This book covers advanced topics in quantum mechanics, including nonrelativistic multi-particle systems, relativistic wave equations, and relativistic fields. Numerous examples for application help readers gain a thorough understanding of the subject. The presentation of relativistic wave equations and their symmetries, and the fundamentals of quantum field theory lay the foundations for advanced studies in solid-state physics, nuclear, and elementary particle physics. The authors earlier book, Quantum Mechanics, was praised for its unsurpassed clarity.
This textbook gives a connected mathematical derivation of the important mathematical results, concentrating on the central ideas without including elaborate detail or unnecessary rigour, and explaining in the simplest terms the symbols and concepts which confront the researcher in solid state, nuclear or high-energy physics.
Advanced Quantum Mechanics: Materials and Photons is a textbook which emphasizes the importance of advanced quantum mechanics for materials science and all experimental techniques which employ photon absorption, emission, or scattering. Important aspects of introductory quantum mechanics are covered in the first seven chapters to make the subject self-contained and accessible for a wide audience. The textbook can therefore be used for advanced undergraduate courses and introductory graduate courses which are targeted towards students with diverse academic backgrounds from the Natural Sciences or Engineering. To enhance this inclusive aspect of making the subject as accessible as possible, Appendices A and B also provide introductions to Lagrangian mechanics and the covariant formulation of electrodynamics. Other special features include an introduction to Lagrangian field theory and an integrated discussion of transition amplitudes with discrete or continuous initial or final states. Once students have acquired an understanding of basic quantum mechanics and classical field theory, canonical field quantization is easy. Furthermore, the integrated discussion of transition amplitudes naturally leads to the notions of transition probabilities, decay rates, absorption cross sections and scattering cross sections, which are important for all experimental techniques that use photon probes. Quantization is first discussed for the Schrödinger field before the relativistic Maxwell, Klein-Gordon and Dirac fields are quantized. Quantized Schrödinger field theory is not only important for condensed matter physics and materials science, but also provides the easiest avenue to general field quantization and is therefore also useful for students with an interest in nuclear and particle physics. The quantization of the Maxwell field is performed in Coulomb gauge. This is the appropriate and practically most useful quantization procedure in condensed matter physics, chemistry, and materials science because it naturally separates the effects of Coulomb interactions, exchange interactions, and photon scattering. The appendices contain additional material that is usually not found in standard quantum mechanics textbooks, including a completeness proof of eigenfunctions of one-dimensional Sturm-Liouville problems, logarithms of matrices, and Green's functions in different dimensions.
An accessible introduction to advanced quantum theory, this textbook focuses on its practical applications and is ideal for graduate students in physics.
Advanced Quantum Theory is a concised, comprehensive, well-organized text based on the techniques used in theoretical elementary particle physics and extended to other branches of modern physics as well. While it is especially valuable reading for students and professors of physics, a less cursory survey should aid the nonspecialist in mastering the principles and calculational tools that probe the quantum nature of the fundamental forces. The initial application is to nonrelativistic scattering graphs encountered in atomic, solid state, and nuclear physics. Then, focusing on relativistic Feynman Diagrams and their construction in lowest order — applied to electromagnetic, strong, weak, and gravitational interactions — this bestseller also covers relativistic quantum theory based on group theoretical language, scattering theory, and finite parts of higher order graphs. This new edition includes two chapters on the quark model at low energies.
In this updated and expanded second edition of a well-received and invaluable textbook, Prof. Dick emphasizes the importance of advanced quantum mechanics for materials science and all experimental techniques which employ photon absorption, emission, or scattering. Important aspects of introductory quantum mechanics are covered in the first seven chapters to make the subject self-contained and accessible for a wide audience. Advanced Quantum Mechanics, Materials and Photons can therefore be used for advanced undergraduate courses and introductory graduate courses which are targeted towards students with diverse academic backgrounds from the Natural Sciences or Engineering. To enhance this inclusive aspect of making the subject as accessible as possible Appendices A and B also provide introductions to Lagrangian mechanics and the covariant formulation of electrodynamics. This second edition includes an additional 62 new problems as well as expanded sections on relativistic quantum fields and applications of quantum electrodynamics. Other special features include an introduction to Lagrangian field theory and an integrated discussion of transition amplitudes with discrete or continuous initial or final states. Once students have acquired an understanding of basic quantum mechanics and classical field theory, canonical field quantization is easy. Furthermore, the integrated discussion of transition amplitudes naturally leads to the notions of transition probabilities, decay rates, absorption cross sections and scattering cross sections, which are important for all experimental techniques that use photon probes.
This graduate-level text is based on a course in advanced quantum mechanics, taught many times at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Topics include propagator methods, scattering theory, charged particle interactions, alternate approximate methods, and Klein-Gordon and Dirac equations. Problems appear in the flow of the discussion, rather than at the end of chapters. 1992 edition.
Quantum physics and special relativity theory were two of the greatest breakthroughs in physics during the twentieth century and contributed to paradigm shifts in physics. This book combines these two discoveries to provide a complete description of the fundamentals of relativistic quantum physics, guiding the reader effortlessly from relativistic quantum mechanics to basic quantum field theory. The book gives a thorough and detailed treatment of the subject, beginning with the classification of particles, the Klein–Gordon equation and the Dirac equation. It then moves on to the canonical quantization procedure of the Klein–Gordon, Dirac and electromagnetic fields. Classical Yang–Mills theory, the LSZ formalism, perturbation theory, elementary processes in QED are introduced, and regularization, renormalization and radiative corrections are explored. With exercises scattered through the text and problems at the end of most chapters, the book is ideal for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in theoretical physics.
This introduction to quantum mechanics is intended for undergraduate students of physics, chemistry, and engineering with some previous exposure to quantum ideas. Following in Heisenberg’s and Dirac’s footsteps, this book is centered on the concept of the quantum state as an embodiment of all experimentally available information about a system, and its representation as a vector in an abstract Hilbert space. This conceptual framework and formalism are introduced immediately, and developed throughout the first four chapters, while the standard Schrödinger equation does not appear until Chapter 5. The book grew out of lecture notes developed by the author over fifteen years of teaching at the undergraduate level. In response to numerous requests by students, material is presented with an unprecedented level of detail in both derivation of technical results and discussion of their physical significance. The book is written for students to enjoy reading it, rather than to use only as a source of formulas and examples. The colloquial and personal writing style makes it easier for readers to connect with the material. Additionally, readers will find short, relatable snippets about the “founding fathers” of quantum theory, their difficult historical circumstances, personal failings and triumphs, and often tragic fate. This textbook, complete with extensive original end-of-chapter exercises, is recommended for use in one- or two-semester courses for upper level undergraduate and beginning graduate students in physics, chemistry, or engineering.
