MAT E 512, Fall 2019, Prof.

Steve May Lecture 2: Quantum Mechanics

Historical perspective:

- 1801: Young’s double slit experiment -> light is a wave

- 1900: Max Planck proposes energy quanta
- 1905: Einstein gives theory of photoelectric effect
- 1922: Niels Bohr proposes atomic structure with orbital electronic shells
- 1923: de Broglie proposes wave/particle duality
- 1926: Fermi-Dirac statistics developed
- 1927: Heisenberg gives uncertainty principle
- 1929: Schrodinger proposes wave mechanics version of quantum mechanics

No class on Tuesday.

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MAT E 512, Fall 2019, Prof. Steve May Lecture 2: Quantum Mechanics

Photoelectric effect

The energy of light is quantized and equal to hν.

Max Planck & Albert Einstein

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MAT E 512, Fall 2019, Prof. Steve May Lecture 2: Quantum Mechanics

Compton scattering

Photons have momentum (p), where p = h/λ = ħk

Arthur Compton

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MAT E 512, Fall 2019, Prof. Steve May Lecture 2: Quantum Mechanics

Wave/particle duality

All matter exists as both waves and particles, where λ = h/p

Implications include:
• Diffraction possible from any particle (photons, neutrons, electrons)
• To understand electrons in solids, must appreciate wave properties

Louis De Broglie

How then do we treat wave-like properties of particles?

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MAT E 512, Fall 2019, Prof. Steve May Lecture 2: Quantum Mechanics

Let’s start with the Schrodinger equation:

dΨ 2 ∂ 2Ψ
i =− + VΨ
dt 2m ∂x 2

The basic idea is that we want to solve the wave function (Ψ) at any position (x) or
time (t).

Before we get to into dealing with this equation, let’s review some basic properties of
waves.

k (wave vector) =

sin(kx-ωt) -> wave in x direction with a wave vector k Erwin Schrödinger

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http://www.animations.physics.unsw.edu.au/jw/travelling_sine_wave.htm
MAT E 512, Fall 2019, Prof. Steve May Lecture 2: Quantum Mechanics

Various kinds of waves:

Traveling wave vs Standing wave

Transverse wave vs Longitudinal wave

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MAT E 512, Fall 2019, Prof. Steve May Lecture 2: Quantum Mechanics

Euler’s formula:

eikx = cos( kx ) + i sin( kx )

Can remove imaginary component through multiplication of complex conjugate:

e − ikx eikx =

dΨ 2 ∂ 2Ψ
Returning to: i =− + VΨ
dt 2m ∂x 2

We want to solve for Ψ(x,t),

but what does this mean?

Ψ ( x, t ) dx = probability of finding the

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particle between x and x + dx at time t

Thus, knowing Ψ allows us to solve for

the expectation value (or probability) of the particle’s position.
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MAT E 512, Fall 2019, Prof. Steve May Lecture 2: Quantum Mechanics

If we know Ψ, we can solve for the expectation values of various properties using
operators for each of those properties:

Oˆ = ∫ Ψ * ( x )Oˆ Ψ ( x )dx

For probability:

For position:

For momentum:

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MAT E 512, Fall 2019, Prof. Steve May Lecture 2: Quantum Mechanics

Uncertainty principle

One cannot exactly and simultaneously know both the position and
momentum of a particle

∆x ∆p ≥ 

Werner Heisenberg

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Images: Griffiths, Introduction to Quantum Mechanics
MAT E 512, Fall 2019, Prof. Steve May Lecture 2: Quantum Mechanics

What is the probability that the particle is found between –∞ and +∞?

This leads to the normalization condition:

Example of normalization:

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MAT E 512, Fall 2019, Prof. Steve May Lecture 2: Quantum Mechanics

We will only be interested with the time-independent Schrodinger equation:

 2 d 2ψ ( x )
− 2
+ Vψ ( x ) = Eψ ( x )
2m dx

Two important boundary conditions:

1. ψ must be continuous
2. dψ/dx must be continuous (ensure probability is continuous)

Wavefunctions that satisfy these conditions for a given potential are called
eigenfunctions.
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MAT E 512, Fall 2019, Prof. Steve May Lecture 2: Quantum Mechanics

For a free electron, V=0

 2 d 2ψ (x )
− 2
+ Vψ ( x ) = Eψ ( x )
2m dx
d 2ψ ( x ) 2m
+ 2 Eψ ( x ) = 0
dx 2


This is not a straightfoward example because the normalization is non-trivial

The important thing to note is that:

E=
(k )
2

2m
The energy of a free particle (electron) increases as k2. This is important to keep in
mind.

let’s move on to a better example

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MAT E 512, Fall 2019, Prof. Steve May Lecture 2: Quantum Mechanics

Example: Particle in a well of infinite potential

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MAT E 512, Fall 2019, Prof. Steve May Lecture 2: Quantum Mechanics

Example: Particle in a well of infinite potential

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MAT E 512, Fall 2019, Prof. Steve May Lecture 2: Quantum Mechanics

Example: Particle in a well of infinite potential

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