Organization

Each module consists of four lectures and exercise sessions. Lectures will take place on Mondays at 11:15 - 13:00, followed by a study/exercise session from 13:45 - end. At the end of each module there is an exam. All exams are pass/fail, and you need to pass all three exams to receive credit for the course.

We expect that in-person (or hybrid) teaching will be possible, with the location of this course rotating between the three institutes.  The first module is in Leiden. Directions to the institutes can be found here: Amsterdam, Utrecht, Leiden.

Students who do not have an OV-card from the Dutch government can have their travel costs reimbursed from D-ITP. Please contact the local coordinator (below) for details.

Please register before the course begins, even if you do not take the course for credit. We cannot process your grade or send important notices if you do not register.

Schedule

Module 1: Introduction to information geometry and its applications
, Subodh Patil (Leiden)


Lectures and exercises: 
Sept 5, 12, 19, 26 (Oct 3 is Leiden holiday)
, exam: Oct 10

Location:
Lecture on Sept 5, 12: new Gorlaeus Building DM 115,
Lecture on Sept 19, 26: Huygens Lab 106,
Exercise sessions: Huygens Lab 207

Abstract: 
Information geometry in a nutshell, is the geometrization of the study of families of probability distributions. It brings together statistics, information theory and differential geometry in a manner that not only reveals deep and surprising connections between them, but also has wide ranging applications that span topics as diverse as statistical inference and data analysis, machine learning, information theory, quantum measurement theory, statistical physics, biophysics and high energy theory to name only a sample.

The lectures will start with an introduction to classical information theory, statistical inference and then introduce the basics of information geometry before covering a broad range of applications in theoretical physics.

Module 2: Statistical Physics of Active Matter, Sara Jabbari Farouji (Amsterdam)

Lectures and exercises: Oct 17, 24, 31, Nov 7, exam: Nov 14
Location: Science Park G5.29

Abstract: Active matter refers to any collection of entities that are individually capable of converting stored or ambient free energy to some sort of systematic movement. Examples include all living organisms and their motile constituents such as molecular motors.  The interplay between self-propulsion and interactions in active particles leads to emergence of non-equilibrium large-scale structures with novel dynamical properties. In this course, we will present some statistical physics models of active matter with minimal ingredients, which capture the basic phenomenology of non-equilibrium self-organization in active matter. We will combine the principles and tools of non-equilibrium statistical mechanics and particle-based Brownian dynamics simulations of active particles to provide a unifying view of emergent features of dynamical self-organization in active systems.

For these lectures, a basic knowledge of non-equilibrium statistical physics will be helpful. Reading materials and references will be provided throughout the lectures. 

Module 3: Dissipation in Quantum Systems, Cristiane Morais Smith (Utrecht)

Lectures and exercises: Nov 21, 28, Dec 5, 12
Exam: Dec 19

Location:
Lectures: Minnaert building 009 at 11:00. 
Exercises: Bestuurgebouw from 13:00-17:00 (teaching assistant: Robin Verstraten)
 

Abstract: In this course, we will treat dissipative quantum systems. Usual quantum mechanics is based on canonical quantization, which requires energy conservation. The so-called Caldeira-Leggett model was proposed in the 80’s to describe quantum open systems.
This model couples the system of interest to a reservoir and leads to an effective description after integrating out the bath degrees of freedom. It is based on a path-integral approach, since it involves N+1 degrees of freedom. We will start by discussing Josephson junctions and SQUIDs, which are the paradigmatic examples that led to the Caldeira-Leggett formulation. Then, we will introduce the Caldeira-Leggett model and show that it reproduces a Langevin equation, characteristic of Brownian motion, in the semiclassical limit. Finally, we will perform the full path integral calculation to derive the dynamical reduced density operator, and the one in equilibrium. The last lecture will be about applications of the Caldeira-Legget model, including the more general case involving fractional derivatives, which leads to the concept of a time-glass.   

Bibliography:
- Lecture notes, C. Morais Smith (see pdf).
- An Introduction to Macroscopic Quantum Phenomena and Quantum Dissipation by A. O. Caldeira, Cambridge University Press (2014).
- R. C. Verstraten, R. F. Ozela, and C. Morais Smith, Time glass: a fractional calculus approach, Phys. Rev. B 103, L180301 (2021); https://journals.aps.org/prb/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevB.103.L180301
 

Contact

Dr. Lars Fritz
Institute for Theoretical Physics
Utrecht University
Princetonplein 5
3584 CC Utrecht
e-mail: l.fritz [at] uu.nl

Prof. Koenraad Schalm
Instituut-Lorentz for Theoretical Physics
Leiden University
Niels Bohrweg 2 
2335 CA Leiden
email: kschalm [at] lorentz.leidenuniv.nl

Dr. Wouter Waalewijn
Institute for Theoretical Physics 
University of Amsterdam
Science Park 904
1098 XH Amsterdam
e-mail: w.j.waalewijn [at] uva.nl

Administrative: 
Mariëlle Hilkens
Institute for Theoretical Physics
Utrecht University
e-mail: m.e.t.hilkens [AT] uu.nl