PHY 4604 - Fall 2003 - Prof. Selman Hershfield

Syllabus | Fall 2002 Website | Fall 2001 Website | Grader Info

Course Outline:

I. Course overview and review (Chapter 1)........................Class 1 (8/25)
  A. Review syllabus
  B. Overview course outline
  C. Review modern physics 
     Solution to Math Diagnostic from 2001

II. Properties of the Schrodinger equation (Chapter 2)...........Class 2 (8/27)
  A. Schrodinger equation
  B. Probability interpretation
  C. Plane wave solution (energy and momentum)
  D. Superposition of solutions

  E. Wave packets from 2 solutions...............................Class 3 (8/29)
  F. Wave packets from multiple solutions
  G. Introduction to matlab
     Matlab files used in class: freeparticle.m | freeparticle2.m
     Web tutorials on matlab:
        Univ. Utah - basic one web page introduction to matlab
        Univ. Florida - more advanced, includes lists of matlab functions
        Rice Univ. - same level as U.F. tutorial, includes graphics commands
        Mathworks - extensive documentation from the company that makes Matlab
     Free matlab-like programs: Octave | Scilab

  H. Probability current.........................................Class 4 (9/3)
  I. Expectation values of momentum and position
  J. Uncertainty principle (state clearly now & prove later)

III. Eigenvectors, completeness, particle in a box (Chapt. 3)....Class 5 (9/5)
  A. Time independent Schrodinger equation
  B. Linear operators and eigenvalue equations
  C. Particle in a box solution
     Homework Assignment 1 | Solution | Matlab file

  D. Parity......................................................Class 6 (9/8)
  E. Expansion hypothesis (completeness) including proof and interpretation

  F. Time dependence including analytic and numeric examples.....Class 7 (9/10)
     partbox1.m

  G. Continuum case (Fourier transforms).........................Class 8 (9/12)
     Homework Assignment 2 | Solution | hw2prob1.m | hw2prob2.m

IV. One-dimensional potentials (Chapter 4).......................Class 9 (9/15)
  A. Solving piecewise constant potentials, also discuss wavepackets
  B. Potential step 

  C. Potential well.............................................Class 10 (9/17)

  D. Potential barrier..........................................Class 11 (9/19)
     Homework Assignment 3 | Solution | hw3.m
     Scanning Tunneling Microscope: Nobel Prize | IBM Almaden | NIST

  E. Bound States...............................................Class 12 (9/22)
  
  F. Delta function potential...................................Class 13 (9/24)

     Review for Exam 1..........................................Class 14 (9/26)
     Practice Exam 1

     Exam 1.....................................................Class 15 (9/29)
     Solution | Distribution

V. Principles of quantum mechanics (Chapters 5,6 and 9).........Class 16 (10/1)
  A. Summary of what we have learned from examples thus far (5-1,5-2)

  B. Hermitian operators (5-3)..................................Class 17 (10/3)
     Homework Assignment 4 | Solution

  C. Commutation of ops. and simultaneous observ. (5-3,5-4).....Class 18 (10/6)
  D. Uncertainty principle proof

  E. Dirac notation (6-1).......................................Class 19 (10/8)

  F. Matrix representations (9-3)...............................Class 20 (10/10)
     Homework Assignment 5 | Solution

  G. Time dependence of operators (6-4).........................Class 21 (10/13)
  H. Time dependence in the classical limit (5-5)

VI. Harmonic Oscillator (Chapters 4,6)...............Classes 22,23 (10/15,10/17)
  A. Solution of harmonic oscillator by operator methods (6-3)
     Homework Assignment 6 | Solution

  B. Harmonic oscillator matrix elements........................Class 24 (10/20)

  X. Dirac notation for infinite square well ...................Class 25 (10/22)

  C. Harmonic oscillator wave functions (4-7)...................Class 26 (10/24)
     Practice Exam 2 | Solution

     Review for Exam 2..........................................Class 27 (10/27)

     Exam 2 | Solution..........................................Class 28 (10/29)

VII. Angular Momentum (Chapter 7)...............................Class 29 (10/31)
  A. Angular momentum commutation relations
  B. Raising and lowering operators

  C. Angular momentum eigenvalues and eigenvectors.......Class 30,31 (11/3,11/5)

  D. Spherical harmonics........................................Class 32 (11/10)
     Homework Assignment 7 | Solution

VIII. Hydrogen atom.............................................Class 33 (11/12)
  A. Radial equation

  B. Solution of the Hydrogen atom.....................Class 34,35 (11/14,11/17)
     Homework Assignment 8 | Solution

  C. Infinite spherical shell..........................Class 36,37 (11/19,11/21)

IX. Spin (Chapter 10)...........................................Class 38 (11/24)
  A. Spin 1/2 Particles 

  B. Measurements in quantum mechanics..........................Class 39 (11/26)
  C. Measurments on spin 1/2 particles

  D. Precession of spin in a magnetic field.....................Class 40 (12/1)
     Homework Assignment 9 | Solution

  E. Bell's theorem and EPR paradox.............................Class 41 (12/3)

     Review for Exam 3..........................................Class 42 (12/5)
     Practice Exam 3 | Solution

     Exam 3.....................................................Class 43 (12/8)

     Class Cancelled............................................Class 44 (12/10)

     Optional Review Session: Friday Dec. 12 from 12:30PM-1:55PM.

     Final Exam 12/17 from 3-5PM in usual classroom. | Solution

     Grades will be available on ISIS, and you may pick up your final exam and
     other course material at the beginning of the Spring semester.