| Lecture |
Date |
Reading/Homework |
What was covered |
Supplementary Links |
| 1 |
Sept. 2 |
Read Ch.1 |
Course introduction |
Double Slit Movie
||Tonomura's Double Slit Experiment |
| 2 |
Sept. 4 |
HW#1 assigned |
1.1-1.4 |
Wave-Particle Duality and Interpretations (presentation)||The Role of Decoherence in Quantum Mechanics |
| 3 |
Sept. 9 |
Read Ch. 2 |
1.5-1.6 |
Mermin, Physics Today, April 1985, pp. 38-47||
notes on Bell's Inequalities||random bit generator (patent)||id Quantique |
| 4 |
Sept. 11 |
HW#1 due, HW#2 assigned, Read 2.1-2.2(Ch.2 first part) |
2.1-2.2 |
CAP competition announcement |
| 5 |
Sept. 16 |
Read 2.2-2.3(Ch.2 first part) |
2.1-2.2 |
- |
| 6 |
Sept. 18 |
HW#2 due, HW#3 assigned, Read 2.3 and 2.4(Ch.2 first part), and Mermin's Physics Today article (April 1985) |
2.3 |
- |
| 7 |
Sept. 23 |
- |
2.3 |
- |
| 8 |
Sept. 25 |
HW#3 due, HW#4 assigned |
2.3-2.4 |
features of the harmonic oscillator
||world record- 500 pK atomic gas |
| 9 |
Sept. 30 |
Read 2.4-2.6(Ch.2 second part) |
2.4 |
Quantum
physics online (great wave function simulators) |
| 10 |
Oct. 2 |
HW#4 due, HW#5 assigned |
2.5 |
Quantum
physics online |
| 11 |
Oct. 7 |
HW#5 due |
2.6-3.1 |
Quantum
physics online |
| 12 |
Oct. 9 |
Read Appendix - Linear Algebra, HW#6 assigned (this one is short). |
Midterm I
review problems
2007 midterm I |
- |
| 13 |
Oct. 14 |
Read Appendix - Linear Algebra |
Formalism: Vector spaces |
The Leggett inequalities: nonlocal hidden-variables incompatible with quantum mechanics.
|
| 14 |
Oct. 16 |
HW#6 due, HW#7 assigned and instead of hwk#6 solution review.midterm I makeup assigned.
|
Formalism: Hilbert space, Observables |
- |
| 15 |
Oct. 21 |
Read 3.1-3.5 |
Observables, Hermitian operators, eigenfunctions |
- |
| 16 |
Oct. 23 |
HW#7 due, HW#8 assigned, Read 3.6 and 4.1 |
Formalism: Generalized statistical interpretation |
References on the historical and conceptual development of quantum mechanics |
| 17 |
Oct. 28 |
- |
Formalism: generalized uncertainty principle, compatible and incompatible observables |
TODAY, October 28, 2008 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM
in the Ladha Centre, Town Hall meeting
for undergraduates with Dean of Science
Dr. Simon Peacock
|
| 18 |
Oct. 30 |
HW#8 due, HW#9 assigned, Read 4.1-4.2 |
Formalism: energy-time uncertainty principle, Dirac notation |
- |
| 19 |
Nov. 4 |
- |
Formalism: more on Dirac notation |
- |
| 20 |
Nov. 6 |
HW#9 due |
Quantum mechanics in 3D |
- |
| 21 |
Nov. 11 |
- |
no class - Rememberance day |
- |
| 22 |
Nov. 13 |
HW#10 assigned. |
Midterm II
review problems
2007 midterm II |
- |
| 23 |
Nov. 18 |
Read 4.3 - 4.4 |
More on Spherical Harmonics and the Hydrogen Atom |
Spherical Harmonics and hydrogen wave function graphics |
| 24 |
Nov. 20 |
HW#10 due, HW#11 assigned.
midterm II makeup assigned. |
Angular Momentum |
Angular momentum operators and the Spherical Harmonics |
| 25 |
Nov. 25 |
midterm II makeup due. |
Spin, Pauli matrices, Stern Gerlach Experiment |
Stern Gerlach Experiment,
a fascinating Historical account of
this experiment. |
| 26 |
Nov. 27 |
- |
The addition of angular momentum |
Stern Gerlach applet. |
| - |
Nov. 28 |
HW#11 due at 5pm on Friday.
Give directly to TA |
study the 2007 final |
- |