An Introduction to Quantum Field Theory is a textbook intended for the graduate physics course covering relativistic quantum mechanics, quantum electrodynamics, and Feynman diagrams. The authors make these subjects accessible through carefully worked examples illustrating the technical aspects of the subject, and intuitive explanations of what is going on behind the mathematics. After presenting the basics of quantum electrodynamics, the authors discuss the theory of renormalization and its relation to statistical mechanics, and introduce the renormalization group. This discussion sets the stage for a discussion of the physical principles that underlie the fundamental interactions of elementary particle physics and their description by gauge field theories.
Presents recent advances of perturbative relativistic field theory in a pedagogical and straightforward way. For graduate students who intend to specialize in high-energy physics.
This book describes a paradigm change in modern physics from the philosophy and mathematical expression of the quantum theory to those of general relativity. The approach applies to all domains - from elementary particles to cosmology. The change is from the positivistic views in which atomism, nondeterminism and measurement are fundamental, to a holistic view in realism, wherein matter - electrons, galaxies, - are correlated modes of a single continuum, the universe. A field that unifies electromagnetism, gravity and inertia is demonstrated explicitly, with new predictions, in terms of quaternion and spinor field equations in a curved spacetime. Quantum mechanics emerges as a linear, flatspace approximation for the equations of inertia in general relativity.
Providing a systematic introduction to the techniques which are fundamental to quantum field theory, this book pays special attention to the use of these techniques in a wide variety of areas, including ordinary quantum mechanics, quantum mechanics in the second-quantized formulation, relativistic quantum field theory, Euclidean field theory, quantum statistics at finite temperature, and the classical statistics of nonideal gas and spin systems. The extended chapter on variational methods and functional Legendre transformations contains completely original material.
First Published in 2018. The emphasis of the book is calculational, and most computations are presented in step-by-step detail. The book is unique in that it develops all three representations of quantum field theory (operator, functional Schr dinger, and path integral) for point particles and strings. In many cases, identical results are worked out in each representation to emphasize the representation-independent structures of quantum field theory
How can fundamental particles exist as waves in the vacuum? How can such waves have particle properties such as inertia? What is behind the notion of “virtual” particles? Why and how do particles exert forces on one another? Not least: What are forces anyway? These are some of the central questions that have intriguing answers in Quantum Field Theory and the Standard Model of Particle Physics. Unfortunately, these theories are highly mathematical, so that most people - even many scientists - are not able to fully grasp their meaning. This book unravels these theories in a conceptual manner, using more than 180 figures and extensive explanations and will provide the nonspecialist with great insights that are not to be found in the popular science literature.
This modern text combines fundamental principles with advanced topics and recent techniques in a rigorous and self-contained treatment of quantum field theory.Beginning with a review of basic principles, starting with quantum mechanics and special relativity, students can refresh their knowledge of elementary aspects of quantum field theory and perturbative calculations in the Standard Model. Results and tools relevant to many applications are covered, including canonical quantization, path integrals, non-Abelian gauge theories, and the renormalization group. Advanced topics are explored, with detail given on effective field theories, quantum anomalies, stable extended field configurations, lattice field theory, and field theory at a finite temperature or in the strong field regime. Two chapters are dedicated to new methods for calculating scattering amplitudes (spinor-helicity, on-shell recursion, and generalized unitarity), equipping students with practical skills for research. Accessibly written, with numerous worked examples and end-of-chapter problems, this is an essential text for graduate students. The breadth of coverage makes it an equally excellent reference for researchers.
Quantum Computing is an ever-increasing field of interest both from a conceptual and applied standpoint. Quantum Computing, belonging to the so called "Quantum Information Science", is founded on the principles of Quantum Mechanics and Information Science. Quantum Mechanics has radically changed our vision and understanding of the physical reality and has had also an enormous technological and societal impact. On the other hand, the developing of Information Theory, including computer science and communications theory, made possible the information "revolution" which had a deep impact on our everyday life. Quantum Computing then relates to the possibility to represent, process and manipulate information by using the principles of quantum mechanics. Apart the theoretical importance of quantum computing to further understand the quantum mechanical behavior of physical systems and the physical foundation of information itself at the most elementary level, probably the most interesting feature of Quantum Computing is related to the possibility to design and realize an actual quantum computer which processes information in the form of quantum-bits or qubits. The great interest of scientific community in the realization of such devices mainly concerns the common believe they could be enormously faster than their classical counterparts so allowing their employment in all the applied fields where computational power is a key feature. Furthermore, the study of Quantum Computing, both at the physical and computational level, would be very important for a deeper understanding of the quantum behavior of a very wide range of physical systems including condensed matter, living systems, elementary particles, astrophysical structures and so on. Despite the general theoretical basis of quantum computing are sufficiently understood, the actual realization of a general - purpose and really usable quantum computer has posed great difficulties so far, mainly related to the issue of "quantum decoherence", the computational speed and scalability many of which still remain substantially unsolved. This volume doesn't mean to represent a complete or a beginner guide to Quantum Computing but has the aim to present some of its most interesting and fascinating developments in different frontier areas related to both theoretical and applied aspects, such, for example, the possibility to realize a quantum superfast "hypercomputing" system using water molecules as physical substrate to process, storage and retrieve information; the connection between quantum computers and quantum gravity; the development of an "instantaneous quantum computer algorithm"; the realization of a universal quantum computer, of a brain-like quantum supercomputer and many others frontiers topics. The target audience of this book is then composed by scientists and researchers interested in the most advanced theoretical and applied developments of quantum computation and quantum information.
This book provides an introduction to transport theory, the kinetic equation approach and shows the utility of Feynman diagrams in non-equilibrium quantum statistical mechanics. It is helpful for a wider audience than students of condensed matter physics and physicists in general.
"The science-fiction genre known as steampunk juxtaposes futuristic technologies with Victorian settings. This fantasy is becoming reality at the intersection of two scientific fields-twenty-first-century quantum physics and nineteenth-century thermodynamics, or the study of energy-in a discipline known as quantum steampunk"--
