Contemporary Quantum Mechanics in Practice
Problems and Solutions

This book introduces problems in quantum mechanics from topics of contemporary research interest to complement traditional textbooks.

Lilia M. Woods (Author), Pablo Rodríguez López (Author)

9781009355407, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 13 June 2024

210 pages
26.1 x 18.5 x 1.7 cm, 0.58 kg

'There are many textbooks on quantum mechanics, but this book does not add another. Rather, it provides worked problems as opportunities to apply the concepts covered in lectures and textbooks. These problems address advanced and modern topics such as geometrical phases, the density operator, indistinguishable particles, and relativistic quantum mechanics. In my experience, it is crucial for students to not only understand the concepts, in the sense of having followed the arguments presented in the lecture or textbook, but also to develop an intuition for what the formalism actually means. This intuition is also essential for the ability to go beyond it, i.e., to make progress. Intuition comes from applying formalism to actual problems, and this book by Woods and Lopez provides plenty to opportunities to do that.' Carsten Timm, TU Dresden

This helpful and pedagogical book offers problems and solutions in quantum mechanics from areas of current research, rarely addressed in introductory courses or textbooks. It is based on the authors' own experience of teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in quantum mechanics, and adapts problems from contemporary research publications to be accessible to students. Each section introduces key quantum mechanical concepts, which are followed by exercises that grow progressively more challenging throughout the chapter. The step-by-step solutions provide detailed mathematical derivations, and explore their application to wider research topics. This is an indispensable resource for undergraduate and graduate students alike, expanding the range of topics usually covered in the classroom, as well as for instructors and early-career researchers in quantum mechanics, quantum computation and communication, and quantum information.

1. Introduction
2. Operators, Transformations, and Symmetry
3. Geometrical Phases
4. Density Operator
5. Identical Particles and Elements of Second Quantization
6. Relativistic Effects in Quantum Mechanics: the Dirac Equation
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Quantum physics [quantum mechanics & quantum field theory PHQ]