Quantum mechanics

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Branch of physics that studies the behavior of matter and energy at the smallest scales.

Wave-particle duality: The dual nature of matter as both a wave and a particle, and the mathematical representation of this phenomenon.
Schrodinger Equation: A fundamental equation in quantum mechanics that describes the evolution of a quantum system over time.
Quantum States: The different states that a quantum system can exist in, including energy levels and superposition.
Measurement and Observables: The role of measurement in quantum mechanics, and the observables that can be used to measure quantum states.
Uncertainty Principle: The principle that certain pairs of physical properties, such as position and momentum, cannot both be known to arbitrarily high precision.
Quantum Numbers and Operators: The use of quantum numbers and operators to describe the properties of quantum systems.
Entanglement: The phenomenon in which two quantum systems become so intrinsically linked that their states are dependent on each other, even at great distances.
Quantum Computing: The use of quantum systems to perform computational tasks that are difficult or impossible for classical computers.
Applications of Quantum Mechanics: The practical applications of quantum mechanics, including in fields such as medicine, electronics, and cryptography.
Solid-State Physics: The application of quantum mechanics to the study of solids, including semiconductors, superconductors, and other materials.
Electronic Properties of Solids: The behavior of electrons in solid materials, including band theory and conductivity.
Crystal Structure: The study of the structure of crystals and other solid materials, including lattice structures and defects.
Magnetic Properties of Solids: The behavior of magnetic materials in the presence of external fields, and the use of magnetic materials in devices such as computer hard drives.
Optical Properties of Solids: The study of the interaction of light with solid materials, including absorption, reflection, and refraction.
Superconductivity: The phenomenon in which certain materials exhibit zero resistance to electrical current at low temperatures, and the applications of superconductivity in technology.
Quantum statistics: The study of the collective behavior of quantum systems containing many particles.
Theory of metals: The study of the behavior of electrons in metals and their interactions with the lattice of atoms.
Theory of semiconductors: The study of the behavior of electrons in semiconductors and their interactions with external fields.
Theory of alloys: The study of the electronic structure and behavior of alloys, including those that are doped with impurities.
Theory of superconductivity: The study of materials that exhibit zero electrical resistance at low temperatures.
Theory of magnetism: The study of the interaction of magnetic fields with electrons in solids.
Theory of optical properties: The study of the interaction of light with solids and the behavior of electrons in excited states.
Theory of surface physics: The study of the electronic and optical properties of surfaces and interfaces.
Theory of phonons: The study of the quantization of lattice vibrations in solids.
Theory of quantum dots: The study of the electronic properties of small clusters of atoms or molecules.
- "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."