Phases of Matter: Solid, Liquid, Gas and Beyond (Coursera)

The course is aimed at a general audience. It assumes familiarity with algebra, and passing familiarity with basic concepts such as atoms and energy, but does not assume knowledge of advanced physics or mathematics. It is the first of a series of three courses introducing the key ideas of modern condensed matter physics. However, it can also be taken as a standalone course.

This course is part of the The Physics of Emergence: Introduction to Condensed Matter Specialization.

What you'll learn

- Define what constitutes a phase of matter.

- Interpret phases in terms of symmetries, and describe spontaneous symmetry breaking.

- Identify the competition between energy and entropy, and explain how this produces phase transitions.

Syllabus

Emergent Phenomena and Phases of Matter

Module 1

This module introduces the notion of emergent phenomena, and a central application of this notion: phases of matter. We define what constitutes a phase of matter, and explain that there are many phases beyond the familiar trio of solid, liquid, and gas.

Symmetries and Symmetry Breaking

Module 2

This module introduces the notion of symmetries, which provide a powerful tool for thinking about phases of matter. It also introduces the notion of spontaneous symmetry breaking.

Energy, Entropy and Phase Structure

Module 3

This module introduces the concepts of energy, entropy and explains how the competition between them can drive phase transitions.

Mean Field Theory

Module 4

In this module, you will learn a powerful tool for analyzing phases that are classified by symmetries, known as mean field theory. You will learn to apply this tool.