PHYS4040 (Quantum Field Theory - scalar fields)

First part of the course, focus on quantising scalar fields

Lecture Notes

• Klein Gordon feild
  • Introduction to QFT: from classical to quantum to quantum fields
• Mathematics interleude
  • Distributions, Dirac delta “function”, Green’s functions, complex integration
• Propogators
  • Propogators in QM and QFT
  • Klein-Gordon Feynman propogator etc.
• Noether’s Theorem
  • Symmetries, conservation laws and Noether’s theorem
  • Transformations, representations, and generators

Background

• See also Classical Mechanics and Field Theory
  • Introduction to foundations of Classical Mechanics and Classical Field Theory

Texts

• Peskin & Schroeder, An Introduction To Quantum Field Theory
  • Available as pdf from library
• Lecture notes by David Tong:
  • https://www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/user/tong/qft.html

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PHYS6004 (Advanced Quantum Field Theory - quantum electrodynamics)

Extremely brief overview to QED. First, covers a recap of Dirac theory. Then states quantisation of Dirac and photon fields (without proof). Feynman rules are motivated and stated (not derived) - we will see the derivation in the later parts of the course. Finally, a semi-relativistic treatment of the Lamb shift is given (following paper of Bethe), which shows an example of infinities in the theory and how to deal with them (renormalisation)

Lecture Notes

• Relativistic Quantum Mechanics
  • Contains: quick overview of Dirac theory
  • QED overview, summary of Feynman rules
  • Semi-relativistic treatment of Lamb shift, renormalisation

Texts

• Peskin & Schroeder, An Introduction To Quantum Field Theory
  • Main book for the course, available as pdf from library
• Sakurai, Advanced Quantum Mechanics
  • A little dated, but very nice. Available from library