Like rocket science or brain surgery, quantum mechanics is pigeonholed as a daunting and inaccessible topic, which is best left to an elite few. Authors have run the gamut from hand waving to heavy handed in hopes to dispel this common belief. This particular effort focuses on giving the reader an introduction, if not at least an appreciation of the role that linear algebra techniques play in the practical application of quantum mechanical methods. It includes a number of both worked and parallel applications.
Like rocket science or brain surgery, quantum mechanics is pigeonholed as a daunting and inaccessible topic, which is best left to an elite few. Authors have run the gamut from hand waving to heavy handed in hopes to dispel this common belief. This particular effort focuses on giving the reader an introduction, if not at least an appreciation of the role that linear algebra techniques play in the practical application of quantum mechanical methods. It includes a number of both worked and parallel applications.
Like rocket science or brain surgery, quantum mechanics is pigeonholed as a daunting and inaccessible topic, which is best left to an elite or peculiar few. This classification was not earned without some degree of merit. Depending on perspective; quantum mechanics is a discipline or philosophy, a convention or conundrum, an answer or question. Authors have run the gamut from hand waving to heavy handed in the hope to dispel the common beliefs about quantum mechanics, but perhaps they continue to promulgate the stigma. The focus of this particular effort is to give the reader an introduction, if not at least an appreciation, of the role that linear algebra techniques play in the practical application of quantum mechanical methods. It interlaces aspects of the classical and quantum picture, including a number of both worked and parallel applications. Students with no prior experience in quantum mechanics, motivated graduate students, or researchers in other areas attempting to gain some introduction to quantum theory will find particular interest in this book. Part of Series on wave phenomena in the physical sciences
This original and innovative textbook takes the unique perspective of introducing and solving problems in quantum mechanics using linear algebra methods, to equip readers with a deeper and more practical understanding of this fundamental pillar of contemporary physics. Extensive motivation for the properties of quantum mechanics, Hilbert space, and the Schrödinger equation is provided through analysis of the derivative, while standard topics like the harmonic oscillator, rotations, and the hydrogen atom are covered from within the context of operator methods. Advanced topics forming the basis of modern physics research are also included, such as the density matrix, entropy, and measures of entanglement. Written for an undergraduate audience, this book offers a unique and mathematically self-contained treatment of this hugely important topic. Students are guided gently through the text by the author's engaging writing style, with an extensive glossary provided for reference and numerous homework problems to expand and develop key concepts. Online resources for instructors include a fully worked solutions manual and lecture slides.
This original and innovative textbook takes the unique perspective of introducing and solving problems in quantum mechanics using linear algebra methods, to equip readers with a deeper and more practical understanding of this fundamental pillar of contemporary physics. Extensive motivation for the properties of quantum mechanics, Hilbert space, and the Schrödinger equation is provided through analysis of the derivative, while standard topics like the harmonic oscillator, rotations, and the hydrogen atom are covered from within the context of operator methods. Advanced topics forming the basis of modern physics research are also included, such as the density matrix, entropy, and measures of entanglement. Written for an undergraduate audience, this book offers a unique and mathematically self-contained treatment of this hugely important topic. Students are guided gently through the text by the author's engaging writing style, with an extensive glossary provided for reference and numerous homework problems to expand and develop key concepts. Online resources for instructors include a fully worked solutions manual and lecture slides.
Featuring new coverage of quantum engineering and quantum information processing, the third edition of this bestselling textbook continues to provide a uniquely practical introduction to the fundamentals of quantum mechanics. It features straightforward explanations of quantum effects, suitable for readers from all backgrounds; real-world engineering problems showcasing the practical application of theory to practice, providing a relevant and accessible introduction to cutting-edge quantum applications; over 60 accessible worked examples using MATLAB (as well as open-source Python), allowing deepened understanding through computational exploration and visualization; and a new chapter on quantum engineering, introducing state-of-the-art concepts in quantum information processing and quantum device design. Updated throughout and supported online by downloadable MATLAB code, exam questions, and solutions to over 150 homework problems for instructors, this is the ideal textbook for senior undergraduate and graduate students in applied science, applied physics, engineering, and materials science studying a first course in quantum mechanics.
The book is designed to serve as an `upper-level one-semester course in Quantum mechanics for students majoring in physics or related topics'. To that purpose the author has organised the contents into roughly six parts, giving first a historical introduction into quanta and matter waves, then the solution of the Schrödinger equations in one, and subsequently in three dimensions; in a fourth part spin and the concept of identical particles are explained, whilst in the next the approximation (perturbation) methods and their application to atomic systems and the creation and transfer of radiations. Finally there are two chapters on molecular and solid state physics. Each chapter is accompanied by a selection of appropriate problems. Appendix, index plus diskette are provided. As the author states, the topics and examples were taken from his other (successful) book, Introduction to Modern Physics . It appears to the reviewer that the present account may indeed serve as a first introduction into the elementary aspects of quantum mechanics, with particular emphasis on explaining the basic concepts (like spin, statistics, even the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox). Addressed are the slightly advanced students of science. The language is clear, the formal apparatus does not overwhelm the reader, and the figures have been carefully selected and drawn. We do recommend the book for the purpose envisaged. It raises the appetite for a more systematic and extended study of the subject.
This book explains the often counterintuitive physics of quantum mechanics, unlocking this key area of physics for students by enabling them to work through detailed applications of general concepts and ideas. The book states general principles first in terms of wave mechanics and then in the standard abstract linear space formalism. It offers a detailed discussion of measurement theory — an essential feature of quantum mechanics — and emphasizes the art of numerical estimates. Along the way, the book provides a wealth of physical examples together with numerous problems, some easy, some challenging, but all of them selected because they are physically interesting. The book is an essential resource for advanced undergraduates and beginning graduate students in physics.