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Oxford University Press eBooks

The Quantum Recipe

Jochen Autschbach

Published Dec 21, 2020• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Abstract Introduction of the postulates of quantum mechanics: Wavefunctions, operators, observables, commutating operators, expectation values, probabilities, Heisenberg uncertainty. The postulates are then used to set up a ‘quantum recipe’, i.e. a straightforward recipe by which to write down the (nonrelativistic) quantum Hamiltonian of a system of particles. This chapter also discusses the representation of quantum operators as matrices, in reference to a set of ‘basis’ functions, and the variation principle. The idea of a particle trajectory must be abandoned in quantum mechanics. Observable properties of a particle correspond to eigenvalues of the associated quantum operators. The chapter concludes with a brief discussion of the Schrodinger’s cat paradox, quantum entanglement, and other oddities.

DOI
10.1093/oso/9780190920807.003.0003

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Abstract Introduction of the postulates of quantum mechanics: Wavefunctions, operators, observables, commutating operators, expectation values, probabilities, Heisenberg uncertainty. The postulates are then used to set up a ‘quantum recipe’, i.e. a straightforward recipe by which to write down the (nonrelativistic) quantum Hamiltonian of a system of particles. This chapter also discusses the representation of quantum operators as matrices, in reference to a set of ‘basis’ functions, and the variation principle. The idea of a particle trajectory must be abandoned in quantum mechanics. Observable properties of a particle correspond to eigenvalues of the associated quantum operators. The chapter concludes with a brief discussion of the Schrodinger’s cat paradox, quantum entanglement, and other oddities.
In this chapter the basic concepts of quantum theory are formulated via a self-consistent set of six postulates. These six postulates deal with the following: operator images of physical observables; properties of state vectors and wave functions; the connection with experimental measurements; coordinate-space forms of those operators having classical analogs; the primary dynamical equation of quantum mechanics; and the completeness of the eigenvectors of observables. The postulates are the framework on which the edifice of quantum mechanics is constructed. A separate section is devoted to the statement of each postulate and to a few examples chosen to illustrate or apply it. A comprehensive set of applications is presented in Chapters 6 and 7, where various 1-D systems are used as the vehicles for illustrating the postulates. The basic theory of this chapter is extended and developed in Chapters 8 and 9. Since probability is a key interpretational concept, a brief introduction to this topic is given in an appendix. We emphasize that our formulation of quantum theory (in this chapter and throughout this book) is restricted to the case of pure states. This is not a major restriction. It means that, when we consider ensembles of individual quantum systems (e.g., single particles, atoms, nuclei, etc.), all of the systems in the ensemble are assumed to be in the same quantum state, not necessarily an eigenstate of a quantal operator. Ensembles for which this assumption does not hold are described by a density operator or density matrix rather than by a pure state; treatments of such cases can be found in references cited later.
Abstract Chapter 9 begins laying a foundation for quantum statistical mechanics with a discussion of relevant topics in quantum mechanics. The fundamental postulates of quantum mechanics are reviewed, beginning with the definition of a quantum state and the introduction of the concept of a state vector in a Hilbert space. The representation of observables as Hermitian operators on Hilbert space vectors is described; it is shown that the eigenvalues of Hermitian operators are real and, therefore, constitute possible outcomes of measurements made on these observables. The notions compatible and non-compatible observables and implication for the measurement problem are presented. The time-dependent Schrödinger equation is introduced as generating the time-evolution of the state vector, and it is shown how to cast the Schrödinger equation into a coordinate basis to yield the wave equation of quantum mechanics. Coordinate and momentum bases and their properties are desribed. Several analytically solvable quantum systems are presented as illustrative examples. The chapter concludes with a discussion of spin and the treatment identical particles
Abstract In this chapter, the main features of quantum theory are presented. The chapter begins with a historical account of the invention of quantum mechanics. The meaning of position and momentum in quantum mechanics is discussed and non-commuting operators are introduced. The Schrödinger equation is presented and solved for a free particle and for a harmonic oscillator potential in one dimension. The meaning of the wavefunction is considered and the probabilistic interpretation is presented. The mathematical machinery and language of quantum mechanics are developed, including Hermitian operators, observables and expectation values. The uncertainty principle is discussed and the uncertainty relations are presented. Scattering and tunnelling by potential wells and barriers is considered. The use of variational principles to estimate ground state energies is explained and illustrated with a simple example.
This chapter discusses the concept of a postulate and develops the basic structure of quantum mechanics using three postulates. Postulate 1 introduces the concept of a quantum state as a solution of the time-independent Schrödinger equation. Postulate 2 introduces observables, which are represented by Hermitian operators; the possible measurement values of an observable are the eigenvalues of the corresponding Hermitian operator. Postulate 3 introduces the concept of a superposition, and the association of the probability for obtaining some measurement result with the complex square of an expansion coefficient in a superposition. In discussing Postulate 3, state normalization, the distinction between discrete and continuous eigenvalues, and the Dirac delta are also introduced.
This chapter reviews the fundamental assumptions underlying quantum mechanics, while simultaneously seeing how they can be realized in the language of MATLAB, which we will be using to express and explore bonding concepts. For every measurable quantity there is an operator in quantum mechanics. The only possible values that can be measured for a property are given by the eigenvalues of its corresponding operator. Such oscillations represent the usual difficulty of representing a sharp discontinuous function with harmonic functions, such as sine and cosine functions. The time-dependent Schrodinger equation is what gives the eigenfunctions of the Hamiltonian operator such an important place in quantum mechanics. The postulate is fundamental to defining the relationship between a quantum mechanical system and the person observing it. Observations cannot be made on a system without disturbing it, with the sole exception being the case when a system is already in an eigenstate of the property being measured.