8.04 Quantum Physics I
8.04 Quantum Physics I (Spring 2013, MIT OCW). Instructors: Prof. Allan Adams, Prof. Matthew Evans and Prof. Barton Zwiebach. This course covers the experimental basis of quantum physics. Topics include: photoelectric effect, Compton scattering, photons, Franck-Hertz experiment, the Bohr atom, electron diffraction, de Broglie waves, and the wave-particle duality of matter and light. Introduction to wave mechanics: Schrodinger's equation, wave functions, wave packets, probability amplitudes, stationary states, the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, and zero-point energies. Solutions to Schrodinger's equation in one dimension: transmission and reflection at a barrier, barrier penetration, potential wells, the simple harmonic oscillator. Schrodinger's equation in three dimensions: central potentials and introduction to hydrogenic systems. (from ocw.mit.edu)
Lecture 01 - Introduction to Superposition |
In this lecture, Prof. Adams discusses a series of thought experiments involving "box apparatus" to illustrate the concepts of uncertainty and superposition, which are central to quantum mechanics. The first ten minutes are devoted to course information.
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