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Dr. Scott N. Walck

Scott Walck

Professor of Physics

Email: walck@lvc.edu

Phone: 717-867-6153

Office Location: Neidig-Garber 223

B.S., Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; M.S., Lehigh University; Ph.D., Lehigh University

Expertise:
Computational Physics, Quantum Information, Functional Programming in Physics

Dr. Scott Walck’s extensive academic and professional experience includes serving as Chair of the LVC Physics Department, an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, a Visiting Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania, a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Rochester, a Research Associate at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, and an Electrical Engineer with Lutron Electronics. He received LVC’s top teaching honor, the Thomas Rhys Vickroy Distinguished Teaching Award, and his book Learn Physics with Functional Programming: A Hands-on Guide to Exploring Physics with Haskell received the 2024 Most Promising New Textbook Award from the Textbook and Academic Authors Association.

Professor Walck and his LVC faculty colleague, Dr. David Lyons, Professor of Mathematical Sciences, received over $650,000 in National Science Foundation grants to support student-faculty research at Lebanon Valley College.

RESEARCH GRANTS AWARDED

David W. Lyons and Scott N. Walck, “RUI: Structure and Local Equivalence of Stabilizers and States,” National Science Foundation, 2012–2015, $273,975.

Scott N. Walck and David W. Lyons, “RUI: Entanglement Classification via Stabilizers and Subsystem States,”  National Science Foundation,  2009–2012, $236,198.

Scott N. Walck and David W. Lyons, “RUI: Space of Multiparticle Entanglement Types,” National Science Foundation, 2006–2009, $160,000.

Scott N. Walck, “Topology, geometry, and visualization of the pure three-qubit state space,” Research Corporation, 2002–2005, $33,218.

 

PUBLICATIONS

Book

Learn Physics with Functional Programming: A Hands-on Guide to Exploring Physics with Haskell, Scott N. Walck, No Starch Press, 2023, 648 pp., ISBN-13: 9781718501669, https://lpfp.io/

 

