Quantum Mechanics: A First Course
Learn about wavefunctions and their probabilistic interpretation, how to solve the Schrödinger equation for a particle moving in one-dimensional potentials, scattering, central potentials, and the hydrogen atom.
Quantum Mechanics: A First Course
Learn about wavefunctions and their probabilistic interpretation, how to solve the Schrödinger equation for a particle moving in one-dimensional potentials, scattering, central potentials, and the hydrogen atom.
In this quantum physics course, you will learn the basics of quantum mechanics. We begin with de Broglie waves, the wavefunction, and its probability interpretation. We then introduce the Schrodinger equation, inner products, and Hermitian operators. We also study the time-evolution of wave-packets, Ehrenfest’s theorem, and uncertainty relations.
What you'll learn
- The wavefunction and its probability interpretation.
- Time-evolution of wave-packets.
- Ehrenfest’s theorem and uncertainty relations.
- Solutions of the Schrodinger equation for one-dimensional potentials: the square well and the harmonic oscillator.
- Barrier penetration and the Ramsauer-Townsend effect.
- Basics of quantum scattering in one dimension.
- Phase-shifts, time delay, Levinson’s theorem, and resonances.
- Angular momentum in Quantum Mechanics.
Prerequisites
Mathematics: Calculus and differential equations. Physics: introductory physics at the college level: mechanics, electromagnetism and waves
Meet your instructors
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Professor of Physics -
Lecturer in the Department of Physics at MIT
Barton Zwiebach
Barton Zwiebach
Professor of Physics
Barton Zwiebach is presently Professor of Physics at the MIT Department of Physics. Zwiebach was born in Lima, Peru. His undergraduate work was done in Peru, where he obtained a degree in Electrical Engineering from the Universidad Nacional de Ingenieria in 1977.
His graduate work was in Physics, at the California Institute of Technology. Zwiebach obtained his Ph.D. in 1983, working under the supervision of Murray Gell-Mann. He has held postdoctoral positions at the University of California, Berkeley, and at MIT, where he became an Assistant Professor of Physics in 1987, and a permanent member of the faculty in 1994.
Michelle Tomasik
Michelle Tomasik
Lecturer in the Department of Physics at MIT
Michelle Tomasik is a Lecturer in the Department of Physics at MIT where she currently works on developing online classes and assists with physics education research and teaching introductory physics. She received her Ph.D. in physics from MIT working on photovoltaics and density functional theory.