Week 3 PHY 106 Quantum Physics

Instructor: Sebastian Wüster, IISER Bhopal, 2018

These notes are provided for the students of the class above only.
There is no warranty for correctness, please contact me if you spot a mistake.

2) Waves and Particles

revision of movie:
Quantum physics is essentially all about
“things that ought to be particles are also waves”
and
“things that ought to be waves are also particles”.

Thus, let’s make sure we are all on the same page

regarding waves…..
2.1) Introduction to wave mechanics

What is a wave?

Definition of wave:
A perturbation of some property is
transported through a medium, without
transport of the medium itself

Book: A.P. French, “Vibrations and waves”

 Waves
Examples:

transverse wave

Rope waves Sound wave

Seismic wave Elm wave

 Waves

Water wave Traffic waves

Spin waves Gravitational wave

2.1.1) Waves, frequencies, wavelengths

( λ )
2π
y(x) = A sin x
amplitude
wavelength
 Waves

y
vt

wave velocity

( λ )
2π
y(x, t) = A sin (x − Vt) (5)
amplitude
wavelength
Form of progressive/travelling wave
 Waves
y

( λ )
2π
y(x, t) = A sin (x − Vt) t=0
λ 1
t=
Argument of sin is called phase 4 V
λ 1
V here is the phase velocity t=
2 V
 Waves
Rewrite wave form:

( λ )
2π 2π
y(x, t) = A sin (x − Vt) k= (7)
λ

y(x, t) = A sin (kx − ωt) (6) ω

=V (8)
k
k is the wave number (unit 1/m)
ω is the angular frequency
ν is the frequency (unit Hz = 1/s) ω = 2πν (9)
 Waves
2π
y(x, t) = A sin (kx − ωt) (6) k= (7)
λ
Relation between frequency, wave length or
wave number and phase velocity of any wave
(unit m/s)
ω
=V (8) ν λ=V (10)
k

k is the wave number

ω is the angular frequency ω = 2πν (9)
ν is the frequency
 Wave velocities
ω
=V (8) ν λ=V (10)
k
Examples: Y
V= ≈ 5000 m/s
sound in solid ρ
ν = 440 Hz λ = 11.4 m

gravitational waves V = c = 299792458 m/s

ν = 440 Hz λ = 681 km
 Wave velocities
ω
=V (8) ν λ=V (10)
k
Examples II:
water wave V = 500 km/h
(tsunami)
ν = 3.3 /h λ = 151 km

light wave (elm) V = c = 299792458 m/s

λ = 700 nm ν = 4.2 × 1014 Hz
 2.1.2) The wave equation
Is there a general equation that governs wave
behavior?
y(x, t) = A sin (kx − ωt)

We see:
∂2
( )
2 2
y(x, t) = − k A sin kx − ωt = − k y(x, t) (11)
∂x 2
2
∂
( )
2 2
y(x, t) = − (−ω) A sin kx − ωt = − ω y(x, t) (12)
∂t 2
 Wave equation
Any function:
y(x, t) = f(x − Vt)

Chain rule:
2
∂ 2
y(x, t) = (1) f′′(x − Vt)
∂x 2
2
∂ 2
y(x, t) = (−V) f′′(x − Vt)
∂t 2
Fulfills wave-equation: (13)
∂2 1 ∂2
y(x, t) = y(x, t)
∂x 2 V 2 ∂t 2
 The wave equation
∂2 2 ∂2 2
y(x, t) = − k y(x, t) y(x, t) = − ω y(x, t)
∂x 2 (11)∂t 2 (12)
1 ∂2
y(x, t) = − 2 2 y(x, t)
ω ∂t
ω k 1
With: =V (8) =
k ω V
General wave equation
∂2 1 ∂2
y(x, t) = y(x, t) (13)
∂x 2 V 2 ∂t 2
• Change in time causes change in space and vice versa.
 Wave equation
y(x, t) = f(x − Vt) moves to the right with velocity V!!

t=0
V Δt
t=Δt
t=2Δt
 Wave equation
y(x, t) = f(x − Vt) moves to the right with velocity V!!

• y(x, t) = f(x + vt) Moves to the left with velocity V, also

fulfills wave equation

• Can be generalized to 2D, 3D

• There are many wave-equations, one for each medium.

 Superposition principle

The wave equation is linear. That means any

combination of waves is also a solution
∂2 1 ∂2
let: y(x, t) = y(x, t)
∂x 2 V 2 ∂t 2
∂2 1 ∂2
w(x, t) = w(x, t)
∂x 2 V 2 ∂t 2
Then:
2 2
∂ 1 ∂
[y(x, t) + w(x, t) ] = [ y(x, t) + w(x, t) ]
∂x 2 V ∂t
2 2
 2.1.3) Standing waves
What happens if we combine two identical
waves travelling in opposite directions?

https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/wave-on-a-string/latest/wave-on-a-string_en.html
2.1.3) Standing waves
What happens if we combine two identical
waves travelling in opposite directions?

