Physics 651: Quantum Mechanics

Syllabus - Fall 2024

CRN: 74497, F01

Lecture: MWF 11:45-12:45, REIC 207

Instructor: Ataur R. Chowdhury

Office: REIC 118

Office Hours: MTW 10:30-11:30 am, and any other time I am in my office.

Contact: Phone (907) 474-6109

Fax (907) 474-6130
Email [email protected]

Prerequisites: Graduate standing or permission of instructor.

Text: Principles of Quantum Physics, R. Shankar, Second Edition, Plenum

Publishers. (ISBN 0-306-44790-8).

Useful Resources: Undergraduate texts:

1) R. F. Feynman, et al. (The Feynman Lectures on Physics, Vol. 3);
2) S. Gasiorowics (Quantum Physics);
3) L. I. Schiff (Quantum Mechanics);
Graduate texts:
1) R. L. Liboff (Introduction to Quantum Mechanics);
2) A. Messiah (Quantum Mechanics);
3) E. Merzbacher (Quantum Mechanics);
4) J. J. Sakurai (Quantum Mechanics); and
5) G. Baym (Lectures on Quantum Mechanics).

Description: Wave-particle duality; wave packets and uncertainty relations; Schroedinger

equation and probability interpretation; eigenfunctions and eigenvalues; problem
involving one dimensional potentials (steps.\, barriers, harmonic oscillator,
tunneling, and periodic lattice); general structure of wave mechanics; operator
methods; Schroedinger equations in two dimensions; Schroedinger equations in
three dimensions; spherically symmetric potentials; operator matrics, and spin;
addition of angular momentua; and (time independent perturbation theory).

Schedule: Materials covered in this course will be based on chapters 1-12 of Shankar.
Additional material will be provided in class as needed.

Course Objective:
1. To acquire a basic understanding of advanced concepts and formulation of
quantum mechanics.

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Syllabus - Fall 2024

CRN: 74497, F01

2. To learn advanced mathematical methods that are useful trough-out physics.

3. To develop and sharpen high-level problem solving skills.

4. To be able to apply the knowledge learned in this course to real-world problems in

quantum mechanics and related fields.

Student Learning Outcomes:

1. Understand the basic postulates of quantum mechanics.

2. Apply quantum formalism to solving physical problems.
3. Learn the art of Schroedinger equation, and its application to simple systems.
4. Apply Schroedinger equation to solve problems involving two and three dimensions.
4. Exploit the symmetry in quantum formalism.
5. Understand the rotational symmetry and its consequences.
6. Learn angular momentum based on symmetry.

Credits: 3 credits: 3 hr. of lecture per week.

Course Requirements/ Policies:

Class Attednence/Participation:
For a better understanding of the course material, attendance and participation in classroom
activities are very important. For many of you this will be the first graduate physics course that
deals with the fundamentals of advanced concepts in quantum mechanics and many of you may
find this course a little difficult and mathematically intense. However, if you attend classes and
work out all the assignments, you will learn and possibly master the material. This is why it is
highly expected that the students will commit themselves to attend the class regularly. There
will be supplemental materials for this course and the students will be held responsible for all
the materials that will be brought in from outside the text. The students will be expected to
participate in class activities, and take part in meaningful discussion and ask questions to better
comprehend the subject material. Because of COVID-19, a regular class attendance will be
recorded.

Homework:
Homework is the single most important aspect of this course. The best possible way to learn
physics, and perhaps any science, is through doing problems. This is a graduate course and you
may find homework challenging. However, if you find your homework difficult, please come
and ask me for help. On the average, 5-8 problems will be assigned on most Fridays. The
homework will be due back at the beginning of class the following Friday. NO LATE
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CRN: 74497, F01

HOMEWORK WILL BE ACCEPTED. NO EXCEPTIONS (barring emergencies and extreme

situations). The homework will be posted on the blackboard, and your solutions need to be
submitted on the blackboard.
Group work is extremely effective in achieving a greater understanding of the subject material,
and it is highly encouraged for solving problems. For additional help with the homework the
students are most welcome to consult the instructor during the office hour or any other time by
prior appointment. Any homework you submit should reflect you own best effort. Copying of
homework from your friend or any online sources is absolutely not acceptable and will
result in a grade of zero for the assignment.

Examinations:
There will be a midterm examination (October , Friday 1:00-2:00) and a final comprehensive
examination (December 9, Wednesday, 11:15 am-2:15) for this course. Examinations will
consist of, in most part, problems similar to those in the homework and those worked out in
class. Midterm will cover the material covered in class and homework up to the date of test,
and the final will be comprehensive and will include material covered during the entire
semester. All exams will be held in class and solutions have to be uploaded on the blackboard.