Refereed Articles

  • Scott N. Walck, “Functional Programming in Learning Electromagnetic Theory,” Electronic Proceedings in Theoretical Computer Science, 405, 20 (2024). https://dx.doi.org/10.4204/EPTCS.405.2
  • F. Malenda, S. Talbott, and Scott N. Walck, “The Micro Assignment Guided Inquiry and Collaboration (MAGIC) Method: A Qualitative Discussion of the Ben- efits of Active Learning Through Scaffolded Assignments in Upper-Level Physics and Mathematics,” Journal of College Science Teaching, https://doi.org/10.1080/ 0047231X.2024.2338696 (2024).
  • David Lyons, Nathaniel P. Gibbons, Mark A. Peters, Daniel J. Upchurch, Scott Walck, and Ezekiel W. Wertz, “Local Pauli stabilizers of symmetric hypergraph states,” Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical, 50, 245303 (2017).
  • Scott N. Walck, “Learn Quantum Mechanics with Haskell,” Electronic Proceedings in Theoretical Computer Science, 230, 31 (2016).
  • David W. Lyons, Daniel J. Upchurch, Scott N. Walck, and Chase D. Yetter, “Local unitary symmetries of hypergraph states,” Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical, 48, 095301 (2015).
  • Scott Walck, “Learn Physics by Programming in Haskell,” Electronic Proceedings in Theoretical Computer Science, 170, 67 (2014).
  • Curt D. Cenci, David W. Lyons, and Scott N. Walck, “Local unitary group stabilizers and entanglement for multiqubit symmetric states,” Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 6745, 198 (2014).
  • David W. Lyons and Scott N. Walck, “Entanglement verification using local unitary stabilizers,” Phys. A 87, 062321 (2013).
  • David W. Lyons, Abigail M. Skelton, and Scott N. Walck, “Werner state structure and entanglement classification,” Advances in Mathematical Physics 2012, 463610 (2012).
  • David W. Lyons and Scott N. Walck, “Symmetric mixed states of n qubits: Local unitary stabilizers and entanglement classes,” Phys. A 84, 042340 (2011).
  • David W. Lyons and Scott N. Walck, “Entanglement classes of symmetric Werner states,” Phys. A 84, 042316 (2011).
  • Curt D. Cenci, David W. Lyons, Laura M. Snyder, and Scott N. Walck, “Symmetric states: local unitary equivalence via stabilizers,” Quantum Information and Compu- tation 10, 1029 (2010).
  • Scott N. Walck and David W. Lyons, “Only n-qubit Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger states contain n-partite information,” Phys. A 79, 032326 (2009).
  • David W. Lyons and Scott N. Walck, “Multiparty quantum states stabilized by the diagonal subgroup of the local unitary group,” Phys. A 78, 042314 (2008).
  • Scott N. Walck and David W. Lyons, “Only n-Qubit Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger States Are Undetermined by Their Reduced Density Matrices,” Phys. Lett. 100, 050501 (2008).
  • David W. Lyons, Scott N. Walck, and Stephanie A. Blanda, “Classification of non-product states with maximum stabilizer dimension,” Rev. A 77, 022309 (2008).
  • Scott Walck and David W. Lyons, “Maximum stabilizer dimension for nonproduct states,” Phys. Rev. A 76, 022303 (2007).
  • David W. Lyons and Scott N. Walck, “Classification of n-qubit states with minimum orbit dimension,” J. Phys. A: Math. 39, 2443 (2006).
  • Scott Walck, James K. Glasbrenner, Matthew H. Lochman, and Shawn A. Hilbert, “Topology of the three-qubit space of entanglement types,” Phys. Rev. A 72, 052324 (2005).
  • W. Lyons and S. N. Walck, “Minimum orbit dimension for local unitary action on n-qubit pure states,” J. Math. Phys. 46, 102106 (2005).
  • Bayer, G. Ortner, O. Stern, A. Kuther, A. A. Gorbunov, A. Forchel, P. Hawry- lak, S. Fafard, K. Hinzer, T. L. Reinecke, S. N. Walck, J. P. Reithmaier, F. Klopf, and F. Scha¨fer, “Fine Structure of Neutral and Charged Excitons in Self-Assembled In(Ga)As/(Al)GaAs Quantum Dots,” Phys. Rev. B 65, 195315 (2002).
  • N. Walck and N. C. Hansell, “Characterization and Visualization of the State and Entanglement of Two Spins,” Eur. J. Phys. 22, 343 (2001).
  • Bayer, A. Kuther, A. Forchel, T. L. Reinecke, and S. N. Walck, “Fine Structure of Excitons in Self-Assembled In0.60Ga0.40As Quantum Dots: Zeeman-Interaction and Exchange Energy Enhancement,” Physica E 7, 475 (2000).
  • Bayer, A. Kuther, A. Forchel, A. Gorbunov, V. B. Timofeev, F. Sch¨afer, J. P. Reithmaier, T. L. Reinecke, and S. N. Walck, “Electron and Hole g Factors and Exchange Interaction from Studies of the Exciton Fine Structure in In0.60Ga0.40As Quantum Dots,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, 1748 (1999).
  • N. Walck, T. L. Reinecke, M. Bayer, T. Gutbrod, J. P. Reithmaier, and A. Forchel, “Magnetic-Field Dependence of the Exciton-Photon Coupling in Structured Photonic Cavities,” Phys. Rev. B 60, 10695 (1999).
  • Bayer, S. N. Walck, T. L. Reinecke, and A. Forchel, “Exciton Binding Energies and Diamagnetic Shifts in Semiconductor Quantum Wires and Quantum Dots,” Phys. Rev. B 57, 6584 (1998).
  • N. Walck and T. L. Reinecke, “Exciton Diamagnetic Shift in Semiconductor Nanos- tructures,” Phys. Rev. B 57, 9088 (1998).
  • Bayer, T. L. Reinecke, S. N. Walck, V. B. Timofeev, and A. Forchel, “Multiple Resonances involving Magnetoexcitons in a GaAs/Al0.30Ga0.70As Quantum Well,” Phys. Rev. B 58, 9648 (1998).
  • Braun, M. Bayer, A. Forchel, H. Zull, J. P. Reithmaier, A. I. Filin, S. N. Walck, and L. Reinecke, “Excitonic Wavepackets in In0.135Ga0.865As/GaAs Quantum Wires,” Phys. Rev. B 55, 9290 (1997).
  • L. Reinecke, P. A. Knipp, and S. N. Walck, “Optical Properties of Semiconductor Nanostructures,” J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 15, 1040 (1997).
  • Bayer, S. N. Walck, T. L. Reinecke, and A. Forchel, “Enhancement of Exciton Binding Energies in Quantum Wires and Quantum Dots,” Europhys. Lett. 39, 453 (1997).
  • N. Walck, T. L. Reinecke, and P. A. Knipp, “Exciton Binding Energy in T-Shaped Semiconductor Quantum Wires,” Phys. Rev. B 56, 9235 (1997).
  • N. Walck and W. B. Fowler, “Dynamic Bond-Strength Variation for Hydrogen-Donor Pairs in Semiconductors,” Phys. Rev. B 51, 13146 (1995).

