Applying exotic quantum properties such as entanglement to every-day applications such as communication and computation reveals new dimensions of such applications. Quantum encoding and entanglement distribution provide means to establish fundamentally secure communication links for transfer of classical and quantum data. Generation, transmission and storage of quantum optical information are basic processes required to establish a quantum optical network. This course describes the physics behind these processes and overviews various implementation approaches. Technologies including quantum key distribution, quantum repeaters, quantum memories and quantum teleportation will be discussed and their engineering challenges will be evaluated.

Emerging quantum systems are disruptive technologies redefining computing and communication. Teaching quantum physics to engineers and educating scientists on engineering solutions are critical to address fundamental and engineering challenges of the quantum technologies. This course provides an introduction to various quantum technologies by overviewing laws of quantum physics, quantum systems and their engineering challenges. In particular, the course reviews various implementation of quantum communication and computation and basic science and engineering behind the technology.

This course will start with the nuclear structure of atoms and discuss the creation of hydrogen in the big bang universe and the fusion of hydrogen to make heavier elements in stars. Three pillars of the big bang cosmology will be elaborated. Ch. 1 “Atomic Nucleus” Rutherford’s 1908 Nobel Lecture will be used to discuss identification of the alpha particle as a possible building block of elements such as carbon and oxygen. The discovery of the proton as the ultimate building block of all nuclei will also be covered. Ch. 2 “Origin of Elements” The modern view of the big bang synthesis of light elements and the stellar synthesis of heavy elements will be discussed. The 1978 Nobel Lecture by Penzias, titled “The Origin of Elements”, will be the primary source material. Ch. 3 “Cosmic Background Radiation” How big bang cosmology was established by the discovery of the cosmic background radiation by Penzias and Wilson in 1965 will be discussed using Wilson’s 1978 Nobel Lecture. Ch. 4 “Expansion of the Universe” How the foundation for big bang cosmology was laid out by the works of Leavitt, Slipher, and Hubble is the subject of this chapter. Hubble’s 1929 paper in PNAS about Hubble’s law will be the primary resource.

Every day, we see concrete used all around us – to build our houses, offices, schools, bridges, and infrastructure. But few people actually understand what gives concrete its strength, resistance, and utility. The aim of this course is to offer basic cement chemistry to practitioners, as well as new students in the fields of chemistry and engineering. You will learn how cement is made and hydrated, as well as the environmental and economical benefits it offers. You’ll learn to test your samples in isocalorimetry in order to track the hydration and to prepare and observe samples by scanning electron microscopy. In the last two weeks of the course, you will also learn how X-ray diffraction works and how to apply it to cements. Because the course is designed for beginning students, it’s not necessary to have a cement background, however a bachelor degree in Materials Science or knowledge in chemistry, physics and crystallography will help. This course starts with basics of cement, and progressively covers the latest advances in the understanding of cement hydration. This course lasts 6 weeks, during which you can take theoretical courses and tutorials to test the cement in the laboratory.

The motion of falling leaves or small particles diffusing in a fluid is highly stochastic in nature. Therefore, such motions must be modeled as stochastic processes, for which exact predictions are no longer possible. This is in stark contrast to the deterministic motion of planets and stars, which can be perfectly predicted using celestial mechanics. This course is an introduction to stochastic processes through numerical simulations, with a focus on the proper data analysis needed to interpret the results. We will use the Jupyter (iPython) notebook as our programming environment. It is freely available for Windows, Mac, and Linux through the Anaconda Python Distribution. The students will first learn the basic theories of stochastic processes. Then, they will use these theories to develop their own python codes to perform numerical simulations of small particles diffusing in a fluid. Finally, they will analyze the simulation data according to the theories presented at the beginning of course. At the end of the course, we will analyze the dynamical data of more complicated systems, such as financial markets or meteorological data, using the basic theory of stochastic processes.

