Available Courses

Acquaints students with the fundamental ideas and ways of thinking that will enable them to understand and make informed judgments regarding key technical issues upon which the well-being of our society increasingly depends. The question of sustainability will be examined in light of our planet’s limited resources, our environmental footprint, global economic growth, scientific and technological innovation, and political organization and choices.

A course for liberal arts students who have an interest in music and sound. Physical phenomena that relate to music and sound will be presented. Topics include origins, nature and transmission of sound waves, sound reception and perception, musical scales and temperament, the physics of different musical instruments, and sected special topics. Demonstration devices are available for illustration of permanent concepts.

Basic concepts of classical physics. Newtonian mechanics, thermodynamics, and electromagnetic theory.

Laboratory component of the General Physics I course. Includes experiments in the areas of mechanics and thermodynamics.
Notes: Must be taken initially with Physics 121.4. May be taken alone if a passing grade has been received in Physics 121.4.

A non-calculus based course primarily for majors in life sciences, pre-health professions, and liberal arts. Mechanics, thermodynamics, kinetic theory, and sound. No previous knowledge of physics required.
Notes: Must be taken initially with Physics 121.1. May be taken alone if a passing grade has been received in Physics 121.1.

Laboratory component of the General Physics II course. Includes experiments in the areas of optics and electromagnetism.
Notes: Must be taken initially with Physics 122.4. May be taken alone if a passing grade has been received in Physics 122.4.

Electricity and magnetism, geometrical and physical optics, and an introduction to modern physics.
Notes: Must be taken initially with Physics 122.1. May be taken alone if a passing grade has been received in Physics 122.1.

Laboratory component of the Principles of Physics I course. Includes experiments in the areas of mechanics and thermodynamics.
Notes: Must be taken initially with Physics 145.4. May be taken alone if a passing grade has been received in Physics 145.4.

A calculus-based course intended for students who plan to study physical sciences or engineering. Fundamental principles and laws of mechanics, thermodynamics, kinetic-molecular theory, and sound.
Notes: Must be taken initially with Physics 145.1. May be taken alone if a passing grade has been received in Physics 145.1.

Laboratory component of the Principles of Physics II course. Includes experiments in the areas of electricity, magnetism, and optics.
Notes: Must be taken initially with Physics 146.4. May be taken alone if a passing grade has been received in Physics 146.4.

Electricity, magnetism, and optics.
Notes: Must be taken initially with Physics 146.1. May be taken alone if a passing grade has been received in Physics 146.1.

Introduction to the principles and methods of quantum physics with application to atoms and solids in general and semiconductors in particular. Analysis of the characteristics of semiconductor devices in computer logic circuitry.

An introductory course in the ideas and experiments leading to the Relativity and Quantum theories and to our present models of atoms, nuclei, molecules, and the solid state.

An investigation of the fundamental principles and applications of light transmission in solids, light emitting diodes, optical fiber systems, and semiconductor lasers.

Geometric optics, periodic and non-periodic waves; Doppler effect; interference and diffraction, diffraction gratings; theory of polarization of light; fiber optics and introduction to lasers

An introduction to the physical properties of thermionic and solid state electronic devices.

Fundamental concepts and recent trends in radio, television, telephony, and computer networks are addressed. Topics include analog and digital signal processing, information theory and coding, coax and fiber transmission, antennas, and satellites.

Specific mathematical methods used in advanced courses in physics.
233. Differential equations, vector differential and integral calculus.
234. Laplace transforms, Fourier analysis, complex analysis.

Specific mathematical methods used in advanced courses in physics.

A basic course in laboratory techniques intended to teach the basic tools of experimental methods in physics. Experiments drawn from electricity and magnetism, mechanics, heat, and optics. Required for all physics majors.

Development of classical mechanics covering Newton’s laws, conservation theorems, oscillations, Lagrange and Hamilton formulations, central force motion, noninertial systems, and rigid body motion.

Thermodynamic systems in equilibrium, entropy, thermodynamic potentials, phase transitions, and kinetic theory.

This course covers the thermodynamic laws and potentials, entropy, phase transitions, and classical and quantum statistical physics with application to physical systems.

An introduction to quantum and nuclear physics and the principles of special relativity. The objective is to explain the experimental basis for the transition from classical to modern physics.

Circuit elements and their voltage-current relationships; Kirschoff’s laws. Elementary circuit analysis. Continuos signals. Differential equations and their application to circuit theory. State variable equations. First and Second order systems. Introduction to MicroCap III for circuit analysis. This course is part of the Engineering Core Curriculum at City College .

A practical introduction to data-driven science and engineering and using machine learning to analyze experimental data and theoretical models in natural sciences. Provides contemporary skills valuable for careers in technology, including an introduction to MATLAB (and Python).

Electrostatics, boundary value problems, electric fields in matter, magnetostatics, Maxwell’s equations, electromagnetic waves, radiation.

Maxwell’s equations, propagation and radiation of electromagnetic waves; electromagnetic waves in conductors and dielectrics.

