Invitation to Quantum Mechanics

Synoptic Contents Welcome ``Something Isn't Quite Right" Light in thermal equilibrium: Blackbody radiation Photoelectric effect Wave character of electrons How does an electron behave? Quantization of atomic energies Quantization of angular momentum Multi-electron atoms What is Quantum Mechanics About? Quantization The conundrum of projections Interference Aharonov-Bohm effect Light on the atoms Entanglement Quantum cryptography What is a qubit? Forging Mathematical Tools What is a quantal state? Amplitude Reversal-conjugation relation Establishing a phase convention How can I specify a quantal state? States for entangled systems Are states ``real''? What is a qubit? The Quantum Mechanics of Position Probability and probability density: One particle in one dimension Probability amplitude How does wavefunction change with time? Amplitude density: Two particles Solving the Schrödinger time evolution equation for the infinite square well What did we learn by solving the Schrödinger time evolution equation for the infinite square well? Other potentials Energy loss Mean values The classical limit of quantum mechanics Transitions induced by light Position plus spin Solving the Energy Eigenproblem Sketching energy eigenfunctions Scaled quantities Numerical solution of the energy eigenproblem Identical Particles Two or three identical particles Symmetrization and antisymmetrization Consequences of the Pauli principle Consequences of the Pauli principle for product states Energy states for two identical, noninteracting particles Spin plus space, two electrons Spin plus space, three electrons, ground state Atoms Central potentials in two dimensions Central potentials in three dimensions The hydrogen atom The helium atom The lithium atom All other atoms The periodic table The Vistas Open to Us Appendix A Significant Figures Appendix B Dimensions Appendix C Catalog of Misconceptions Appendix D Problem Solving Tips and Techniques