Quantum Mechanics An Introduction

This authoritative, advanced introduction provides a complete, modern perspective on quantum mechanics. It clarifies many common misconceptions regarding wave/particle duality and the correct interpretation of measurements. The author develops the text from the ground up, starting from the fundamentals and presenting information at an elementary level, avoiding unnecessarily detailed and complex derivations in favor of simple, clear explanations. He begins in the simplest context of a two-state system and shows why quantum mechanics is inevitable, and what its relationship is to classical mechanics. He also outlines the decoherence approach to interpreting quantum mechanics.Distinguishing features:Provides a thorough grounding in the principles and practice of quantum mechanics, including a core understanding of the behavior of atoms, molecules, solids, and light.Utilizes easy-to-follow examples and analogies to illustrate important concepts.Helps develop an intuitive sense for the field, by guiding the reader to understand how the correct formulas reduce to the non-relativistic ones.Includes numerous worked examples and problems for each chapter.

PREFACEAUTHORChapter 1 IntroductionChapter 2 Two State Systems: The Ammonia MoleculeChapter 3 Quantum Mechanics of Single Particle in One-Dimensional Space IChapter 4 Quantum Mechanics of a Single Particle in One-Dimensional Space IIChapter 5 The Harmonic OscillatorChapter 6 Review of Linear Algebra and Dirac NotationChapter 7 Rotation Invariance and the Hydrogen AtomChapter 8 Scattering Electrons on a NucleusChapter 9 Charged Particles in a Magnetic FieldChapter 10 The Meaning of Quantum Measurement and the Emergence of a Classical RealityChapter 11 Sketch of Atomic, Molecular, and Condensed Matter PhysicsChapter 12 Quantum Statistical MechanicsChapter 13 Perturbation Theory: Time IndependentChapter 14 Perturbation Theory: Time DependentChapter 15 The Adiabatic Approximation, Aharonov–Bohm, and Berry PhasesChapter 16 Scattering TheoryChapter 17 The JWKB ApproximationChapter 18 The Variational PrincipleChapter 19 The Feynman Path IntegralChapter 20 Quantum Computation?Chapter 21 L’Envoi: Relativistic Quantum Field TheoryAppendix A Interpretations of Quantum MechanicsAppendix B The Dirac Delta FunctionAppendix C Noether’s TheoremAppendix D Group TheoryAppendix E Laguerre PolynomialsAppendix F Summary of Dirac Notation and Linear AlgebraAppendix G Answers to Selected ProblemsBibliographyIndex

Thomas Banks is a theoretical physicist at University of California, Santa Cruz and a professor at Rutgers University. He earned his PhD in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and has been a visiting scholar at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. Professor Banks is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.