Quantum Mechanics Summary

Ivor Allan Jake Denham-Dyson: 737213

June 2, 2016

Wave Mechanics

The state of a system is specified by a wave function. From the de-Broglie hypothesis matter can be
described as a wave, the wavefunction is a mathematical description of this wave written,
(~r, t) = (x, y, z, t)

(1)

The wavefunction satisfies the Schrodinger Equation

ih

h 2
(~r, t)
=
(~r, t) + V (~r, t)(~r, t)
t
2m
2
2
2
2 =
+ 2+ 2
2
x
y
z

(2)
(3)

The Born rule staes the probability for a paticle to be in a volume centered around ~r,


(~r, t) 2 dV = (~r, t)(x, t) dx = (~r, t) dx

(4)

Probability Amplitude: (~r, t)

2
Probability Density: (~r, t)
Observables become operators that act on wave functions and are hermitian . The expectation value is
therefore,
Z
< A >

dV
A

Hermitian operators are self adjoint corresponding to inner products expectation all real

(5)

Important Consequences

2
R
Normalisation dV (~r, t) = 1
Continuity/Conservation of Probability
Shrodinger Equation and its complex conjugate
ih

h2 2

=
+V
t
2m

ih

h2 2
=
+V
t
2m

Multiply by on left and on right

ih

h2

2 + V
=
t
2m

ih

h2
=
(2 ) + V
t
2m

Take the difference

h2

+
) =
(2 (2 ))
t
t
2m

h2
+
) =
( ())
ih(
t
t
2m

(~r, t) + ~j = 0
t
ih(

( () ~j is called the probability current density (probability flowing per unit

where ~j = 2mi

time per unit corss sectional area) One can write t

(~r, t) = ~j
Z
Z

dV
(~r, t) =
dV (~r, t)
t
t rR
rR
Z
Z

dV (~r, t)

dV ~j =
t rR
rR
Z
Z
~=
~j dA

dV (~r, t)
t rR
rR

As R

Z
dV (~r, t = 0
rR

Z
dV (~r, t = C
rR

If the wave function is normalised C = 1

Operators dont always commute; This can be show shown using the expectation of the momentum
operator.

= i
The energy operator is given by E
h t

h2 2
=
+V
t
2m

1 h
h
ih
=
( ) ( ) + V
t
2m i
i
1
=
H
p p + V
2m


1 2
=
H
p + V
2m
ih

1.1

How to describe a particle in QM: Wave Packets

A particle can be described by the matter wave associated with the particle which vanishes everywhere
except in the neighbourhood of the particle. This is termed a wave packet.
A wave packet is a group of waves that when summed interfere constructively in the neigbourhood of
the particle and adestructively everywhere else.
Quantum Mechanics - Zettili pg. 40 More treatment

 Fundemental postulates: Born Statistical Interpretation Borns rule

Quantum states are represented by wave functions, which are vectors in a mathematical space
called Hilbert space.
Wave functions evolve in time according to the Schrdinger equation.
The act of measuring a quantum system returns a number, known as the eigenvalue of the
quantity being measured.
The probability of getting any particular eigenvalue is equal to the square of the amplitude for
that eigenvalue.
After the measurement is performed, the wave function collapses to a new state in which the wave
function is localized precisely on the observed eigenvalue (as opposed to being in a superposition
of many different possibilities).
Dirac Von Neumann axioms
The observables of a quantum system are defined to be the (possibly unbounded) self-adjoint
operators A on H .
A state of the quantum system is a unit vector of H , up to scalar multiples.
The expectation value of an observable A for a system in a state is given by the inner product
(, A).

Mathematical Tools

2.1

Hilbert Space

A Hilbert space generalizes the idea of a euclidean space to n-dimensions. Below are a list of properties
associated with a Hilbert space.
1. H is a linear space.
(a) Vector Addition
i. Commutivity
~+B
~ =B
~ +A
~
A

(6)

~ + B)
~ +C
~ =A
~ + (B
~ + C)
~
(A

(7)

~ + ~0 = A
~
A

(8)

~ + (A)
~ = ~0
A

(9)

ii. Associativity
iii. Existence of neutral vector
iv. Existence of inverse
(b) Scalar Multiplication
i. Distributivity
~ + B)
~ = aA
~ + aB
~
a(A

~ = aA
~ + bA
~
(a + b)A

(10)

ii. Associativity
~ = (ab)A
~
a(bA)

(11)

iii. Unity and Zero scalar

~=A
~
IA

~=0
0A

(12)

2. H has a defined scalar product this is strictly positive

(a)
~ A)
~
~ B)
~ = (B,
(A,

(13)

2
~
~ A)
~ =
(A,
0
A

(14)

(b)

3. H is complete

2.2

Dimension and basis vector

1. Linear Independence
N
X

~i = 0
ai A

(15)

i=1

2. Dimension (Maximun number of linealy independent vectors describing a vector space)

N
X

~i =
ai

(16)

i=1

3. Basis (The set of vectors of linealy independent vectors describing a vector space)
N
X

~i =
ai

(17)

i=1

4. Inner Product of Functions

Z
(, ) =
6

dx

(18)

2.3

Dirac Notation

The physical state of a system is represented by elements of a hilbert space H - called state vectors.
Through function expansion these state vectors can be represented in difference basis (simiarily to changing
a coordinate system). The state of a microscopic system has a meaning independent of the basis (just as a
coordinate sytem does not affect the position being described). Dirac notation takes full advantage of this
and gives baseless representation of a state.
Kets