Physik IV - Spring 2008

Atoms, photons, electrons, fundamentals of quantum mechanics, one dimensional problems, particle in box, tunneling, harmonic oscillator, hydrogen atom, spin, superposition and entanglement, quantum information, basic atomic physics, Zeeman effect, Stark effect, many electron atoms, molecules, quantum statistics, fermions, bosons, [basics of solid state and nuclear physics]

There will be a 120 minute written examination in Sessionsprüfung on 14.08.2008 at HPH G2 & HPH G3. There will also be an opportunity to repeat the exam in the following Sessionsprüfung.

Material allowed will be: A translation dictionary, an electronic calculator (also a programmable one!), and up to 10 sides (i.e. 5 two-sided pages) of handwritten notes.

When you will be working in an experimental lab or in a theory group later during your studies you will notice that many problems in quantum mechanics can not easily be solved analytically. In these cases it will be useful to be able to resort to numerical techniques for solving quantum mechanics problems. As part of the Physics IV lecture we will offer an introduction to solving and visualizing quantum mechanics problems on the computer.

Problems to be covered include:

• Matter waves, wave packets, phase and group velocity
• Particles in a 1D (in)finite well
• The harmonic oscillator
• The Hydrogen atom
• Transition matrix elements
• Tunneling

You may want to start exploring the software by going to the help menu. In the Documentation Center you find tutorials such a "the first five minutes with ..." that help you to get to know the software. We will also provide some basic introduction during the "Quantum Mechanics on the Computer" classes. The class will take place roughly every second week on Mondays after the lecture. Additionally, in case of conflicting schedules there will be a smaller session after the lecture on Wednesdays in HPF G 6. Exercise problems will be provided.

QM on the Computer: Schedule and Files

Exercise set answers will be done and handed in by groups of 3 students (or 2 if there is an even remainder). Groups will be organised in the first lecture session on Monday 18.02.2008. Each group's answers will be handed in on the dates shown below and given a mark each week out of 10. An overall score of 50% (50/100) will be required for Testat. Each student will also be required to present a solution individually in the exercise class three times during semester. A schedule for this will be organised in the first class.

There is a lot of interesting research going on at ETH and around the world that is related to the topics covered in this lecture course, and there will be also an opportunity for student groups to do a presentation on a novel piece of research, during the exercise classes. This will earn the presenting group an extra 10 points, to count towards their total mark out of 100.

You will be able to sign up to give a presentation after the lecture on Monday 21.04.2008. You can choose from the topics below. The TA who is named next to each topic will be able to answer any questions that you have about the topic while you prepare your presentation. The presentations will be given at the end of the exercise class on 05.05.2008 (and also on 19.05.2008 if there are many). The presentation will be given in the exercise class of the TA responsible for the topic, and if you are not giving a presentation you will be able to join the presentation that you are most interested in.