Harvard University

Physics 143b: Quantum Mechanics II

Instructor : Subir Sachdev, Lyman 343, sachdev@physics.harvard.edu Fall 2010 TR, 10:00-11:30 All class materials can be obtained from http://isites.harvard.edu/k72793 The rst class will meet on Thu Sep 2. Teaching fellow: David Benjamin, dbenjam@fas.harvard.edu

This is the second half of an introductory course on quantum mechanics. I assume familiarity with concepts covered in Part I in the text book by Griths: the wavefunction and its physical interpretation, the Uncertainty Principle, Schr odinger equation and its solution in simple one-dimensional potentials, the Hilbert space and Dirac notation, angular momentum and spin, and spectrum of the hydrogen atom. The course will cover Part II of Griths, and then move onto advanced topics, depending upon available time. A tentative outline is: 1. Time independent perturbation theory and its application to ne and hyperne structure of atoms. 2. The variational principle, many electron theory, and the periodic table. 3. The WKB approximation and quantum mechanical tunneling 4. Time dependent perturbation theory: two level systems, emission and absorption of radiation. 5. Scattering theory. 6. EPR, Bells Theorem, and introductory ideas from quantum information theory 7. Relativistic quantum mechanics: the Dirac equation 8. Quantum theory of electromagnetism: the photon

Prerequisite: Physics 143a The text book for the course is Introduction to Quantum Mechanics, second edition, by David J. Griths, QC 174.12.G75 2005 I recommend you purchase a copy of this book. Useful references covering similar material are: Quantum mechanics, by Jean-Louis Basdevant and Jean Dalibard, QC174.2 .B383 2005 Quantum mechanics, by B.H. Bransden and C.J. Joachain, QC174.12 .B74 2000 Principles of quantum mechanics, by Hans C. Ohanian, QC174.12 .O33 1990 The course will be graded by the homeworks (40%), nal (40%) and midterm (20%). The nal exam groups are 12,13.