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|
Date |
Topics |
Reading |
|
1 |
20 Jan 2026 |
Statistical interpretation of the wavefunction. Additional reading: Chapter 1, The Feynman Lectures in Physics, v.3.
|
1-11 |
|
2 |
22 Jan 2026 |
Probability; the uncertainty principle; operators. Additional reading: Chapter 2, The Feynman Lectures in Physics, v.3.
|
11-24
|
|
3 |
27 Jan 2026 |
Quiz 1. Separation solution of the 1-D Schroedinger Equation. Energy conservation in quantum mechanics.
|
24-30
|
|
4 |
29 Jan 2026 |
Solution for the infinite square well; harmonic motion; evaluating amplitudes via Fourier's Trick.
|
30-40
|
|
5 |
3 Feb 2026 |
Quiz 2. The 1-D quantum harmonic oscillator, via operator algebra; raising and lowering operators. |
40-47
|
|
6 |
5 Feb 2026 |
The 1-D quantum harmonic oscilator, via the Schroedinger equation; Hermite polynomials. Solution of the 1-D Schroedinger Equation for free particles. |
47-59
|
|
7 |
10 Feb 2026 |
Quiz 3. Solving the 1-D Schroedinger equation for a delta-function potential; bound and scattering states. |
59-66 |
|
8 |
12 Feb 2026 |
The 1-D Schroedinger equation for the finite square well; reflection, transmission, tunneling. |
66-77
|
|
9 |
17 Feb 2026 |
Quiz 4. State vectors and operators in Hilbert space; observables and Hermitian operators.
|
90-96
|
|
10 |
19 Feb 2026 |
Eigenfunctions of Hermitian operators; generalized statistical interpretation of the wavefunction; generalized uncertainty principle. and incompatible observables.
|
96-107
|
|
11 |
24 Feb 2026 |
Quiz 5. Minimum-uncertainty wavepackets; energy-time uncertainty.
|
108-113
|
|
12 |
26 Feb 2026 |
Basis vectors in Hilbert space; Dirac's bra-ket notation; outer (dyadic-like) products, and inner products, of vectors. Additional reading: Chapter 8, The Feynman Lectures in Physics, v.3. |
113-124
|
|
13 |
3 Mar 2026 |
Quiz 6. Coherent states of the quantum simple harmonic oscillator. Squeezed states, quantum nondemolition, and gravity-wave detection. Additional reading: Caves 1981.
|
|
| 14 |
5 Mar 2026 |
Separation solution to the Schroedinger equation in 3-D; the angular equation and spherical harmonics.The radial equation; the infinite spherical well; spherical Bessel functions and Neumann functions. |
130-142
|
|
15 |
17 Mar 2026 |
The radial equation for the hydrogen atom; origin of its energy levels in the solutions. Laguerre polynomials and associated Laguerre functions; hydrogen-atom wavefunctions. |
142-148
|
|
16 |
19 Mar 2026 |
Quiz 7. Example uses of the hydrogen wavefunctions. |
148-156
|
|
17 |
24 Mar 2026 |
Orbital angular momentum and hydrogenic wavefunctions |
156-162 |
|
18 |
26 Mar 2026 |
Quiz 8. Electron spin, the Pauli spin matrices, and spinors; the spin part of hydrogen's wavefunction.
|
162-171
|
|
19 |
31 Mar 2026 |
Electrons in magnetic fields and the Stern-Gerlach experiment. Angular-momentum addition; spin triplet and singlet states. Additional reading: Chapter 5 and Chapter 9, The Feynman Lectures in Physics, v.3. |
171-180
|
|
20 |
2 Apr 2026 |
Quiz 9. Angular-momentum addition continued; Clebsch-Gordan coefficients. Only a few words about the use of the magnetic vector potential A in quantum mechanics. |
181-186
|
|
21 |
7 Apr 2026 |
Two-particle systems; spin and statistics, bosons and fermions, and the Pauli exclusion principle. Additional reading: Chapter 4, The Feynman Lectures in Physics, v.3. |
197-202
|
|
22 |
9 Apr 2026 |
Quiz 10. Symmetric and antisymmetric wavefunctions of two-particle systems; exchange forces. |
202-206
|
|
23 |
14 Apr 2026 |
The exchange operator. Examples of the hydrogen molecule's protons and the helium atom's electrons. The periodic table: LS coupling, orbitals, electron configuration .
|
206-215
|
|
24 |
16 Apr 2026 |
Quiz 11. The free electron gas. k-space; the Fermi surface; degeneracy pressure. Crystalline solids and band structure; white dwarf stars and other macroscopic quantum objects. |
215-226 |
|
25 |
21 Apr 2026 |
Translation, coordinate inversion (parity) and rotation; the translation operator and translational symmetry. Additional reading: Chapter 17, The Feynman Lectures in Physics, v.3.
|
231-238
|
|
26 |
23 Apr 2026 |
Quiz 12. Translational symmetry and momentum conservation; parity invariance and selection rules in quantum transitions; rotational symmetry and angular momentum conservation.
|
238-252
|
|
27 |
28 Apr 2026 |
Degeneracy. Selection rules for scalar operators.
|
252-258
|
|
28 |
30 Apr 2026 |
Quiz 13. Selection rules for vector operators; the Wigner-Eckart theorem.
|
258-268
|
|
|
10 May 2026 |
Final examination, 8:30-11:30 AM EDT. |
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