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Unit Code: PHY806

Unit Name: Quantum Mechanics

Description: Quantum physics is the foundation for the modern technology provides the framework for understanding light and matter from the subatomic to macroscopic domains and makes possible the most precise measurements ever made. More than justa theory, it offers a way of looking at the world that grows richer with experience and practice. Our course will provide some of that practice and teach you \"tricks of the trade\" that will enable you to solve quantum-mechanical problems yourself and understand the subject at a deeper level. The basic principles of quantum physics are actually quite simple but they lead to astonishing outcomes. Two examples that we will look at from various perspectives are the prediction of the laser by Albert Einstein in 1917 and the prediction of antimatter by Paul Dirac in 1928. Both of these predictions came from very simple arguments in quantum theory, and led to results that transformed science and society. Another familiar phenomenon, magnetism, had been known since antiquity, but only with the advent of quantum physicswas it understood how magnets worked, to a degree that made possible the discovery in the 1980\'s of ultrastrong rare-earth magnets. However, lasers, antimatter and magnets are areas of vibrant research and they are all encountered in the new field of ultracold atomic physics that will provide much of the material of \"Exploring Quantum Physics\".

Learning Target Outcomes:

Prerequisite: N/A

Prerequisite Sentence: None

Credit Point: 20

Offered In: Semester 1