Students will explore the current literature in physics while developing skills in the preparation of abstracts, publications, proposals, and oral presentations. They will become familiar with library research tools, Microsoft Office applications, professional resources in physics, and publication ethics.
Notes: May not be used as an elective in the physics major.

Students will be exposed to basic ideas of the modern physics of solids. Crystal symmetry and reciprocal lattice will be covered in conjunction with experimental methods designed to study the structure of solids. Vibrational, electrical, magnetic and optical properties of solids will be considered on the basis of the quantum mechanical description.

Review of early quantum theory. Solution of Shrodinger’s equation for a free particle, particle in a box, harmonic oscillator, and hydrogen atom. The Uncertainty and Exclusion Priciples. Spin, statistics, and exchange phenomena.

Experiments are drawn from atomic, nuclear, and solid state physics, modern optics, and electronics.
Notes: Physics 377 is required for physics majors.

Topic for each semester announced in advanced. Offered primarily for juniors and seniors. This course may be taken 4 times in 4 different semesters for credit.

381.1, 3 hr. lab.; 1 cr.
381.2, 2 hr. lec.; 2 cr.;
381.3, 2hr. lec. 3 hr. lab.; 3 cr.;
382.1, 3 hr. lab., 1 cr.;
382.2, 2 hr. lec., 2 cr.;
382.3, 2 hr. lec., 3 hr. lab; 3 cr
Selected topics of current interest.

Notes: The student’s grade will be determined by both the employer’s and faculty sponsor’s evaluations of the student’s performance, based on midterm and final reports.

391, 3 hr.; 1 cr.;
392, 6 hr.; 2 cr.;
393, 9 hr.; 3 cr.
Each student accepted works on a minor research problem under the supervision of a member of the staff.
Notes: Open to a limited number of physics majors.

The first semester of a two-semester sequence (395, 396). The student will engage in significant research under the supervision of a faculty mentor, and will complete a paper covering background, techniques, and status of the research.

Topics will include: crystal structures; thermal and electric properties of crystals; semiconductors and semiconductor devices; low-dimensional systems; excitons in semiconductors and semiconductor nanostructures

A course in numerical methods of analysis and modeling of physical phenomena with focus on problems arising in electromagnetism, optics, and semiconductor physics. The topics include solving Maxwell equations using finite difference and the finite element methods, stochastic (Monte-Carlo) methods, the matrix eigenvalue problems. Students will be introduced to scientific and engineering computing based on Matlab and/or other similar platforms.

Experiments selected from among the areas of atomic, nuclear, solid state, and molecular, physics. Student will learn basic experimental techniques used in modern university and industrial research laboratories, including how to use computers to interface with and control modern scientific instruments. Special attention will be paid to proper ways of collecting and analyzing experimental data. Students will compare the results of experiments with theoretical predictions and learn how to write scientific and technical reports.
(Pending Approval)

In this lab students will design and carry out experiments related to the fields of optics and photonics. They will learn basic experimental skills required to work with various optical instruments and components (lasers, optical fibers, filters, spectrometers, etc). Students will compare the results of experiments with theoretical predictions and learn how to write scientific and technical reports. Special attention will be paid to proper ways of collecting and analyzing experimental data and to safety procedures.
(Pending Approval)

The course will cover principles of operation of microwave antennas, waveguides, amplifiers and couplers. Measurements of propagation will be made in homogeneous and disordered single mode and overmoded waveguides. These experiments will be carried out with use of a microwave vector network analyzer. Measurements will be controlled, collected and analyzed with use of the MATLAB programming language.

This hands-on course will introduce the students to the basic techniques and concepts related to nano and microfabrication.
The course will discuss topics such as lithography, chemical vapor deposition, dry and wet etching of semiconductors, growth of semiconductor nanostructures and structural and optical characterization. The students will gain in-depth understanding of the techniques and obtain hands-on training on the various tools needed for nano and microfabrication.

Topics include: basics of vacuum science and technology, thermodynamics and kinetics of growth, introduction to phase diagrams, bulk growth and think film growth, including physical vapor deposition (PVE), hydride PVE, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), pulsed laser deposition (PLD), molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), and atomic layer deposition (ALD). Students will learn basics of materials science, physics, and instrumentation required to “grow” various materials with the emphasis on semiconductor thin films.

Advanced experimental work in one or more fields of physics, including the planning of experiments, the design and construction of apparatus, and the evaluation of experimental results in the fields of optics, X-rays, electronics, and atomic and nuclear physics. A student may obtain from 2 to 6 credits starting with PHYS 771. Two courses of the group may be taken concurrently.

Preparation and oral defense of a thesis under the guidance of a faculty mentor.

General Concepts of astronomy, planet and solar system formation, lives and deaths of stars, and observational cosmology including the Big Bang Model. The laboratory includes analysis and interpretation of astronomical data and observations. Included as a part of the laboratory are computer simulations of modern astornomical equipment.