In this chemistry course, you will learn about “Life in the Universe." We will explore DNA as genetic material and atoms as the building blocks of life. We will discuss the discovery and key features of the double helical structure of DNA and the chemical principles behind the sugar-phosphate backbone and hydrogen bonding in the base pairs will be emphasized. We will also discuss identification DNA as genetic material. At the end of the course, you will learn how and why atoms are bonded to make molecules such as DNA and the discovery of argon will be used to explain the valency and reactivity of different elements based on the periodic table. To help learners better understand the material, we will be referencing Nobel lectures and scientific papers such as: Watson and Crick’s 1953 paper in Nature Rayleigh’s 1904 Nobel Lecture on the discovery of argon The 1944 paper in J. Experimental Medicine by Avery, MacLeod, and McCarty Perrin’s 1928 Nobel Lecture

Global Warming Science teaches you about the risks and uncertainties of future climate change by examining the science behind the earth’s climate. You will be able to answer such questions as, “What is the Greenhouse Effect?” and “How and why has earth’s climate changed through geologic history?” This science course is designed for college sophomores and juniors with some preparation in college-level calculus and physics.

Super-Earths And Life is a course about life on Earth, alien life, how we search for life outside of Earth, and what this teaches us about our place in the universe. In the past decade astronomers have made incredible advances in the discovery of planets outside our solar system. Thirty years ago, we knew only of the planets in our own solar system. Now we know of thousands circling nearby stars. Meanwhile, biologists have gained a strong understanding of how life evolved on our own planet, all the way back to the earliest cells. We can describe how simple molecules can assemble themselves into the building blocks of life, and how those building blocks might have become the cells that make up our bodies today. Super-Earths And Life is all about how these fields, astronomy and biology, together with geology, can help answer one of our most powerful and primal questions: are we alone in the universe? HarvardX requires individuals who enroll in its courses on edX to abide by the terms of the edX honor code: https://www.edx.org/edx-terms-service . HarvardX will take appropriate corrective action in response to violations of the edX honor code, which may include dismissal from the HarvardX course; revocation of any certificates received for the HarvardX course; or other remedies as circumstances warrant. No refunds will be issued in the case of corrective action for such violations. Enrollees who are taking HarvardX courses as part of another program will also be governed by the academic policies of those programs. HarvardX pursues the science of learning. By registering as an online learner in an HX course, you will also participate in research about learning. Read our research statement: http://harvardx.harvard.edu/research-statement to learn more. Harvard University and HarvardX are committed to maintaining a safe and healthy educational and work environment in which no member of the community is excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination or harassment in our program. All members of the HarvardX community are expected to abide by Harvard policies on nondiscrimination, including sexual harassment, and the edX Terms of Service. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact [email protected] and/or report your experience through the edX contact form: https://www.edx.org/contact-us .

Are you interested in investigating materials and their properties with unsurpassed accuracy and fidelity? Synchrotrons and XFELs (X-ray free-electron lasers) are considered to be Science’s premier microscopic tools. They're used in scientific disciplines as diverse as molecular biology, environmental science, cultural heritage, catalytical chemistry, and studies of the electronic properties of novel materials - to name but a few examples. This course provides valuable insights into this broad spectrum of scientific disciplines, from the generation of x-rays - via a description of the machines that produce intense x-ray sources - to modern experiments performed using these facilities.

Knowing the geometrical structure of the molecules around us is one of the most important and fundamental issues in the field of chemistry. This course introduces the two primary methods used to determine the geometrical structure of molecules: molecular spectroscopy and gas electron diffraction. In molecular spectroscopy, molecules are irradiated with light or electric waves to reveal rich information, including: Motions of electrons within a molecule (Week 1), Vibrational motions of the nuclei within a molecule (Week 2), and Rotational motions of a molecule (Week 3). In the gas electron diffraction method, molecules are irradiated with an accelerated electron beam. As the beam is scattered by the nuclei within the molecule, the scattered waves interfere with each other to generate a diffraction pattern. In week 4, we study the fundamental mechanism of electron scattering and how the resulting diffraction images reveal the geometrical structure of molecules. By the end of the course, you will be able to understand molecular vibration plays an important role in determining the geometrical structure of molecules and gain a fuller understanding of molecular structure from the information obtained by the two methodologies. FAQ Do I need to buy a textbook? No, you can learn the contents without any textbooks. However, if you hope to learn more on the subjects treated in this course, you are recommended to read the textbook introduced below: Kaoru Yamanouchi, “Quantum Mechanics of Molecular Structures,” Springer-Verlag, 2012.