Semester 1, AY2012-2013

About the lecturer

Lecturer: Asso./Prof. Gong Jiangbin Office: S13-04-04 Email: phygj@nus.edu.sg Office phone #: 6516-1154 Research Interests:
Quantum Control and Quantum Information Quantum-Classical Correspondence Quantum Chaos Ultracold Matter (Bose-Einstein Condensates)

Office hours (tentative):

Mondays, from 3 pm to 5 pm

Three question marks

Why should we take QM a third time ?

What do we already know about QM (from QM1 & QM2) ?

What is the focus of this module ?

Why QM3?
QM is of vast importance in virtually all branches of physics. To apply QM, we need lots of important technical details. QM is a successful theory, but we super-intelligent human beings still dont understand it (many theories for QM interpretations):
e.g.: why, after all, does a strange theory as QM work so perfectly?

Next, what we know: ABCs about QM

A:

Normalizable Quantum states and Hilbert space

Basis states:

Orthonormal condition:

Completeness condition:

Expansion of a state:

Projection of a state onto basis states

B:

Hermitian operators associated with observables

Matrix representation:

Hermitian condition:

Eigenvalue-eigenfunction:

real

The Interpretation we adopt here:

Quantum systems in general do not possess definite properties. Their states only describe the potential of yielding some results upon observation. It is the measurement that collapses the state and creates a result with a certain probability.

Measurement outcome of an observable is given by its eigenvalues. The probability is given by the Born rule:

state

eigenfunction of the observable

Reference Only:

Understanding the Born rule: Is it a separate assumption in QM?

Example: A wavepacket in space

Probability density from x to x+dx if we measure the position

Probability density from p to p+dp if we measure the momentum

Before making the measurement, the state does not have the property of momentum or position. So it is wrong to imagine that the state had a definite distribution of position or momentum. Immediately after the position (momentum) measurement, the state has a definite position (momentum).

C: Quantum evolution in Hilbert space

Schrodingers equation:

considering a basis set

For expansion coefficient m:

Schrodingers equation in a matrix form

Stationary Schrodinger equation

This is the so-called matrix machanics developed by Heisenberg, Born and Jordan

Heisenberg 1901-1976

Evolution of quantum states in a Hilbert space

Quantum evolution as unitary transformations

Take a time-independent Hamiltonian as an example:

Formal solution: Unitary Operator !

Time evolution preserves the norm and inner products between two states

The 3rd question mark: focus of this module?

Most of the exactly solvable QM problems were solved in QM2 (harmonic oscillator, Coulomb potential, infinitely deep well, etc.)

It is time to be more realistic! We will

Try to solve the Schrodinger equation (stationary as well as time-dependent ones) that cannot be exactly solved, from many different contexts, with a number of powerful techniques.

Overview of PC4130 materials

Perturbation Theory (stationary)

Perturbation Theory (time-dependent)

WKB Approximation

Variational Principle

Adiabatic Approximation

Scattering Theory

Tutorials, Assignments, and Assessment

Many tutorials will be implemented during our lecture hours

> 4 problem sets to help you digest this module.

One mid-term test and one final exam.

Assessment:
20% (problem sets) + 20% (mid term) + 60% (final exam)

How much we knew about quantum mechanics?

A self-test: Double-slit experiment from You-tube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfPeprQ7oGc