Paper:
For most graduate courses, it is customary that a paper is required to explore the field a little
more than it is done in classroom setting. Quantum mechanics is continuously evolving and is
being employed in many other fields outside physics. To explore its contemporary
development, you will be required to write a paper that adds something outside the scope of
this course. You can delve into some exciting development of quantum mechanics in medicine,
in biotechnology, in nanotechnology, computer computing, etc., and pick your topic. You could
also choose an advanced topic in quantum mechanics or any related field. This paper does not
have to original piece of work, but has to be part of some work that ongoing or some work that
has been published in reputable scientific journals. The paper should be limited to 5-6 pages
(not including references) pages, and the format of this paper should follow the format of any
published article in a reputable journal. The paper will graded mainly on merit of its physics
(70%), clarity of its concept (20%), and its style (10%) of presentation. An outline for this
paper is due on September 5, 2020, and the written paper is due on November 20, 2020. The
outline and paper need to be submitted on the blackboard.

University AI Policy:
UAF does not have yet a central university policy for AI to be abided by. Depending how you use this,
this could be very useful tool for learning. But please make sure you are using AI to cheat and copy
things out of online sources of any kind. The university takes cheating seriously and it reserves the
right to take lawful actions.

Grading Policy:
Homework 30%
Participation 5%
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Paper 10%
Midterm 20%
Final 35%
Total 100%

The final grading for this course will be based on a curve. For a given score, your letter grade will not
be lower than what it would be expected based on standard grading scale (90-100 = A, 80-90 = B,
etc.). Allowed grades are limited to letter grades A,B,C,D,F,I,BN, and no plus-minus grades will be
given for this course.

Incomplete Grade Policy: “The letter “I” (Incomplete) is a temporary grade used to indicate that the
student has satisfactorily completed (C or better) the majority of work in a course but for personal
reasons beyond the student’s control, such as sickness, has not been able to complete the course during
the regular semester. Negligence or indifference are not acceptable reasons for an “I” grade.”

Syllabus Addendum (Revised 8/22/2022)

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Syllabus - Fall 2024

CRN: 74497, F01

these services can contact the Student Advocacy Director by visiting the ASUAF office or emailing
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Student Academic Support:

● Speaking Center (907-474-5470, [email protected], Gruening 507)
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● For more information and resources, please see the Academic Advising Resource List
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[email protected]

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University Sponsored Off-Campus Programs and Research Activities

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For further information on your rights and resources click here.

Tentative Schedule

Lecture, Reading, Paper and Exam

Week Date Topics Reading Assignment

1 8/26-8/30 classical vs. quantum, Shankar chapter 3
wave-particle duality
______________________________________________________________________
2 9/2-9/6 wave packet and uncertainty Shankar chapter 3
relations Shankar chapter 9
Labor Day 9/7
______________________________________________________________________
3 9/7-9/11 Hermitian operator, Shankar chapter 1
vector and operators,
Dirac representation
_______________________________________________________________________
4 /14-9/18 postulates of QM, Shankar chapter 4
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Syllabus - Fall 2024

CRN: 74497, F01

measurement in QM
________________________________________________________________________
5 9/21-9/25 Schroedinger equation, Shankar chapter 5
infinite square well potential
________________________________________________________________________
6 9/28-10/2 delta potential, scattering, Shankar chapter 5
step potential, tunneling
_________________________________________________________________________
7 10/5-10/9 harmonic oscillator Shankar chapter 7
Outline for paper due Monday
________________________________________________________________________
8 10/12-10/16 classical limit: Ehrenfest theorem Shankar chapter 6
_______________________________________________________________________
9 10/19-10/23 Feynman’s path integral Shankar chapter 8
Midterm Friday 10/23
_______________________________________________________________________
10 10/26-10/30 many particle system, Shankar chapter 10
identical particles
______________________________________________________________________
11 11/2-11/6 symmetry consideration in QM, Shankar chapter 11
translational invariance
_______________________________________________________________________
12 11/9-11/13 time translation, parity, Shankar chapter 11
time reversal symmetry
__________________________________________________________________________
13 11/16-11/20 rotational invariance and angular Shankar chapter 12
momentum
Paper due this Friday
____________________________________________________________________________
14 11/23-11/27 eigenvalue problems of angular Shankar chapter 12
of angular momentum
Thanksgiving Break Nov. 25-29
____________________________________________________________________________
15 11/30-12/4 angular momentum in two and Shankar chapter 12
Three dimensions
_____________________________________________________________________________

16 12/13 FINAL: 10:15-12:15 ……….All the best…

_____________________________________________________________________________