Aim of the course (1st semester, 2nd year) is to provide the students of Electronic, Telecommunications, Computer and Physical Engineering with the theoretical concepts to be used in all courses of the following semesters. This is therefore a pivotal course for the ensuing career.
Subjects of basic physics such as electromagnetism, the Maxwell's equations and the physical optics are treated together with the crisis of classical mechanics and the transition to the fundaments of modern physics.
The final 2 credist will be devoted to give deeper insights on the basic concepts of quantum physics, together with the description of the electronic properties of the of metals and semiconductors.

- Knowledge of electrostatics in dielectrics media and of magnetostatics.
- Knowledge of basic principles of time-dependent electric and magnetic fields.
- Knowledge of Maxwell's equations.
- Knowledge of wave optics as a consequence of Maxwell's equations.
- Knowledge of wave optics laws and of properties of electromagnetic waves.
- Preliminary knowledge of the wave-particle dualism, of the quantum physics.
- Preliminary knowledge of the electronic properties of semiconductors and metals.
- Ability to apply the acquired knowledge to solve elementary problems.

- Basic physics (mechanics, thermodynamics, basic electrostatics)
- Basic mathematics and geometry

ELECTROSTATICS (1 CFU)
Static electric field in matter: conductors. Capacitance and capacitors. Energy density of the electric field.
Dielectric materials: electrical polarization. Electric current. Conduction. Current intensity and current density. Direct current (DC). Resistance. Ohm’s law. Resistivity and conductivity. Electric power. Joule effect.

MAGNETOSTATICS (1,5 CFU)
Magnetic field and magnetic induction. Second Maxwell’s equation. Force on a charge moving in a magnetic field: Lorentz’s force.
Magnetic force on a current-carrying conductor. Sources of magnetic field. Field of a straight current-carrying conductor: Laplace’s law, and its applications. Magnetic field of a circular current loop. Magnetic dipole. Torque on, and potential energy of, a magnetic dipole in a magnetic field. Forces between parallel currents. Ampère’s law and its applications. Magnetic fields in matter: diamagnetism, paramagnetism and ferromagnetism.

TIME-DEPENDENT ELECTRIC AND MAGNETIC FIELDS (2 CFU)
Faraday – Henry – Lenz law of electromagnetic induction and its applications. Third Maxwell’s equation. Inductance and self-inductance. Energy in an R-L circuit. Energy density of the magnetic field. Ampère-Maxwell law: fourth Maxwell’s equation.

ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES (1 CFU)
Wave equation for electric and magnetic field. General characteristics of a wave. Electromagnetic waves. Propagation and attenuation of the electromagnetic waves in conductors and dielectrics. Wave optics. Interference, electromagnetic waves interference and its applications. Diffraction: the basic principles. Fraunhofer’s theory of a double slit interference and of a single slit diffraction. Polarization of light: the basic principles.

INTRODUCTION TO QUANTUM PHYSICS and ELECTRONIC PROPERTIES of THE MATTER PHYSICS (2,5 CFU)
Photons. Waves and particles. De Broglie. Wave packets. Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle Wave function and probability density
Schrodinger equation Applications and exercises on the stationary Schrodinger equation 1-D. Finite potential well. The tunnel effect
Solids. Periodic potentials. The electron gas model. Electrons in solids, the reciprocal space, Bloch’s theorem. Dynamics, effective mass. Insulators, semiconductors and metals.

Class exercises concern with simple problem solving activities, in strict correlation with the previous theoretical lectures. In some cases scientific calculators (students' personal property) may be required.

Selected chapters from the following textbooks:
Fishbane, Gasiorowicz, Thornton,Physics for Scientists and Engineers with Modern Physics, Ed. Pearson, Prentice Hall
M. Alonso, E. Finn, Fundamental University Physics Vol 3, Addison-Wesley 1968

Complementary learning material and lecture notes will be given by the teacher.

The goal of the exam is to test the knowledge of the candidate about the topics discussed during the course’s lectures. The written exam consists of two steps: a multiple choice test, duration 30” (a minimal mark 15/30 is necessary for the second step); two exercises and one open questions, duration 1h30” (a minimal mark 15/30 is necessary for proceeding to the oral. A (briief) oral part for the final assessment.
During written exams syllabus, list of formulas and tables will not be allowed; students can use only a pocket calculator.