Designing a Quantum Field Theory Course for Engineers

Predictions from Quantum Field Theory have led to some of the most influential discoveries in modern physics. We need to distill the information and methods of this field for a wider audience as quantum phenomena become more relevant to engineered materials. Our one quarter course does this by highlighting the phenomena of superconductivity, integer quantum hall effect, and Majorana states. We describe these by focusing on specific fundamentals, such as the Lagrangian, gauge field, coherent states, and symmetry breaking. To set the stage for these topics, we begin with the Einstein Equation instead of the typical Schrödinger Equation. From there, we show that all the fundamental quantum equations of motion can be accessed by quantizing the Einstein Equation and imposing specific restrictions on those quantized equations. By making Quantum Field Theory widely accessible, we advance interest and progress in a vast range of areas from topological quantum computing to energy materials.