Physics 486: Quantum Mechanics I - Fall 2014

The Physics 486-487 sequence provides an introduction to quantum physics for majors and grad students in Physics, ECE, Materials Science, Chemistry, etc. The course starts by introducing the basic concepts of quantum mechanics: What is a quantum state and what are the rules that specify how it can change and ends by realizing that exactly computing properties of states is hard and sophisticated approximations are required. In between we will see both the exotic parts of quantum mechanics and how to demystify many of these aspects.

Announcements

• HW8 solution posted.
• HW6 is now posted.
• HW1 solution posted.
• HW5 is now posted. 
• HW's are now generically due on Thursday.
• HW4 is now due on Thursday
• Suggested readings are now up to date.
• Bryan's office hours have now been moved to the TA commons room
• Srivatsan office hours have now been moved to 1:15-2:15 PM on Sunday in the interaction room. 
• Typos/Simplifications to HW 2:
  • In 3c, you may choose t=1
  • In 3d, you may choose t=1
  • In 3e, you may choose t=1
  • In 3g, it doesn't matter what t you choose. (Think about why this is)
  • In 3h, by trial and error you can find the correct t. 
  • In 3i it doesn't matter what t you choose.
  • You don't have to do 3j
  • For probem 2, you may use the mapping k(n) -> 2*pi*n
  • For problem 2, to get the normalization to work out the basis in HW1 needs a 1/sqrt(10) in it.  You will still get credit if you don't include this but certain sanity checks won't work out otherwise. 
• HW 2 and 3 deadlines have been extended by 24 hours
• There appears to be open slots now. If you haven't registered yet, you should try to.
• Srivatsan office hours have been moved to Sunday.
• HW 2 now posted.
• Lectures 2 and 3 now posted.
• There are some modifications to HW1 to remove typos/make problems a bit easier. They are:
  • Question 3: Use \delta K = 0.1
  • Question 3a: The state shouldn't be from -infinity to infinity (since it can't be normalized). Calculate where the envelope function hits zero first to the left and right of x=0 and the use this as the range for the integral.
  • Question 4b: There is a missing ket in the |k> = \sum_{x=0}^9 e^{2pi n (0.1)x} | 0.1x>
  • Question 5: It should be cos(theta/2) |0> + e^{i\phi} sin(\theta/2) |1>
  • Question 5b: As the gamma(alpha, beta) term gets dropped anyway, you don't have to solve for it.
  • Question 2c: The second measurement means the one in the XY basis no matter when you choose to measure with this.
• HW1 has now been posted.
• Notes for lecture 1 has been posted.
• Class begins Tuesday August 26 at 9:30
• There will be discussion on August 28.

Course Times

• Lectures: Tue, Thu: 9:30 - 10:50 AM in 103 Talbot Laboratory
• Discussions: Thursday Afternoon/Evening in 35 Loomis Laboratory
  • D0: 3:00-4:30 R (Xiongjie)
  • D1: 4:30-5:50 R (Xiongjie)
  • D2: 6:00-7:20 R (Xiongjie)
  • D3: 7:30-8:50 R (Garrett)
• Office Hours:
  • Mon: 5:15 - 6:15 Gabi (third floor common area of ESB)
  • Tue: 11:00 AM - 12:00 AM Jitong (third floor common area of ESB)
  • Tue: 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Garrett (third floor common area of ESB)
  • Tue: 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm Bryan (TA Commons room)
  • Wed: 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Xiongjie (third floor common area of ESB)
  • Sunday: 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM Srivatsan (Loomis Interaction Room)

Instructor

Prof. Bryan Clark
e-mail: bkclark_at_illinois_dot_edu
office: 2111 Engineering Sciences Building (ESB)

Teaching assistants

Garrett Vanacore
e-mail: vanacor2_at_illinois_dot_edu
office: 4121 Engineering Sciences Building (ESB)

Xiongjie Yu
e-mail: xyu40_at_illinois_dot_edu

Homework Graders

Srivatsan Balakrishnan (Homeworks 1,4,7,10)
email: sblkrsh2_at_llinois_dot_edu

Jitong Yu (Homeworks 2,5,8,11,14)
e-mail: jyu23 at illinois.edu

Gabi Petrica (Homeworks 3,6,9,12,13)
e-mail: petrica2 at illinois.edu

Homework

Homework sets will be due every Wednesday (excepting Aug. 27) by 9PM. Homework sets should be placed in the 486 homework box (located on the north side of Loomis Lab, between rooms 267 and 271 LLP) on the day of the due date. Unless a valid, verifyable excuse is given, homework sets which are submitted late will receive a 50% penalty. Homework sets which are turned in more then a week late will receive no credit. Questions about the grading of a homework must be addressed within two weeks of receiving the assignment back.

The homework counts for a large part of your grade (45%) and will be difficult. You will learn quantum mechanics by doing problems!

You may discuss the homework problems with your classmates, but each student is required to provide his/her own solutions. You may not look up solutions to the homework on the internet.

Grading policies

Your grade will be based on

• homework (45%)
• the midterm exam (20%)
• the final exam (25%)
• and attending discussion sections (10%)

If you cannot attend a class or complete your homework due to illness or other valid excuse, please give the McKinley slip (or other note) to Kate Shunk in the Undergraduate Courses office (233 Loomis).

Academic Honesty

The giving of assistance to or receiving of assistance from another person, or the use of unauthorized materials during University Examinations can be grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including expulsion from the University. You may not use the internet to find solutions to problems you are working.

Course Texts

The following are the required/recommended course texts:

• Introduction to Quantum Mechanics, 2nd Edition, D. J. Griffiths (REQUIRED)
• Principles of Quantum Mechanics, 2nd Edition, R. Shankar (RECOMMENDED)

Other books I highly recommend reading:

• A Modern Approach to Quantum Mechanics by John S. Townsend;
• Lectures on Quantum Mechanics by Gordon Baym
• Quantum Mechanics Volumes I and II by Cohen-Tannoudji; Very comprehensive - use as a reference
• Quantum Computation and Quantum Information by Nielsen and Chuang; Mainly a text on quantum computing, but Chapter 2 has a very clear exposition on quantum mechanics.
• Feynman Lectures on Physics: v. 3 by Richard Feyman;

Additional books on reserve in the library:

• Quantum Mechanics by Landau and Lifshitz
• Quantum Physics: Of Atoms, Molecules, Solids, Nuclei, and Particles, 2nd Edition by Eisberg/Resnick
• Heisenberg's Quantum Mechanics by Mohsen Razavy
• Quantum Mechanics: An Introduction for Device Physicists and Electrical Engineers by David K. Ferry

Course Schedule

This should be treated as tentative and will change. Please check the website: frequently for updates.

Notice, we will not be following any one book closely.