PřF:F5030 Intro. to Quantum Mechananics - Course Information

F5030 Introduction to Quantum Mechanics

Extent and Intensity

3/2/0. 4 credit(s) (fasci plus compl plus > 4). Type of Completion: zk (examination).

Teacher(s)

doc. Mgr. Jiří Chaloupka, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Michal Ďuriška (seminar tutor)
Mgr. Jan Revenda (seminar tutor)

Guaranteed by

doc. Mgr. Jiří Chaloupka, Ph.D.
Department of Condensed Matter Physics – Physics Section – Faculty of Science
Contact Person: doc. Mgr. Jiří Chaloupka, Ph.D.
Supplier department: Department of Condensed Matter Physics – Physics Section – Faculty of Science

Timetable

Thu 12:00–14:50 F1 6/1014

• Timetable of Seminar Groups:

F5030/01: Tue 12:00–13:50 Fs1 6/1017
F5030/02: Wed 12:00–13:50 F4,03017

Prerequisites

F4120 Theoretical mechanics || F4050 Introduction to Microphysics
Basic university level course of physics.

Course Enrolment Limitations

The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.

fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with

there are 7 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display

Course objectives

This is an introductory course in nonrelativistic quantum mechanics.
Main objectives can be summarized as follows: to master the basic mathematical tools used in quantum mechanics; to understand the concept of probability amplitude and wavefunction; to be able to solve Schroedinger equation in simple situations (potential wells, steps and barriers, harmonic oscillator, hydrogen atom); to be able to apply approximative methods (perturbation theory, variation method) in the simplest situations.

Learning outcomes

After passing the course the students should be able to:
- formulate simple physical problems on the quantum mechanical level
- solve the formulated problems using Schrodinger equation and/or its approximations

Syllabus

• I. Introduction
• 1. Concepts in the physics of microscopic phenomena: discreteness, wave-particle dualism, uncertainty, complementarity, superposition.
• 2. One-particle wave mechanics: de Broglie waves, Schroedinger equation, general properties of its solutions in the one-dimensional case, particle in a rectangular potential well, tunneling through a square potential barrier, mention of applications in the field of semiconductor nanostructures.
• 3. Probability interpretation of the wave function and of its Fourier transform, mean values of functions of the position and the momentum, position-momentum uncertainty relation.
• 4. Examples of systems of a finite dimension and a sketch of their quantum mechanical description (particle with a few discrete levels available, spin, polarization state of the electromagnetic radiation).
• II. Formalism
• 1. Abstract Hilbert space, state vectors and their representations, linear operators and their representations, hermitean operators and their properties.
• 2. Postulates of the quantum mechanics concerning the description of the state of a system, dynamical variables, and measurement; uncertainty relations in the general case, complete sets of commuting operators.
• 3. Evolution in time: Schroedinger equation in the general case, Heisenberg representation, connections with classical physics (Ehrenfest theorem, Classical limit of the Schroedinger equation), stationary case.
• III. Applications
• 1. The Harmonic oscillator: solution of the problem by the algebraic method involving the creation and annihilation operators, energy spectrum and wave functions, limit of large quantum numbers, mention of applications in the theory of black-body radiation and in the theory of the dynamics of the nuclei.
• 2. Angular momentum in quantum mechanics: commutation relations for the components of the orbital angular momentum, extension to the components of the total angular momentum of an arbitrary system, determination of the eigenvalues of the magnitude of the angular momentum and of its selected component using the algebraic method, eigenfunctions of the orbital angular momentum, spin angular momentum, basics of the theory of the addition of angular momenta.
• 3. Central field: simplification of the problem using the rotation symmetry of the hamiltonian, radial Schroedinger equation and a sketch of its solution, energy spectrum and eigenfunctions of the hydrogen-atom problem.
• 4. Methods of approximation: stationary perturbation theory both for non-degenerate levels and for a degenerate level, time-dependent perturbation theory, perturbation calculation of inter-level transition probabilities, Fermi golden rule, mention of applications in the theory of optical response, variational method, mention of applications in quantum chemistry.
• 5. Systems of identical particles: postulate concerning the symmetry/antisymmetry of the wavefunctions of a system of identical particles, bosons and fermions, relation between symmetry and spin, Pauli principle, wavefunctions of systems of noninteracting particles, mention of applications in the condensed matter theory (the ground state of the Bose-Einstein condensate, the Fermi sea).

Literature

• ZETTILI, Nouredine. Quantum mechanics : concepts and applications. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, 2001, xiv, 649. ISBN 0471489441. info
• FORMÁNEK, Jiří. Úvod do kvantové teorie. Vyd. 2., upr. a rozš. Praha: Academia, 2004, xii, 504-9. ISBN 8020011765. info
• GRIFFITHS, David Jeffrey. Introduction to quantum mechanics. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1995, 9, 394 s. ISBN 0-13-124405-1. info
• MARX, György. Úvod do kvantové mechaniky. Translated by Luděk Bednář - Zdeněk Urbánek. Vyd. 1. Praha: Státní nakladatelství technické literatury, 1965, 294 s. URL info
• LANDAU, Lev Davidovič and Jevgenij Michajlovič LIFŠIC. Quantum mechanics : non-relativistic theory. Translated by J. B. Sykes - J. S. Bell. 3rd ed., rev. and enl. Amsterdam: Butterworth-Heinemann, 1977, xv, 677. ISBN 0750635398. info
• BLOCHINCEV, Dimitrij Ivanovič. Základy kvantové mechaniky. Translated by Jan Cejpek. 1. vyd. Praha: Nakladatelství Československé akademie věd, 1956, 545 s. URL info
• MATTHEWS, Paul T. Základy kvantové mechaniky. Vyd. 1. Praha: SNTL - Nakladatelství technické literatury, 1976, 256 s. URL info
• CELÝ, Jan. Základy kvantové mechaniky pro chemiky. I, Principy [Celý, 1986]. 1. vyd. Brno: Rektorát UJEP, 1986, 176 s. info
• CELÝ, Jan. Základy kvantové mechaniky pro chemiky. Vyd. 1. Brno: Rektorát UJEP, 1983, 161 s. info
• DAVYDOV, Aleksandr Sergejevič. Kvantová mechanika. Vyd. 1. Praha: Státní pedagogické nakladatelství, 1978, 685 s. URL info
• LIBOFF, Richard L. Introductory quantum mechanics. 2nd ed. Reading: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1993, vii, 782 s. ISBN 0-201-54715-5. info
• PIŠÚT, Ján, Ladislav GOMOLČÁK and Vladimír ČERNÝ. Úvod do kvantovej mechaniky. 2. vyd. Bratislava: Alfa, 1983, 551 s. info
• LANDAU, Lev Davidovič and Jevgenij Michajlovič LIFŠIC. Úvod do teoretickej fyziky. 1. vyd. Bratislava: Alfa, 1982, 357 s. info

Teaching methods

Lectures and class exercises, where solutions of typical problems are presented and discussed.

Assessment methods

The examination involves a written part (test consisting of ca 10-20 simple questions and/or problems, and accompanied by one complex problem to be solved) and an oral part. At least one half of the items of the test need to be correctly answered/solved for the student to complete the examination successfully. To take the examination, the students are required to actively participate at the class exercises and pass the tests assigned there by obtaining at least half of the total points.

Language of instruction

Czech

Follow-Up Courses

• F6050 Advanced quantum mechanics
• F7040 Quantum electrodynamics

Further Comments

Study Materials
The course can also be completed outside the examination period.
The course is taught annually.

Teacher's information

https://www.physics.muni.cz/~chaloupka/F5030/

• Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  
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