Difference between revisions of "Quantum Mechanics"

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= Introduction =
 
The quantum world is governed by the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schr%C3%B6dinger_equation Schrödinger equation]
 
 
\[{\displaystyle {\hat {H}}|\psi (t)\rangle =i\hbar {\frac {\partial }{\partial t}}|\psi (t)\rangle } \]
 
 
where $\hat H$ is the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamiltonian_(quantum_mechanics) Hamiltonian], $|\psi (t)\rangle$ is the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wave_function quantum state function] and $\hbar$ is the reduced [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planck_constant Planck constant].
 
 
The Hamiltonian consists of kinetic energy $\hat T$ and potential energy $\hat V$. As in classical mechanics, potential energy is a function of time and space, whereas the kinetic energy differs from the classical world and is calculated as
 
 
\[\hat T = - \frac{\hbar^2}{2m} \nabla^2 .\]
 
 
The final version of the single particle Schrödinger equation can be written as
 
 
 
\[\left(- \frac{\hbar^2}{2m} \nabla^2 + V(t, \mathbf r)\right) \psi(t, \mathbf r) = i\hbar {\frac {\partial }{\partial t}}\psi(t, \mathbf r) \]
 
 
Quantum state function is a complex function, so it is usually split into the real part and imaginary part
 
 
\[ u, v \in C(\mathbb R)\colon \psi = u + i v , \]
 
 
which for a real $V$ yields a system of two real equations
 
 
\[\left(- \frac{\hbar^2}{2m} \nabla^2 + V(t, \mathbf r)\right) u(t, \mathbf r) = -\hbar {\frac {\partial }{\partial t}} v(t, \mathbf r) , \]
 
\[\left(- \frac{\hbar^2}{2m} \nabla^2 + V(t, \mathbf r)\right) v(t, \mathbf r) = \hbar {\frac {\partial }{\partial t}} u(t, \mathbf r) , \]
 
 
which may be easier to handle.
 
 
= Harmonic oscilator =
 
 
By selecting the potential $V(t, \mathbf r)$ and the initial state $\psi(0, \mathbf r)$ we get a unique solution for time propagation of the quantum state function. Probably the most used and well known example is the quantum harmonic oscilator, where we select a quadratic potential
 
 
\[V(t, \mathbf r) = V(\mathbf r) = \frac{1}{2} m \omega^2 r^2 , \]
 
 
where $m$ is the mass of the particle and $\omega$ is the angular frequency of the oscilator.
 
 
The 1D harmonic oscilator has known eigenstate solutions
 
 
\[\psi _{n}(x)={\frac {1}{\sqrt {2^{n}\,n!}}}\cdot \left({\frac {m\omega }{\pi \hbar }}\right)^{1/4}\cdot e^{-{\frac {m\omega x^{2}}{2\hbar }}}\cdot H_{n}\left({\sqrt {\frac {m\omega }{\hbar }}}x\right),\qquad n=0,1,2,\ldots .\]
 
 
where the functions $H_n$ are the physicists' [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermite_polynomials Hermite polynomials]. Time propagation of eigenstates is described with
 
 
\[\psi_n(t, x) = \mathrm e ^ {-i (n+0.5)  \omega t} \psi_n(x)\]
 
 
= Particle in a box =
 
 
A theoretical one dimensional potential
 
 
\[\displaystyle V(x)={\begin{cases}0,&0<x<L,\\\infty ,&{\text{otherwise,}}\end{cases}}\]
 
 
is known as an infinite potential well. Its time independent eigenfunctions are
 
 
\[\sqrt{\frac{2}{L}}\psi_n(x) = \sin\left(k_n x \right), \qquad n = 1,2,3,...\]
 
 
where $k_n = \frac{\pi n}{L}$. With a time dependency similar to Harmonic oscilator
 
 
\[\psi_n(t, x) = \mathrm e ^ {-i \omega_n t} \psi_n(x),\]
 
 
where $\omega_n$ and $k_n$ are connected through dispersion relation through energy $E_n$
 
 
\[{\displaystyle E_{n}=\hbar \omega _{n}={\frac {n^{2}\pi ^{2}\hbar ^{2}}{2mL^{2}}}={\frac {\hbar ^{2} k_n^2}{2m}}}.\]
 

Latest revision as of 11:12, 21 May 2019