What topics do I need to study (in order) so that I can study electromagnetics on the quantum scale?
What is the name of the discipline studying electromagnetism on the quantum scale?
Do I need to know nuclear physics?
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4Seems you're looking for Quantum electrodynamics (usually abbreviated as QED). – Kyle Kanos Dec 21 '14 at 21:38
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AS well as the link Kyle gave you, see the Quantization of the electromagnetic field Wiki article for a brief "flavour" of the quantum field. That article is essentially Dirac's legacy and is the "field" side of the topic "quantum optics". Lagrangian mechanics is also a must for making the "quantum optics" / Dirac legacy, which grounded on Hamiltonian mechanics, fully relativistic. History topics IMO are helpful to make the "quantization procedures" seem less arcane. – Selene Routley Dec 21 '14 at 22:07
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Starting from scratch I would propose an order of topics to study as follows:
- Kinematics (motion)
- Dynamics (forces)
- Rotational kinematics and dynamics
- Collisions (momentum and impulse)
- Vibrations and waves
- Thermodynamics
- Electricity (DC)
- Electricity (AC)
- Magnetic fields and forces
- Electromagnetic waves
- Light (optics, photons)
- Quantum mechanics
Nuclear physics and all about atoms and molecules are good topics to continue with from here. But not necessary to get the hang of electromagnetism.
Get a book like University Physics by Young & Freedman. It is pedagogical gold for an eager physics student.
Steeven
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