Animation from: https://

www.youtube.com/
watch?v=ic73oZoqr70

Using (6), we can write this as:

y(x, t) = A sin (kx − ωt) + A sin (−kx − ωt)
 Standing waves
y(x, t) = A sin (kx − ωt) + A sin (−kx − ωt)

Trigonometric identity
sin(α ± β) = sin(α)cos(β) ± cos(α)sin(β) (14)

y(x, t) = A[sin(kx)cos(ωt) − cos(kx)sin(ωt)

⏟ ⏟
+sin(−kx)cos(ωt) − cos(−kx)sin(ωt)]
−sin(kx) cos(kx)
y(x, t) = − 2A cos(kx) sin(ωt)
 Standing waves
Formula for some standing wave
(15)
y(x, t) = Ã cos(kx) sin(ωt)

2π
λ=
y k

π π 3π
t= just before t = t=
2ω ω 2ω
 0 λ=
2π Standing waves L
y
k

Now(*) let’s add:

Boundary condition: y(0,t) = y(L, t) = 0 (16b)
Resonance condition for standing wave
λ 2L
L=n λ= n = 1,2,3… (16)
2 n
* Q: Eq. (15) is an example that does not fulfill Eq. (16b). Find another example that does.
 Standing waves
Examples:
Backreflected Musical instruments
string wave

http://whatmusicreallyis.com/research/physics/

current
Antenna charge
Micro-wave oven
2.1.4) Phenomena characteristic for waves
Interference

Superposition principle: Waves taking different

paths get added.

Standing wave: example

where superimposed
waves always cancel at
anti-node:
 Interference
Usually (2D, 3D) more options:

Circular waves on a water surface

 Interference
Usually (2D, 3D) more options:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovZkFMuxZNc

Two circular waves: strengthen cancel

 Interference
Waves can show interference
-strengthening in certain directions/ at certain
times: constructive interference
-weakening in certain directions/ at certain
times: destructive interference
 Diffraction
Waves can turn around corners:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BH0NfVUTWG4
 Diffraction
Decompose wave into lots of spherical waves:

Could see this from 2D wave equation

 Diffraction
equal phase fronts

Slit smaller than wavelength: emits circular

waves going in ALL directions

Slit larger than wavelength: waves

destructively interfere if direction not almost
forward (tutorial, waves and optics course)
 Diffraction and Interference

Double slit interference

 Diffraction and Interference
Double slit interference

equal phase fronts

f
X
 Diffraction and Interference
Double slit interference

d screen
 Diffraction and Interference
Double slit interference

r1
z

r2 X

d screen
L A
y1(r1, t) = sin(kr1 − ωt)
r1
A
y2(r2, t) = sin(kr2 − ωt)
r2
Don’t worry about 1/r prefactors (energy conservation, see optics course later)
 Diffraction and Interference
Double slit interference Fig. 2

r1

r2 z

d screen
L
A
y1(r1, t) = sin(kr1 − ωt)
r1
A
y2(r2, t) = sin(kr2 − ωt)
r2
 Diffraction and Interference
Double slit interference

r1

r2 z

d screen
L
wave amplitude at position z
y(z, t) = y1(r1(z), t) + y2(r2(z), t)
 Diffraction and Interference
Double slit interference

r1

r2 z

d θ screen
L

mean wave intensity at position z

I(z) = | y(z, t) |2 = y12 + y22 + 2y1y2
( ⋯ is time average)
 Diffraction and Interference

z
θ

double slit interference pattern

sin θ
I(θ) ≈ I0 cos(πd ) (17)
λ
 Diffraction and Interference
Intensity
screen

r1

r2 z

d θ
 Diffraction and Interference
Intensity
screen

r1

r2 z

Path difference
r2-r1
 Diffraction and Interference
Intensity
screen

r1

r2 z

Path difference
r2-r1=λ
 Diffraction and Interference
Intensity
screen

r1

r2
z
d

Path difference
r2-r1=λ/2
 Diffraction and Interference

z
θ

double slit interference pattern

2 sin θ
I(θ) ≈ I0 cos (πd ) (17)
λ
 Diffraction and Interference
Examples:
Colors reflected
from CD
VLA Radio
Astronomy

Water in bay
 2.1.5) Electromagnetic waves
You will learn in Electro-magnetism lecture:

Changing magnetic Changing electric

field causes electric field causes
field (induction) magnetic field
 Electromagnetic waves

Electric field

travelling direction
Magnetic field of wave
(transverse wave)
 Electromagnetic waves
Electric field

Magnetic field

Electromagnetic wave equation:

( ∂x 2 ∂y 2 ∂z 2 )
∂2 ∂2 ∂2 1 ∂2
+ + E(r, t) = E(r, t) (18)
c 2 ∂t 2
1
Speed of light (vacuum) c = (19)
μ0ϵ0
c = 29 97 92 458 m/s
 Electromagnetic waves
ν λ=c (10)