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Quantum Mechanics Lec1

The document discusses quantum mechanics and some of its key concepts and implications. It explains that quantum mechanics can describe phenomena at the atomic scale and provides an unpredictable picture of reality compared to classical physics. Measurements in quantum systems can only determine probabilities and the document provides an example of a two-state quantum system to help illustrate these ideas.

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22 views8 pages

Quantum Mechanics Lec1

The document discusses quantum mechanics and some of its key concepts and implications. It explains that quantum mechanics can describe phenomena at the atomic scale and provides an unpredictable picture of reality compared to classical physics. Measurements in quantum systems can only determine probabilities and the document provides an example of a two-state quantum system to help illustrate these ideas.

Uploaded by

suknipustu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Quantum Mechanics

Soumitra Nandi
PH101, Lec-1
Facts
 At the present stage of human knowledge, quantum mechanics
can be regarded as the fundamental theory of atomic phenomena.

 It is saying something about all physical systems.


 It is not a physical theory specific to a limited range of physical systems !
Meta-theory

 The experimental data on which it is based are derived from


physical events that almost entirely beyond the range of direct
human perception.

 It is not surprising that the theory embodies physical concepts that


are foreign to common daily experience.
Relevance
QM can explain the following:
Behaviours of insulators, conductors, semi-conductors, and giant magneto- resistance, the
radiation of hot body, and its change of colour with respect to temperature, the presence of
holes and the transport of holes and electrons in electronic devices….many more

Played an Important roles:

Photonics, quantum electronics, micro-electronics, nanofabrication techniques, nano optics,


quantum optics, micro/nano-electromechanical sensor systems, spintronics…

Giving rise to New areas


Quantum information, Quantum communication, quantum cryptography, and quantum
computing.
It is seen that the richness of quantum physics will greatly affect the future
generation technologies in many aspects.

Scientists and engineers should understand quantum mechanics better.


Quantum Weirdness !
 The most fascinating aspect of quantum mechanics is that it provides a strange picture of the world.

If you accept this picture — and given the practical successes of the theory it is
difficult not to — you are left with no choice but to make fundamental changes
to your idea of reality.

 The first surprise is the wave-particle duality of the building blocks of matter.

The world is not made of waves and particles, as in classical physics, but of
peculiar hybrid objects with aspects of both.

 The physical state of a quantum mechanical particle-wave is described by a wave


function, ψ(x,t) , analogous to the amplitude of a classical wave.
Does not evolve according to the classical wave equation

 Perhaps the most puzzling aspect of quantum mechanics is that it predicts


probabilities only.

Its predictive power is such that QM is considered the most successful theoretical physics
construct of the human mind.
Classical point of view
 The state of the particle can be described in terms of its position x and momentum p =>
take definite real values at any given moment in time.

 We can calculate and predict to any arbitrary accuracy the position and momentum
(x(t), p(t)) of this particle at time t, and at a later time t’ > t .

We can also, in principle, calculate, with unlimited accuracy, the future behaviour of
any physical system by solving Newton’s equations, Maxwell’s equations and so on.
Deterministic
 In practice, there are limits to accuracy of measurement and/or calculation, but in
principle there are no such limits.

 In a system with many particle (a litre of air in a bottle), we cannot hope to measure all
the positions and velocities of all the particles. non deterministic

Any uncertainty we experience is purely a consequence of our ignorance – things only


appear random because we do not have enough information to make precise predictions.
Quantum view point
 The classical world-view works fine at the everyday (macroscopic) level – much
of modern engineering relies on this !

 Non-classical behaviour is most readily observed for microscopic systems – atoms and
molecules.

 It is impossible to prepare any physical system in which all its physical attributes are
precisely specified at the same time. Irreducible Intrinsic Randomness

 We cannot pin down both the position and the momentum of a particle at the same
time.

 Microscopic physical systems can behave as if they are doing mutually exclusive
things at the same time. Interference : wave nature !
 This propensity for quantum system to behave as if they can be two places at once,
or more generally in different states at the same time, is termed ‘the superposition of
states’ !!
An example: Two state system
The bit is a system that can only has two possible states: 1/0 or up/down or
on/off or dead/live etc.

 We can endow this bit with some set of physical rules


which when acted upon the system, may change it from Two-state systems
one state to another.

 A bit is a classical quantity, so we can measure it with arbitrary accuracy


=> A classical cat can be either dead or alive !

What about a quantum two-state system? What about a Quantum Cat ?

The cat is in the curious


state of being both alive
and dead at the same time
according to an observer
standing outside !

Ψ = α ψl + β ψd
Few basic postulates
We do not have knowledge of ψ but still we
Ψ = α ψl + β ψd can still understand few of it’s properties !!

state vector Probability amplitudes

Postulate 1 (State) : The state of aliveness/deadness of the cat is the linear


superposition between two possible states !

Postulate 2 : The probability of measuring an dead/alive state is the absolute


square of the inner product of the desired outcome with the state!
 Probability of measuring live state =

 Probability of measuring dead state =

Postulate 3 (Measurement): Once the box is opened and dead/alive has been
obtained, the state vector ψ collapses into the
measured state ! ψ

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