Quantum Mechanics Lecture Notes 23 January 2007 Meg Noah

Quantum Mechanics
Book: Introduction to Quantum Mechanics, Liboff
2nd: Griffith’s
3rd: Schaum’s Outline

Classical Quantum Mechanics

We start with a review of classical mechanics: predicting the dynamic
variables that characterize the state of a system.

1. Define Position
2. Energy (E), Momentum (p), Angular Momentum (L), Hamiltonian (H)

Position: [ x(t ), y(t ), z(t )]

Energy: E  KE  PE  x  y 2  z 2   V ( x, y, z )
m 2
  2
Classical force: F  V

Classical gravitational potential: V  mgz

Momentum Term

  dp 
Linear: p  mv Force: F
dt
   dL
Angular: L  r  p Torque:  N  rF
dt

Recall BAC-CAB rule for finding components of angular momentum:

ex ey ez

L x y z  ( ypz  zp y )e x  ( zpx  xpz )e y  ( xp y  ypx )e z
px py pz
Quantum Mechanics Lecture Notes 23 January 2007 Meg Noah

One Particle Hamiltonian

Hamiltonian Mechanics = Newtonian Mechanics

( x, y, z, x, y , z )  ( x, y, z, p x , p y , p z )
m 2
E ( x  y 2  z 2 )  mgz
2
1
H ( px  p y  p z )  mgz
2 2 2

2m
How the particle moves in the system:
H H
  p x  x
x p x
H H
  p y  y
y p y
H H
  p z  z
z p z

Many Particles:
(q1 , q2 , q3 , qn , p1 , p2 , p3 , pn )
H H
  pl  ql
ql pl
Quantum Mechanics Lecture Notes 23 January 2007 Meg Noah

H, L, and E in Spherical Coordinates

Expressions for energy, the Hamiltonian, and angular momentum were given
in spherical coordinates, and it was suggested that students use work out the
steps to show these relations. This material is also in Section 1.2 Liboff.

r  pr  mr
  p  mr 2 (this corresponds to angular momentum)
  p  mr sin   
2

E r  r 2 2  r sin  2 2   mg (r cos )

m 2
2
so
pr2 p2 p2
H  
2m 2mr 2 2mr sin  
2

x  r cos  sin 
y  r sin  sin 
z  r cos 
x  r(cos  sin  )  r ( sin  ) sin   r cos  cos 
y  r(sin  sin  )  r (cos  ) sin   r sin  cos 
z  r(sin  )  r ( sin  )
x 2  r 2 cos 2  sin 2   2rr cos  sin  sin 2   2rr cos 2  sin  cos 
 r 2 sin 2  2 sin 2   2r sin  sin r cos  cos   r 2 cos 2  cos 2  2
y 2  r 2 sin 2  sin 2   2rr cos  sin  sin 2   2rr sin 2  sin  cos 
 r 2 cos 2  2 sin 2   2r sin  sin r cos  cos   r 2 sin 2  cos 2  2
z 2  r 2 sin 2   2rr sin  sin   r 2 sin 2  2

E  r 2  r 2 2  r 2 2 sin    mgr cos 

m
2
Quantum Mechanics Lecture Notes 23 January 2007 Meg Noah

H, L, and E in Cylindrical Coordinates

Energy was expressions in cylindrical coordinates, and it was suggested that
students use work out the steps to show these relations and express
momentum and the Hamiltonian in cylindrical coordinates. This material is
also in Section 1.2 Liboff.

x   cos 
x   cos    ( sin  )
y   sin 
y   sin    (cos  )
x 2   2 cos 2   2  sin  cos    2 2 sin 2 
y 2   2 sin 2   2  sin  cos    2 2 cos 2 

E    22  z 2   mgz

m 2
2
Quantum Mechanics Lecture Notes 23 January 2007 Meg Noah

Quantum Mechanics vs. Classical Mechanics

Material in Section 1.4 was discussed. In classical mechanics, you know the
values of all dynamic variable simultaneously. The state of the system of
one particle in classical mechanics:
P(x, y, z, px, py, pz)

In quantum mechanics, such simultaneous specifications can’t be made. If

you know the position, then you don’t know the momentum. Examples of
quantum mechanics state of system of one particle:

P(E, p )
P(L2, Lz, E)
P(L12, L22, Lz2)

Consider a particle trapped in a potential well with energy E=V(x)+ ½mv2.

In classical mechanics (blue), the particle is confined to move only in the
well because of the energy barrier. In quantum mechanics (red), it is
possible for the particle to tunnel into forbidden regions.

V(x)

x
Quantum Mechanics Lecture Notes 23 January 2007 Meg Noah

Dates

The historical development of quantum mechanics was briefly discussed.

This material is also in Section 2.1

1901 Planck Blackbody radiator

1905 Einstein Photoelectric effect
1911 Rutherford Model of the Atom
1913 Bohr Quantum Theory of Spectra of an Atom
…
1925 de Broglie Matter Wave

Blackbody Radiation

Cavity held at constant Temp.

T Cavity is held at constant temperature T.

By using the relation hν to define the energy of an electromagnetic wave,

Planck expressed the energy per unit dν, or energy per unit dλ, that matches
experimental data. A quantum of electromagnetic wave is called a photon.

The total energy per unit volum e in the radiation field in the cavity is :


U   u ( )d


The energy per unit d :

8h 3 1
u ( )  h 
c3 e k T 1
B

where
h  Planck Constant  6.626 10  27 erg  s
k B  Boltzman Constant
T  Temperature
Quantum Mechanics Lecture Notes 23 January 2007 Meg Noah

Photoelectric Effect

Einstein used Planck’s photon concept to explain the photoelectric effect.

vacuum UV Light Source

Collecting Plate
+
e-
Cu -
A Ammeter
V(x)

+
The energy of the emitted electrons (from the Copper plate) is a function of
the frequency of light from the light source. The photoelectric experiment
can be used to measure Planck’s constant directly.

E
Slope=h E=h-

h0





Model the energy distribution of electrons in a metal (the copper). Electrons

distribute themselves according to the Pauli principle and filling lowest
energy states first.

This is what we measured

Energy for electron to go to free space
Vacuum
h E=h-

Metal 

Pauli’s principle:
e- fill up each quantum state
Quantum Mechanics Lecture Notes 23 January 2007 Meg Noah

Bohr’s Atom
For any kind of atom, the spectrum of emission lines is observed. Bohr used
the quantum relation:

 p d  nh
to develop the energy levels of the atom.

Only consider the electron with me << Mp

1 2 e2
E  mv 
2 r
2 2
mv e p2
  3
r r mr
p2 e2
E 
2mr 2 r
2p  nh
n  1,2,3, 
n2h2
rn 
me 2
R
E 2
n
me 4
R  2  13.6eV
2
Ground state = -13.6 eV. Bohr radius a0~0.5Å is:
2
a0  2
 5.29  10 9 cm
me
Quantum Mechanics Lecture Notes 23 January 2007 Meg Noah

Relationship of Light and Matter

De Broglie hypothesis is that matter has a wavelike property and a particle-
like property.

Equations of Light:

E    h
p  k
  ck
Equations of Matter:

p2
E
2m
h

p
p  k

Duality:

E h
p 
c c
  h
  2
2
k

☼ Homework: 1.5, 1.7, 1.8, 1.21, 2.23