GATE Physics Revised Syllabus

Section 1: Measurements and Error Analysis

Units and dimensions, dimensional analysis; least count, significant figures; Methods of measurement and error analysis for physical quantities associated with various measurements; 2-probe and 4-probe methods for resistance measurement; Grounding for electrical circuits, Ground loops; Design of DC power supply, Signal processing through lock-in amplifiers.

Section 2: Mathematical Physics

Lincar vector spaces: basis, orthogonality and completeness; matrices: similarity transformations, diagonalization, eigenvalues and eigen vectors; linear differential equations: simple applications of first and second order linear differential equations and solutions; complex analysis: Cauchy-Riemann conditions, Cauchy’s theorem, singularitics, residue theorem and applications: Fourier analysis, tensors: tensor transformations, covariant and contravariant tensors.

Section 3: Classical Mechanics

D’Alembert’s principle, Euler-Lagrange equation, Hamilton’s principle, calculus of variations; symmetry and conservation laws; central force motion: Kepler problem; small oscillations: coupled oscillations and normal modes, rigid body dynamics: incrtia tensor, orthogonal transformations, Euler angles, torque free motion of a symmetric top: Ilamiltonian and Hamilton’s equations of motion; canonical transformations: Poisson bracket. Special theory of relativity: Lorentz transformations, relativistic kinematics, mass-energy equivalence.

Section 4: Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics

Laws of thermodynamics, macrostates and microstates, phase space, ensembles, partition function, free energy, calculation of thermodynamic quantities; classical and quantum statistics; degenerate l’ermi gas; black body radiation and Planck’s distribution law; Bose-Einstein condensation; first and second order phase transitions, phase equilibria, critical phenomena.

Section 5: Electromagnetic theory

Solutions of electrostatic and magnetostatic problems including boundary value problems, method of images; separation of variables; dielectrics and conductors; magnetic materials; multipole expansion; Maxwell’s equations; scalar and vector potentials; Coulomb and Lorentz gauges, electromagnetic waves in free space, non-conducting and conducting media, reflection and transmission at normal and oblique incidences; polarization of electromagnetic waves; Poynting vector, Poynting theorem, energy and momentum of electromagnetic waves.

Section 6: Optical Physics

Wave equation: plane and spherical waves, superposition of waves, standing waves, phase and group velocities, Interference: spatial and temporal coherence, dielectric films, Newton’s ring, multiple-beam interference, Michelson interferometer, Fabry-Perot interferometer and etalon; diffraction: Fresnel and Fraunhofer diffraction, rectangular and circular aperture, Rayleigh criterion of resolution, diffraction from double slit and many slits. dispersion by a grating, polarization: Jones vectors and matrices for linear, circular and elliptical polarization, birefringence, ray-transfer matrix for mirrors and lenses; lasers: Einstein coefficients, population inversion, two and three level laser systems.

Section 7: Quantum Mechanics

Basic ideas of quantum mechanics, uncertainty principle; linear vectors and operators in Hilbert space; time independent Schrodinger equation; one dimensional potentials: step potential, finite rectangular well, tunnelling from a potential barrier, particle in 1,2,3-dimensional box, particle in single and double delta function potentials, 1,2,3 dimensional harmonic oscillator: concept of degeneracy, central potentials;  hydrogen-like atoms; orbital and spin angular momenta; addition of angular momenta; variational method, time independent perturbation theory; elementary scattering theory, Born approximation.

Section 8: Atomic and Molecular Physics

Spectra of one-and many-electron atoms; spin-orbit interaction: L-S and j-j coupling schemes; fine and hyperfine structures; Zeeman, Paschen-Back and Stark effects; electric dipole transitions and selection rules; rotational and vibrational spectra of diatomic molecules; electronic transitions in diatomic molecules, Franck-Condon principle, Raman effect and basics of Raman spectroscopy; NMR, ESR, X-ray and Mossbauer spectroscopics.

Section 9: Solid State Physics

Elements of crystallography, diffraction methods for structure determination; bonding in solids; lattice vibrations and thermal properties of solids; free electron theory; band theory of solids: nearly free electron model; metals, semiconductors and insulators; conductivity, electron and hole statistics in intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductors, mobility and effective mass; metal-semiconductor junctions; ohmic and rectifying contacts; dielectric properties of solids, polarizability, ferroelectricity, magnetic properties of solids; dia, para, ferro, antiferro and ferri magnetism, ferromagnetic domains; superconductivity: type-1 and type II superconductors, Meissner effect, London equation, BCS theory, flux quantization.

Section 10: Nuclear and Particle Physics

Nuclear binding energy, electric and magnetic moments; semi-empirical mass formula; nuclear models: liquid drop model, nuclear shell model; nuclear force and two nuelcon problem; alpha decay, beta-decay, electromagnetic transitions in nuclei; Rutherford scattering, nuclear reactions, conservation laws; fission and fusion; partiele accelerators and detectors; elementary particles, photons, baryons, mesons and leptons; quark model; conservation laws, isospin symmetry, charge conjugation, parity and time-reversal invariance.

Section 11: Electronics

p-n diodes, bipolar junction transistors, field effect transistors, negative and positive feedback circuits; oscillators, operational amplifiers and their applications, active filters; wave form generators: sine wave, square wave and triangular wave; basics of digital logic circuits, combinational and sequential circuits, flip-flops, timers, counters, registers, A/D and D/A conversion.