Quantum Mechanics for Beginners

Description

An introduction to the fascinating subject of quantum mechanics. Almost entirely algebra-based, this book is accessible to those with only a high school background in physics and mathematics. In addition to the foundations of quantum mechanics, it also provides an introduction to the fields of quantum communication and quantum computing.

• Requires only high school mathematics, making it uniquely accessible
• Addresses rapidly developing topics like quantum communication and quantum computing in a simple but rigorous manner
• Suitable for a course on quantum mechanics at the freshman or early university level, allowing students to learn exciting modern topics at an early stage
• Also serves as a good reference for junior and senior level physics courses on quantum mechanics
• Explains conceptual foundations of quantum mechanics, topics not usually touched on in standard texts, clearly and concisely

About the Author(s)

M. Suhail Zubairy, University Distinguished Professor and Munnerlyn-Heep Chair in Quantum Optics, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Texas A&M University

Prof. Zubairy is a University Distinguished Professor and the holder of the Munnerlyn-Heep Chair in Quantum Optics at Texas A&M University. He has made many pioneering contributions in the fields of quantum optics and quantum information. He is co-author (with Marlan Scully) of a classic textbook on Quantum Optics. Prof. Zubairy has received many honors including the Willis E. Lamb Award for Laser Science and Quantum Optics, Alexander von Humboldt Research Prize for Distinguished Scientists, and the George H. W. Bush Award for Excellence in International Research. He is Fellow of Pakistan Academy of Sciences, American Physical Society, and Optical Society of America.

Table of Contents

1:What is this book about?
I Introductory Topics
2:Mathematical background
3:Particle dynamics
4:Wave theory
II Fundamentals of quantum mechanics
5:Fundamentals of quantum mechanics
6:Birth of quantum mechanics - Planck, Einstein, Bohr
7:de Broglie waves: Are electrons waves or particles?
8:Quantum interference — wave-particle duality
9:Simplest quantum devices: Polarizers and beam splitters
10:Quantum superposition and entanglement
11:No-cloning theorem
12:EPR and Bell theorem
III Quantum communication
13:Quantum secure communication
14:Quantum communication with invisible photons
IV Quantum computing
15:Quantum computing I
16:Quantum computing II
V Schrodinger equation
17:Demise of Newtonian dynamics: Schrodinger equation

Reviews

"The real attraction of Zubairy's book, which I think makes it unique, is the immensely readable introduction to the modern applications of quantum mechanics that derive from entanglement, such as quantum communication and computing, action at a distance, quantum encryption, Bell inequalities and all that. For someone, who has been used to employ quantum mechanics as the standard tool for the time-honored applications mentioned above, this is a wonderful book to update his or her understandings of these developments, which have pushed the foundations and the mystery of quantum mechanics again to the forefront of physics research. The book reminds one a lot of Feynman's approach to teaching quantum mechanics to undergraduates. It will make all these recent developments accessible to first-year students. It may persuade many a young student to personally partake in this exciting field of research." - Wilhelm Becker, Max Born Institute Berlin

"The objectives of this book are two-fold. On one hand, the foundation of quantum mechanics and the laws of quantum theory are discussed. On the other hand, novel applications of these ideas to modern and evolving fields of quantum communication and quantum computing are presented, with as little mathematics as possible. The target audience is clearly undergraduate students in physics. But anyone curious about contemporary subjects in quantum physics (cryptography, teleportation, computing) will profit from reading this book." - Christian Brosseau, Optics and Photonics News

"The illustrations and brief explanations are wonderfully easy to think about, and compact and accurate. A freshman student might not actually "learn" QM from taking a course based on this book, but he/she would be excellently prepared to go into it in a serious way at the next level, without distortions or mistaken impressions conveyed by a weaker text. The book is a true success." - Center for Coherence and Quantum Optics, University of Rochester