PHYS441: Quantum Physics
Instructor
Vladi Chaloupka, Professor of Physics, PAB room B309, 206-543-8965,
vladi@u.washington.edu,
office hours before and after class, and by appointment
Required Text:
"Quantum Physics" by
Gasiorowicz (3rd ed.)
"Quantum Mechanics" by Yoav Peleg, Reuven Pnini and Elyahu
Zaarur
(so that you don't think 'Vladi Chaloupka' sounds too exotic ...). This
is
not your typical textbook: it is part of the Schaum's Outline series:
very
compact in the presentation of the theory (for the rest you have to
come
to class) but very rich in solved examples. It comes closest to the way
I teach Quantum Mechanics.
Optional texts:
Bransden/Joachain: Quantum mechanics (2nd ed.)
I used this text last time I taught this course, and covered
Chapters 1-6, with
some
omissions and some additions. Chapter 1 is a very useful recap of
Modern
Physics.. Very good chapters on various
applications of Quantum Physics.
Griffiths: Introduction to Quantum Mechanics. Very popular
text,
written almost as a transcript of actual lectures.
(EXAMPLE:
".... Physically realizable states correspond to the
'square-integrable'
solution to Schroedinger equation.
But
wait a minute! Suppose I have normalized the wave function ..." )
If you like to be talked to, then this is a book for you.
General Notes
This course is a core (required) course for participants in the "MS in
Applied Physics" program. Some resulting features of the course may be
attractive to a wider audience, including students from outside the
Physics
Department. Since many of our evening students have been out of school
for several years, both this course and the E&M course (PHYS543)
are
designed to help re-fresh some possibly forgotten math and physics
skills.
This means that the subject matter is covered "from scratch", and
extensive
help is available to students who might need it. At the same time,
since
the audience is more mature and better motivated than typical Junior
class,
the tempo is brisk, and level is quite rigorous. In short, you can
expect
to learn a lot (if you are willing to work on it.)
Note: In Summer of 2006, I will be teaching a sequel to this course:
PHYS541. This course will be re-designed, with the main new feature
being an introduction to Quantum Computing. PHYS 441 will be adjusted
to provide a suitable preparation for this.