The Quantum Mechanics Solver

1. Front Matter

   Pages I-XIV

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2. Summary of Quantum Mechanics

   Pages 1-14

3. Atomic Clocks

   Pages 29-36

4. Neutron Interferometry

   Pages 37-45

5. Spectroscopic Measurement on a Neutron Beam

   Pages 47-53

6. Analysis of a Stern-Gerlach Experiment

   Pages 55-63

7. Measuring the Electron Magnetic Moment Anomaly

   Pages 65-68

8. Decay of a Tritium Atom

   Pages 69-72

9. The Spectrum of Positronium

   Pages 73-80

10. The Hydrogen Atom in Crossed Fields

    Pages 81-85

11. Energy Loss of Ions in Matter

    Pages 87-95

12. Schrödinger’s Cat

    Pages 109-120

13. Quantum Cryptography

    Pages 121-129

14. Direct Observation of Field Quantization

    Pages 131-145

15. Ideal Quantum Measurement

    Pages 147-153

16. The Quantum Eraser

    Pages 155-167

17. A Quantum Thermometer

    Pages 169-182

18. Elementary Particles, Nuclei and Atoms

    1. Neutrino Oscillations

       Pages 17-27

19. Quantum Entanglement and Measurement

    1. The EPR Problem and Bell’s Inequality

       Pages 99-108

20. Complex Systems

    1. Exact Results for the Three-Body Problem

       Pages 185-192

Quantum mechanics is an endless source of new questions and fascinating observations. Examples can be found in fundamental physics and in applied physics, in mathematical questions as well as in the currently popular debates ontheinterpretationofquantummechanicsanditsphilosophicalimplications. Teaching quantum mechanics relies mostly on theoretical courses, which are illustrated by simple exercises often of a mathematical character. Red- ing quantum physics to this type of problem is somewhat frustrating since very few, if any, experimental quantities are available to compare the results with. For a long time, however, from the 1950s to the 1970s, the only alter- tive to these basic exercises seemed to be restricted to questions originating from atomic and nuclear physics, which were transformed into exactly soluble problems and related to known higher transcendental functions. In the past ten or twenty years, things have changed radically. The dev- opment of high technologies is a good example. The one-dimensional squa- well potential used to be a rather academic exercise for beginners. The em- gence of quantum dots and quantum wells in semiconductor technologies has changed things radically. Optronics and the associated developments in inf- redsemiconductorandlasertechnologieshaveconsiderablyelevatedthesocial rank of the square-well model. As a consequence, more and more emphasis is given to the physical aspects of the phenomena rather than to analytical or computational considerations.

• Quantum mechanics
• basics
• condensed matter
• hydrogen atom
• laser physics
• mechanics
• particles
• quantum theory

From the reviews of the second edition:

"This problem based textbook is a concise and particularly useful reference of quantum mechanics as used in a large range of modern applications in physics. … At the end of each section worked solutions, references and general comments are given … . this book of problems would be very useful for any physics departmental, or indeed individual research group, library. Highly recommended." (Lloyd C L Hollenberg, Australian Physics, Vol. 32 (6), 2007)

• Department of Physics, Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet, Ecole Polytechnique, Cedex, France

  Jean-Louis Basdevant

• Laboratoire Kastler Brossel, Ecole Normale Superieure, Paris, France

  Jean Dalibard

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