Quantum Mechanics

SREEKANTH K M
Department of Sciences

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 Contents

1. Introduction
2. de- Broglie waves
3. Uncertainty principle
4. Wave function
5. Postulates of Quantum Mechanics
6. Wave equation
7. Schrödinger equation(time dependent)
8. Expectation values
9. Operators
10. Schrödinger equation(Steady state)
11. Eigenvalues and eigenfunctions
12. One dimensional potential well (particle in a box)
13. Finite potential well
14. The Tunnel Effect

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Wave function

In water waves – the quantity that varies periodically – the height of the water surface;
In sound waves – Pressure;
In light waves –Electric and magnetic fields….

What is in the case of matter waves?.................

The quantity whose variations make up matter waves is called the wave function (Ѱ-
psi).
Or
Variable quantity that mathematically describes the wave characteristics of a particle.

The value of the wave function of a particle at a given point of space (x, y, z) and time
(t) is related to the likelihood of finding the particle there at the time.

The wave function can have a positive or negative sign.

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Wave function………..

Significance or Limitations on the wave function:

No direct physical significance- Ѱ cannot by interpreted in terms of experiment. But......

1. It explains the motion of quantum mechanics particle when operated with Schrodinger’s
Wave Equation.

2. Ѱ × Ѱ* or gives probability density function for a particle. Ѱ * is the complex

conjugate of Ѱ.

3. The probability of finding a particle at any volume dV is given by Ѱ × Ѱ * dV.

4. The probability of finding a particle in whole space is unity.

i.e., Integration of Ѱ × Ѱ * dV = 1. This is called normalizing condition.

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Wave function..........

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Wave function..........

Normalization

the particle does not exist, and the integral

If cannot be ∞ and still mean anything.

{Normalization} the particle exists

If somewhere all times. A wave function
that obey that obey this condition is said
to be normalized

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 Well behaved wave function
Condition for a Well behaved wave function............

 Ѱ must be continuous and single-valued everywhere.

 must be continuous and single-valued everywhere.

 Ѱ must be normalizable, i.e., Ѱ →0 as x → ±∞, y → ±∞, z→ ±∞ in

order that dV overall space be a finite constant.

Thus for a particle restricted to motion in the x direction, the probability (P) of
finding it between x1 and x2 is given by

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Postulates of Quantum Mechanics

Every physically-realizable state of the system is described in quantum mechanics

by a state function that contains all accessible physical information about the
system in that state. The configuration or state of a quantum object is completely
specified by a wave function (Ѱ)

– Physically realizable states  states that can be studied in laboratory

– Accessible information  the information we can extract from the wave
function
– State function  function of position, momentum, energy that is spatially
localized.
First Postulate of Quantum Mechanics

If Ѱ1 and Ѱ2 represent two physically-realizable states of the system, then the linear
combination represents a third physically realizable state of the
system. c1 and c2 are arbitrary complex constants.
Note: Wave function Ѱ(x,t)  position and time probability amplitude.
Quantum mechanics describes the outcome of an ensemble of measurements, where
an ensemble of measurements consists of a very large number of identical
experiments performed on identical non-interacting systems, all of which have been
identically
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 Second Postulate

If a system is in a quantum state represented by a wave function Ѱ, then

is the probability that in a position measurement at time t the particle will be

detected in the infinitesimal volume dV.

 position and time probability density

According to the second postulate of quantum mechanics, the integrated

probability density can be interpreted as a probability that in a position
measurement at time t, we will find the particle anywhere in space.

Therefore, the normalization condition for the wave function is:

Note: the integral cannot be ∞ and still mean anything.

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Third Postulate:

Every observable in quantum mechanics is represented by an operator which is used to

Obtain physical information about the observable from the state function

Operators Associated with Various Observable Quantities

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More on Operators…..
In mathematics, an operator is generally a mapping or function that acts on
elements of a space to produce elements of another space (possibly the same
space, sometimes required to be the same space).
 An operator is an instruction, a symbol which tells us to perform one or more
mathematical acts on a function, say f(x). The essential point is that they act on a
function.
 Operators act on everything to the right, unless the action is constrained by brackets.
 Addition and subtraction rule for operators:
   
 
Q1  Q2 f ( x)  Q1 f ( x)  Q2 f ( x)
 The product of two operators implies succesive operation:
   

Q1Q2 f ( x)  Q1 Q2 f ( x) 
 The product of two operators is a third operator:
  
Q3  Q1Q2
 Two operators commute if they obey the simple operator expression:

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 
 
     
Q1 , Q2  Q1Q2  Q2Q1  0  Q1Q2  Q2Q1
 
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Fourth Postulate
1926 Erwin Schrodinger proposed an equation that describes the evolution of
quantum mechanical system. SWE which represents the quantum equations of
motion, and is of the form

Fourth (Fundamental) postulate of Quantum Mechanics

The time development of the state functions of an isolated quantum system is

governed by the time-dependent SWE , where is the

Hamiltonian of the system

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THANK YOU
THANK YOU

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