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PHYS304: Quantum Physics II
This unit is entirely devoted to quantum mechanics, perhaps the most fundamental of all the theories of modern physics. While its consequences are most readily seen in the microscopic world of elementary particles, atoms and molecules, what quantum mechanics provides is a set of rules that all physical theories must be consistent with, and as such apply to all physical phenomena occurring on all scales: the universe as a whole is governed by the laws of quantum mechanics. Quantum mechanics is a theory of information: what information we can gain about the physical world, what the restrictions are on what information we can gain, and how this information can be manipulated. This unit looks at quantum mechanics at a deeper level beyond what is covered in PHYS301 Electromagnetism and Quantum Physics. After a formal development of the subject covering the basic postulates of quantum mechanics—mathematical formalism; states; observables; and time evolution, symmetry and conservation laws—various applications of the theory are discussed. This material is drawn from a broad range of topics which includes the electromagnetic field in quantum mechanics, angular momentum, the theory of identical particles, solid-state physics, Bell's inequalities, entanglement, measurement and further basic concepts of quantum information theory and quantum computing.
| Credit Points: | 3 |
| Contact Hours: | 4 |
| When Offered: | D2 - Day; Offered in the second half-year |
| Staff Contact(s): | Physics staff |
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| Assessed As: | Graded |
| Offered By: | Department of Physics and Astronomy |
Timetable Information
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