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Master's program
This specialization concentrates on theoretical methods for modeling materials (and, in general, condensed matter) with many-particle quantum correlations qualitatively changing the properties of systems. It provides in-depth learning of spintronics, analytical and numerical methods for first-principles modeling of materials properties.
Students also learn to work in commercial packages for quantum mechanical modeling of materials properties, and study machine learning methods used in quantum physics and basics of quantum computing.
Many theoretical approaches to studying the properties of novel functional materials become highly ineffective when the materials of interest are characterized by strong electronic correlations. Such correlations appear when the electrons belonging to different atoms strongly interact with each other, and thus, standard methods are not suited for describing such materials. These materials are applied in chemistry, medicine, and for solving problems of physics. In the last 10-15 years, «advanced» theoretical methods, application software programs and many new experimental methods have been developed for the investigation of such materials. However, there was no educational program that would give the skills necessary for work with the research methods for these materials.
Master’s specialization «Quantum materials» teaches all research methods that are currently in use for studying materials with strong electronic correlations. Within this program, there are two tracks: the first one contains theoretical and numerical methods of research, and the second one ¬is devoted to experimental research. The program is closely related to the current scientific work at the Department and the work on the grants won by the Department’s teams. At the Department, scientific seminars on optics and theoretical physics are held weekly, with the participation of Russian and foreign scientists, and all students attend these seminars. Scientific work is a mandatory part of the educational program for all students, which gives the opportunity to obtain real experience in research during their education. The Master’s students that successfully carry out their research start working at the Department.
The first semester of the Master's program is leveling, because students with a Bachelor’s degree that enter the program come from different universities and with different specializations. Therefore, it becomes necessary to level their knowledge of mathematical methods in physics, photonics, computational electrodynamics and quantum mechanics. The language of study in this program is English. There is also an opportunity to improve English during the compulsory English classes throughout the entire period of study. As early as the first semester, Master’s students choose their scientific supervisors among the researchers of the Department of Physics and Engineering and begin scientific work.
In the second and third semesters, students attend certain classes together, and other classes are elective, i.e. related to the chosen educational track. All the Master’s students study introduction to materials science, computational physics, quantum chemistry methods, and physics of two-dimensional systems. Students that have selected the quantum materials track learn spintronics, quantum optics, many-body quantum theory, low-dimensional magnetism, and machine learning methods. These areas are necessary for the theoretical and numerical study of strongly correlated materials. Experimentalists, i.e. the students who have selected the hybrid materials track, study special chapters of organic and inorganic chemistry, cell biology, spectroscopy methods, and computer modeling. This allows preparing specialists to work with systems based on combinations of chemically different compounds such as organic-inorganic systems, alloys, etc. To study these systems, quantum chemistry methods are used, which make it possible to predict the materials’ properties with quantum mechanics methods.
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Primary (min. 2 курса в семестр) EN
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Mathematical and Numerical Methods (min. 1 курс в семестр)
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Special (min. 1 курс в семестр)
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Fundamental module
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Scientific work and internship
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General education module
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Students of the Faculty of Physics can go on an exchange to study at a foreign university with which the faculty and the University have established cooperation. For more detailed information, advice and assistance on exchange programs, please contact Daria Zamotina.
Examples of universities where our students study:
- University of Iceland, Iceland
- Radboud University, the Netherlands - Erasmus+ scholarship program available
- University of Lorraine, France - Erasmus+ scholarship program available
