Programme

The crisis of the classical physics
- Black body radiation
- Planck's formula
- The photoelectric effect
- The Compton effect
- Rutherford's atomic model
- Bohr's quantum theory
- De Broglie's waves

Fundamentals of Quantum Mechanics
- Basic probability theory
- Schroedinger equation and wave function
- Probabilistic interpretation of the wave function
- Measurement problem and collapse of the wave function
- Stern-Gerlach and Young’s experiments
- Physical quantities and operators
- Eigenvalues and eigenfunctions
- Stationary states
- Principle of superposition
- Uncertainty principle

Applications to unidimensional problems
- The potential well
- The harmonic oscillator
- The potential barrier and tunnel effect

Several-particles systems
- Identical particles: Fermi–Dirac and Bose-Einstein statistics
- classical limit and Maxwell-Boltzmann statistics
- Electrons in a crystal: Bloch's theorem
- Quantum entanglement
- EPR paradox and Bell’s theorem
- Fundamentals of qubits and quantum computation

Core Documentation

D. J. Griffith, "Introduzione alla meccanica quantistica"

Reference Bibliography

- B.H. Bransden and C.J. Joachain, "Quantum Mechanics" - P. Fong, "Elementary Quantum Mechanics" - M.A. Nielsen, I.L. Chuang, "Quantum computation and quantum information" - Course notes

Attendance

Attendance is optional but highly recommended.

Type of evaluation

The exam consists of a written test, which includes open-ended problems and open-ended theory questions, and of an oral interview.