Quantum Theory

Full course description

When looking at the world at very small scales, classical physics (classical mechanics, electromagnetism, thermodynamics) is no longer sufficient to explain our observations. In order to describe the phenomena at these scales, we need Quantum Mechanics and its wave functions, probabilities of reality and Schrödingers equation.

This course forms an introduction into Quantum Mechanics, and has a strong mathematical component.  Prior knowledge of classical physics and calculus is therefore strongly recommended.

In the course, we start from the failings of classical physics, we will see the necessity of describing the world in a different way, and try to make sense of it in terms of classical variables like position and momentum. We will calculate the quantized energy states of various analytically solvable systems like the square well potential and the harmonic oscillator. In week 4, we will introduce the linear-algebraic description of quantum mechanics. We will compute commutation relations of operators and derive Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle. We will discuss the Pauli’s exclusion principle and the concept of spin. In the final week, we will calculate the orbitals of the hydrogen atom in 3 dimensions.