List of Modules

Syllabus List of Modules Schedule Discussion

The Fundamental Assumptions of Quantum Mechanics

A free particle, one-dimensional wave packets, the Heisenberg uncertainty relations, the time evolution of a free wave packet, the spreading of a wave packet

Square Potentials

A particle in a time-independent scalar potential, potential steps, square wells, d-function potentials

Mathematical Foundations

Linear vector spaces, Dirac notation, subspaces, linear operators, Hermitian operators, unitary operators, function of operators, representations in state space, change of representation, the eigenvalue problem, commuting observables, the |r> and |p> representations

The Postulates of Quantum Mechanics

Postulates, mean value and root-mean-square deviation, conservation of probability, the evolution operator

Representations

The Schroedinger picture, the Heisenberg picture, the interaction picture, time-dependent perturbation theory, the evolution of the mean value of an observable, interference effects

The Density Matrix

A statistical mixture of states, the density operator, the physical meaning of the density matrix and the density operator

The WKB Approximation

The WKB approximations for bound states

The Harmonic Oscillator

The eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of the 1D harmonic oscillator, the mean value and root mean square deviation of X and P, coherent states, tensor product spaces, the 3D harmonic oscillator

Two-Level Systems (A Spin 1/2 particle)

Spin, a spin 1/2 particle in a uniform magnetic field, a general study of a two-level system

Two Spin 1/2 particles

The tensor product space of two spin 1/2 particles

Angular Momentum

Commutation Relations, basis states, orbital angular momentum, the spherical harmonics

Symmetries and Constants of Motion

The translation operator, the rotation operator, rotation of observables, scalar and vector observables, spinors, the rotation operator for a spin 1/2 particle