Quantum Electronics

Quantum Electronics

 This course introduces fundamentals of Quantum mechanics to device physicists and electrical/electronic engineers.


Course Code:              EE6204
Credit Hours:                       3

An undergraduate level course in modern physics

Target Audience:
MS/Ph.D students wishing to pursue research in the field nanoelectronics, molecular electronics and its allied areas of research.






Quantum mechanics is the body of scientific principles which attempts to explain the behavior of matter and its interactions with energy on the atomic scale. With continued miniaturization, the ever shrinking devices now have dimensions comparable with the DeBroglie wavelength of the electrons. To comprehend the working of such devices, understanding of quantum effects is inevitable. Although like traditional first course on quantum mechanics for physics students, this course starts with a brief historical background of quantum mechanics, but quickly leads to its applications focused on semiconductor electronics for example band theory of semiconductors and tunneling effect.

Fig.1 Illustration of tunneling effect in Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM)




M Mohiuddin did Bachelor of Electrical Engineering (EE) from NED University in 1992 and his MS in EE from University of Nebraska, Lincoln, USA. After finishing his MS in 1996, he remained associated with various institutions in Pakistan as a faculty member. During 2007-2010 he did his PhD in the area of compound semiconductor devices from The University of Manchester, UK. His work and current research interest entail physical and empirical device modeling and RF measurements of InP Double Heterojunction Bipolar Transistors and High Electron Mobility Transistors for high speed, low-power digital applications.

Course Outline:


  1. Historical background of quantum mechanics
  2. Quantum operators and Schrodinger equation
  3. Harmonic Oscillator
  4. Free electron gas and particle in a box problem
  5. Band theory of solids—Bloch’s theorem, Kronig-Penney model
  6. Quantum wells and heterostructures
  7. Tunneling



Recommended Books

  • D. F. Ferry. Quantum Mechanics—An Introduction........ 2nd edition.
  • R. F. Pierret. Advanced Semiconductor Fundamentals. 2nd or later edition.
  • R. L. Liboff. Introductory Quantum Mechanics. 4th edition.