapuoti)
- Introduction to Special Relativity: Maxwell's equations, postulates, Lorentz transformations, simultaneity, time dilation, length contraction, relativistic dynamics;
- Quantum Mechanics: the crisis of classical theory, historical and experimental motivations (blackbody radiation, double-slit experiment, photoelectric effect); mathematical formalism (Hilbert spaces, operators, observables, Schrödinger equation); the concept of measurement; time evolution; quantum states and the superposition principle;
- Discussion of paradoxes and conceptual implications (wave-particle duality, uncertainty principle, EPR paradox, entanglement).
Module II – Laboratory (Prof. Allevi)
- Basic optics experiments for school-level teaching: reflection, refraction, interference, diffraction;
- Fundamental experiments in modern physics (e.g., photoelectric effect, electron diffraction, polarization);
- Introduction to advanced laboratory equipment;
- Activities in the professor’s Quantum Optics laboratories: generation and characterization of quantum states of light, experiments on entangled states.
Module I – Theory:
Lectures in the classroom using a blackboard and/or multimedia tools (projected slides).
Module II – Laboratory:
Hands-on laboratory activities in small groups, preceded by a theoretical presentation of the physical principles and experimental methods. Some activities will take place in the professor’s teaching and research laboratories, encouraging interaction with the world of active research.
Office hours: by appointment.
Email: alessia.allevi@uninsubria.it
Email: claudio.cacciapuoti@uninsubria.it