 

Conference Proceedings

  • N. Walck, “Topological Decomposition of Composite Quantum State Spaces,” Pro- ceedings of the International Conference on Quantum Information, edited by N. P. Bigelow, J. H. Eberly, C. R. Stroud, and I. A. Walmsley (Optical Society of America, 2001), paper EAPB4.
  • Bayer, T. L. Reinecke, S. N. Walck, A. Forchel, and V. B. Timofeev, “Multi- ple Resonances of Magneto-excitons in GaAs/Al0.30Ga0.70As Quantum Wells,” High Magnetic Fields in the Physics of Semiconductors II, edited by G. Landwehr and W. Ossau (World Scientific, 1997), p. 549.
  • Bayer, A. Forchel, T. L. Reinecke, S. N. Walck, and V. B. Timofeev, “Binding Energy and Spin-Splitting of Excitons in InxGa1−xAs/GaAs Quantum Dots,” High Magnetic Fields in the Physics of Semiconductors II, edited by G. Landwehr and W. Ossau (World Scientific, 1997), p. 651.
  • Gutbrod, M. Bayer, A. Forchel, S. N. Walck, T. L. Reinecke, M. Ro¨hner, H. Zull, and J. P. Reithmaier, “Tuning of Rabi-Splitting by a Magnetic Field,” High Magnetic Fields in the Physics of Semiconductors II, edited by G. Landwehr and W. Ossau (World Scientific, 1997), p. 663.
  • Braun, M. Bayer, A. I. Filin, A. Forchel, H. Zull, H. P. Reithmaier, S. N. Walck, and T. L. Reinecke, “Coherent Spectroscopy of Freestanding InGaAs/GaAs Quantum Wires,” in Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference, Vol. 12, 1997 OSA Technical Digest Series (Optical Society of America, Washington, D.C., 1997), p. 38.
  • Bayer, S. N. Walck, T. L. Reinecke, and A. Forchel, “Dependence of Exciton Binding Energies on Reduced Dimension in Semiconductor Nanostructures,” 23rd International Conference on the Physics of Semiconductors, edited by M. Scheffler and R. Zimmermann (World Scientific, 1996), p. 1429.

 

