Physics 451
Quantum mechanics I
Fall 2012
Karine Chesnel
Physics 451
Quantum Mechanics - Foundations
• Class: M, W, F at 9 am C285 ESC
Instructor: Karine Chesnel
N319 ESC
801-422-5687
kchesnel@byu.edu
Office hours: MWF 10-11am
Teaching assistant:
Muxue Liu
angela19881217@hotmail.com
A little bit about your teacher…
France
Post-Doc
Lawrence
Berkeley
Lab
MS in Physics
Ecole
Normale
Superieure
PhD in
Physics
University
Joseph
Fourier
A little bit about your teacher…
BYU
Our Lab
Magnetometry
Magnetic microscopy
www.physics.byu.edu/faculty/chesnel/
Physics 451
Quantum Mechanics - Foundations
• Textbook: David J. Griffiths
Introduction to Quantum Mechanics, 2nd ed.
• Get your CID:
www.physics.byu.edu/Courses/cid.aspx
• Register your I-clicker
Physics 451- schedule
Aug 27 – Sept 21
Schrödinger equation
Wave function
Stationary states
Harmonic oscillator
Infinite square well
Free particle
Exam I: Sep 24- Sep 27
Sep 26 – Oct 22
Delta function potential
Finite square well
Formalism
Uncertainty principle
Exam II: Oct 22 - Oct 25
APS Four corners Oct 26-27
Oct 29 – Nov 16
Schrödinger equation
in spherical coordinates
Hydrogen atom
Angular momentum
Spin
Exam III: Nov 16- Nov 20
Nov 26 – Dec 5
Two-particles systems
Atoms
Solids
Final review
Final Exam: W Dec 12, 7am
Physics 451- Homework
• Homework twice a week:
generally due T & Th 7pm
• Help sessions T & Th afternoons 3- 6 pm
• Return your homework in the Phys 451 slots across
N373 ESC
• ALWAYS put your CID on first page of your work
• If you use computer softwares (Matlab, Maple,
Mathematica…) to do a calculation, don’t forget to print
and include all your actual work.
Physics 451
Help sessions
Help sessions on Tuesday & Thursday
from 3 to 6pm
room N 337 (undergraduate lab)
First session: this Thursday Aug 30
Physics 451
Homework
First homework assignment:
next Friday Aug 31st by 7pm
Assignment # 1:
Problems 1.1, 1.2, 1.3
In the textbook
Physics 451- Grading
•
•
•
•
In class quizzes: 10%
Homework: 40%
Exams: 30%
Final 20%
Check your grade during the semester:
www.physics.byu.edu/Courses/Grades.aspx
Introduction to
Quantum mechanics
Some History
Until 20th century: Classical Newtonian Mechanics…
Newton’s second Law
ma   F
Kinetic energy
1
T  mv 2
2
Mechanical energy of the system
dp
F
dt
E  T V
Deterministic view:
All the parameters of one particle can be determined exactly at any given time
Introduction to
Quantum mechanics
Some History
Early 20th century: Some revolutionary ideas from bright minds…
Werner Heisenberg
1901-1976
Erwin Schrödinger
1887-1961
Wolfgang Pauli
1900- 1958
Uncertainty Principle
Schrödinger Equation
Pauli exclusion principle
Introduction to
Quantum mechanics
Essential ideas
1) Uncertainty principle:
Conjugates quantities of a particle (ex: position & momentum)
can not be known simultaneously within a certain accuracy limit
2) Quantization:
The measurement of a physical quantity in a confined system results in quanta
(the measured values are discrete)
3) Wave-particle duality:
All particles can be described as waves (travelling both in space and in time)
The state of the particle is given by a wave function  ( x, t )
4) Extrapolation to classical mechanics:
The laws of classical Newtonian mechanics are the extrapolation of the
laws of quantum mechanics for large systems with very large number of particles
Introduction to
Quantum mechanics
Essential ideas
Schrödinger equation (1926)
2

2
i

V 
2
t
2m x