After this course, you
- are able to interpret the results of the solution to the Schrodinger equation by making predictions for a measurement operation based on the system’s wavefunction
- are able to construct and solve the Schrödinger equation for various model systems: a free particle, the harmonic oscillator, as well as the smallest atoms and molecules
- understand the basic principles of the operator algebra
- know the quantum-mechanical analogues of the classical motions translation and vibration
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This course gives a broad introduction into the basics of quantum mechanics (QM) and its applications to the electronic structure of small systems. In Part 1, the fundamentals of quantum mechanics are treated.
The course starts with the postulates of QM, such as the use of wavefunctions to describe all properties of a system, and the Schrödinger equation, which describes the wavefunction's time evolution. The interpretation of the wavefunction will be given in relation to physical measurements, and is applied to such simple model systems as the particle-in-a-box problem, tunneling, and the harmonic oscillator. As QM is in many respects drastically different from classical mechanics, extra attention will be given to those examples where our classical intuition leads to wrong conclusions in quantum mechanical situations.
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