PRESENTATIONS

  • Scott N. Walck, “Typed Functional Programming and Physics,” American Association of Physics Teachers Winter Meeting, Houston, Texas (January 14, 2019).
  • Scott N. Walck, “Qubits and Entanglement,” Susquehanna University (November 6, 2018).
  • Scott N. Walck, “Learn Quantum Mechanics with Haskell,” 5th International Workshop on Trends in Functional Programming in Education, College Park, Maryland (June 7, 2016).
  • Scott N. Walck, “Qubits and Entanglement,” Physics Colloquium, Franklin and Marshall College (April 5, 2016).
  • Scott N. Walck, “Learn Physics by Programming in Haskell,” Annual Meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Section of the American Physical Society, Pennsylvania State University (October 5, 2014).
  • Scott Walck, “Learn Physics by Programming in Haskell,” 3rd International Workshop on Trends in Functional Programming in Education, Soesterberg, Netherlands (May 25, 2014).
  • Scott N. Walck, “Multi-particle entanglement classification,” University of Glasgow (2012).
  • Scott N. Walck, “Two examples of entanglement classification,” Anacapa Society Meeting, Hamline University, St. Paul, Minnesota (2012).
  • Scott N. Walck, “Local unitary stabilizers and multipartite entanglement,” Plenary Lecture at the Symposium on Optical Interactions and Quantum Systems, University of Rochester (2009).
  • Scott N. Walck and David W. Lyons, “Only n-qubit Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger states contain n-partite information,” 40th Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics, Charlottesville, Virginia (2009).
  • Scott Walck, “Classifying Quantum Entanglement Using the Local Unitary Group Action,” Tetrahedral Geometry and Topology Seminar, Hempfield, PA (2006).
  • Scott N. Walck, “Classifying Quantum Entanglement using the Local Unitary Group Action,” University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA (2006).
  • David W. Lyons and Scott N. Walck, “Simplified Method for Classification of Entanglement Types,” Joint Mathematics Meetings (American Mathematical Society and Mathematical Society of America), Baltimore, MD (2003).
  • Jon S. Pitt and Scott N. Walck, “Stationary Two-Qubit Quantum States,” Joint Mathematics Meetings (American Mathematical Society and Mathematical Society of America), Baltimore, MD (2003).
  • Scott N. Walck, “Quantum Computers and Quantum Entanglement,” Muhlenberg College, Allentown, PA (2002).
  • Scott N. Walck, “Bloch-Sphere-Based Visualizations of Quantum Systems,” Gordon Conference on Physics Research and Education in Quantum Mechanics, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA (2002).
  • Scott N. Walck, “Topological Decomposition of Composite Quantum State Spaces,” International Conference on Quantum Information, Rochester, NY (2001).
  • Scott Walck, “Peer Instruction at Lebanon Valley College,” American Association of Physics Teachers Winter Meeting, Kissimmee, FL (2000).
  • Scott N. Walck, “More than Four: States of a Two-Bit Quantum Computer,” Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA (2000).
  • N. Walck and D. G. Hall, “Waveguide-Mediated Dipole-Dipole Interaction,” Optical Society of America Annual Meeting, Baltimore, MD (1998).
  • N. Walck and T. L. Reinecke, “Diamagnetic Shifts and Binding Energies of Excitons in Quantum Dots,” Recent Advances in the Physics of Single Quantum Dots, Washington, DC (1997).
  • N. Walck and T. L. Reinecke, “Exciton Diamagnetic Shift in Quantum Wires and Dots,” March Meeting of the American Physical Society, Kansas City, MO (1997).
  • Bayer, S. N. Walck, T. L. Reinecke, and A. Forchel, “Dependence of Exciton Binding Energies on Reduced Dimension in Semiconductor Nanostructures,” 23rd International Conference on the Physics of Semiconductors, Berlin, Germany (1996).
  • N. Walck and T. L. Reinecke, “Exciton Binding Energy in Quantum Wells, Wires, and Dots,” March Meeting of the American Physical Society, St. Louis, MO (1996).
  • N. Walck and W. B. Fowler, “Role of Lattice Interaction in the Vibration of Defect Complexes in Semiconductors,” March Meeting of the American Physical Society, San Jose, CA (1995).
  • N. Walck and W. B. Fowler, “Importance of a 3-Body Interaction in the Vibration of H-X Antibonding Complexes,” Gordon Research Conference on Point and Line Defects in Semiconductors, Plymouth, NH (1994).
  • N. Walck and W. B. Fowler, “Modeling Hydrogen Related Vibrations of Defects in Semiconductors: Importance of a 3-Body Interaction,” March Meeting of the Amer- ican Physical Society, Pittsburgh, PA (1994).
  • N. Walck and W. B. Fowler, “Modeling Hydrogen Related Vibrations of Defects in Semiconductors,” March Meeting of the American Physical Society, Seattle, WA (1993).
  • N. Walck, X. Q. Wang, and J. Toulouse, “Raman Study of Precursor Effects in Li Doped KMnF3 Near the 187K Phase Transition,” March Meeting of the American Physical Society, Indianapolis, IN (1992).

 

PATENTS

  • Dierenbach, E. G. Jacoby, D. A. Snavely, D. W. Tucker, and S. N. Walck, “Wallbox Electric Device Assembly,” U. S. Patent 5,180,886 (1993).
  • Introductory Physics I, II (Algebra-based)
  • Classical Mechanics II
  • Introductory Physics I, II (Calculus-based)
  • Electromagnetic Theory I, II
  • Computational Physics
  • Quantum Mechanics I, II
  • Differential Equations
  • General Relativity
  • Meaning of Quantum Theory
  • First-Year Seminar