ADVANCED QUANTUM MECHANICS

Academic Year 2018/2019 - 1° Year
Teaching Staff: Vincenzo GRECO
Credit Value: 6
Scientific field: FIS/02 - Theoretical physics, mathematical models and methods
Taught classes: 35 hours
Laboratories: 15 hours
Term / Semester:

Learning Objectives

The teaching proposes to provide a knowledge of quantum mechanics including its relativistic extension. In particular, the objective is to provide a knowledge of the main methods for understanding the quantum behavior of the physical systems of interest for modern physics, explicitly deriving the time-dependent pertubatical theory and the general elements of the quantum approach to the scattering process. Moreover, the teaching will allow to access to the more advanced formulations of quantum mechanics such as quantization of the electromagnetic field, the formulation of quantum mechanics in terms of Feynmann integrals and the relativistic formulation of quantum mechanics with the Dirac and Klein-Gordon equations.

Upon completion of the course the student must be able to know the topics of the course and know how to derive through the necessary analytical steps the main results discussed in the course. It must also be able to apply this knowledge for the resolution of exercises on the behavior of quantum systems. The aim of the course is also that the student develops the critical capacity for the evaluation of the results obtained. This capacity will be developed during the course, focusing repeatedly on the physical meaning of the formulas obtained and on the methods for evaluating the order of magnitude of the expected results even before carrying out the full calculations.


Course Structure

Frontal lectures both for the theoretical part of the course and for the exercises. There will be some exercise classes held as practical tests based on the resolution of the exam exercises of previous years.


Detailed Course Content

Approximation Methods

Overview of Time-Independent Perturbation Theory; Interaction (or Dirac’s) representation of quantum mechanics; time dependent perturbation theory (instantaneous, periodic, adiabatic); Fermi Golden Rule; Applications to the interaction with classical electromagnetic field and photoelectric effect; Berry's geometrical phase; WKB method and applications to Bohr-Sommerfeld quantization, finite double well potential and tunneling processes; Eikonal approximation; exercises.

Scattering Theory

Lippmann-Schwinger equation; Scattering amplitude and differential cross section; Born approximation; Expansion in partial waves and phase shifts; Low energy scattering and bound states; Elastic and inelastic scattering; Inelastic electron-atom scattering and form factors; Resonant scattering and Feynmann diagrams for non-relativistic interacting systems; exercises.

Primer of Quantum Theory for the electromagnetic field

Schroedinger equation in a external e.m. field and gauge invariance; Landau levels; Bohm-Ahranov effect and magnetic monopole; simplified approach to the quantization of electromagnetic field; spontaneous radiative emission and dipole transitions.

Path-Integrals

Propagators and Green-functions; Path-Integral formulation of quantum mechanics; Examples: free particle, harmonic oscillators; primer on instantons.

Relativistic Quantum Mechanics

Klein-Gordon Equation and Klein’s paradox; Casimir effect; Dirac Equation and the free particle and anti-paticle solutions; Weyl and Majorana representations; Non-relativistic reduction of Dirac equation: Pauli equation; Charge, Parity and Time reversal simmetries; Dirac particle in a Coulomb field; hyperfine structure and Lamb-shift; exercises.


Textbook Information

1) Giuseppe Nardulli - Meccanica quantistica: applicazioni, vol II, Ed. Franco Angeli.

2) J.J. Sakurai, Advanced Quantum Mechanics, Ed. Addison-Wesley.

3) J. J. Sakurai and J. Napolitano, Modern Quantum Mechanics, Ed. Addison-Wesley.

4) J.D. Bjorken and S. D. Drell, Relativistic Quantum Mechanics, Ed. McGraw-Hill.

5) F. Schwabl, Advanced Quantum Mechanics, Ed. Spinger

6) B. R. Holstein, Topics in Advanced Quantum Mechanics, Ed. Addison- Wesley.