Quantum Mechanics

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The study of the behavior of matter and energy at the atomic and subatomic level.

Wave-particle duality: The fundamental concept that a particle can have both wave and particle-like behavior.
Uncertainty principle: The principle that you cannot measure both the position and momentum of a particle with absolute precision.
Schrödinger equation: The equation that describes the evolution of a quantum mechanical system over time.
Superposition principle: The principle that two or more quantum states can be added together to form a new state.
Entanglement: The phenomenon where two or more particles can be correlated in such a way that the state of one particle affects the state of the other particle, even when distant from each other.
Quantum field theory: The theoretical framework for describing the behavior of particles and fields in quantum mechanics.
Quantum computing: The field of computer science that uses quantum mechanical phenomena to perform computations.
Quantum teleportation: A process where the quantum state of one particle is transferred to another particle without physically sending the particle itself.
Quantum mechanics of atoms and molecules: The branch of quantum mechanics that deals with the behavior of atoms and molecules.
Quantum mechanics of solid state physics: The branch of quantum mechanics that deals with the behavior of electrons in solids and other materials.
Quantum chromodynamics: The theory of the strong nuclear force that holds quarks together in protons and neutrons.
Quantum electrodynamics: The theory of the electromagnetic force that holds atoms and molecules together.
Quantum gravity: The theory that combines quantum mechanics with the theory of general relativity to describe the behavior of gravity at a quantum mechanical level.
Quantum optics: The study of the behavior of light at a quantum mechanical level.
Particle physics: The study of the fundamental particles and forces that make up the universe.
High-energy physics: The study of the behavior of particles at very high energies, usually in particle accelerators.
Nonrelativistic quantum mechanics: It describes the behavior of particles that are not moving close to the speed of light and which do not experience strong gravitational fields.
Relativistic quantum mechanics: It is an extensive study of how quantum mechanics and special relativity interact. It is used to describe the behavior of particles traveling at very high speeds or interacting in high-energy environments.
Quantum field theory: It is a theoretical framework used to describe the behavior of fields that are subject to quantum mechanics.
Quantum electrodynamics (QED): It is a particular form of interaction between matter and electromagnetic fields that is formulated within the framework of quantum mechanics.
Quantum chromodynamics (QCD): It is a theory that describes the strong nuclear force that holds particles together in atomic nuclei.
Quantum gravity: This type of Quantum Mechanics studies the interactions of elementary particles with curved spacetime described by general relativity.
String theory and M-theory: Some theoretical physicists work on string theory and M-theory: Theoretical frameworks that involve a unification of general relativity and quantum mechanics.
Quantum information theory: It is concerned with the use of quantum mechanics to describe and manipulate information.
Topological quantum field theory: It is a mathematical framework used to study quantum mechanics in high dimensions.
Conformal field theory: It is a mathematical framework used to study the symmetries of quantum systems.
- "Quantum mechanics is a fundamental theory in physics that provides a description of the physical properties of nature at the scale of atoms and subatomic particles."
- "It is the foundation of all quantum physics including quantum chemistry, quantum field theory, quantum technology, and quantum information science."
- "Quantum mechanics differs from classical physics in that energy, momentum, angular momentum, and other quantities of a bound system are restricted to discrete values (quantization); objects have characteristics of both particles and waves (wave-particle duality); and there are limits to how accurately the value of a physical quantity can be predicted prior to its measurement, given a complete set of initial conditions (the uncertainty principle)."
- "Quantum mechanics arose gradually from theories to explain observations that could not be reconciled with classical physics, such as Max Planck's solution in 1900 to the black-body radiation problem, and the correspondence between energy and frequency in Albert Einstein's 1905 paper, which explained the photoelectric effect."
- "These early attempts to understand microscopic phenomena, now known as the 'old quantum theory,' led to the full development of quantum mechanics in the mid-1920s by Niels Bohr, Erwin Schrödinger, Werner Heisenberg, Max Born, Paul Dirac, and others."
- "In one of them, a mathematical entity called the wave function provides information, in the form of probability amplitudes, about what measurements of a particle's energy, momentum, and other physical properties may yield."
- "Objects have characteristics of both particles and waves (wave-particle duality)."
- "Most theories in classical physics can be derived from quantum mechanics as an approximation valid at large (macroscopic) scale."
- "Max Planck's solution in 1900 to the black-body radiation problem."
- "Albert Einstein's 1905 paper, which explained the photoelectric effect."
- "There are limits to how accurately the value of a physical quantity can be predicted prior to its measurement, given a complete set of initial conditions (the uncertainty principle)."
- "Quantum mechanics is the foundation of all quantum physics."
- "Energy, momentum, angular momentum, and other quantities of a bound system are restricted to discrete values (quantization)."
- "These early attempts to understand microscopic phenomena, now known as the 'old quantum theory.'"
- "Classical physics describes many aspects of nature at an ordinary (macroscopic) scale."
- "The modern theory is formulated in various specially developed mathematical formalisms."
- "Quantum mechanics provides a description of the physical properties of nature at the scale of atoms and subatomic particles."
- "Quantum mechanics is the foundation of all quantum physics including quantum chemistry, quantum field theory, quantum technology, and quantum information science."
- "The wave function provides information, in the form of probability amplitudes, about what measurements of a particle's energy, momentum, and other physical properties may yield."
- "The old quantum theory led to the full development of quantum mechanics in the mid-1920s by Niels Bohr, Erwin Schrödinger, Werner Heisenberg, Max Born, Paul Dirac, and others."