Structure of the class​​

Fluctuations are omnipresent in both the classical and the quantum world and they are connected with a panoply of phenomena of great importance in different areas of physics, ranging from quantum field theory to gravity, from statistical physics to cosmology. This includes multidisciplinary topics such as biophysics, optomechanics and, in general, light-matter interaction. The exact understanding of fluctuation-induced phenomena is rapidly becoming important for the characterization of modern experimental set-ups and for the opportunities and challenges that they offer to nanotechnology. (Read more.)

The aim of this lecture will be to make the student acquainted with fundamental concepts of fluctuation-induced phenomena. The course consists of two sessions a week, twice 90 minutes. The second 90-minute session is dedicated to exercises (2 SWS lecture + 2 SWS excercise). During the exercise class the problems proposed to the students the week before will be discussed. The exercise class will give them the opportunity to discuss concepts and mathematical demonstrations required during the future lectures.

The lectures do not follow a specific textbook. Instead, a script will be provided that summarizes with detail the material presented during the lecture. The full script can be dowload from this page and it is password protected (the password is given during the first lecture). The script might be updated during the lecture. It is therefore suggested to print it only chapter by chapter. The update status is provided on this webpage.​

The lectures are accompanied by weekly tutorials where the solutions of the problem sheets and questions about the lectures are discussed.

More information is available on the file InfoSheetFIP2017.pdf which can be dowloaded from this page.