Lecture

Molecular Rotations and Vibrations: Quantum Physics Insights

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In course

PHYS-207(a): General physics : quanta

Ce cours est une introduction à la mécanique quantique. En partant de son développement historique, le cours traite les notions de complémentarité quantique et le principe d'incertitude, le processus de mesure, l'équation de Schrödinger, ainsi que des élém ...

Description

This lecture delves into the energy scales characterizing different types of molecular bonds, the degrees of freedom of rotation and vibration in molecules, and the quantification of angular momentum in quantum physics. It explores the absorption and emission of photons in molecular spectra, the effects of vibrations on rotations, and the impact of isotopes on spectral lines. Additionally, it discusses the challenges of solving the n-body problem in quantum physics and the use of approximate approaches in predicting properties of solids and molecules.

Instructor

Vincenzo Savona

Vincenzo Savona studied physics in Pisa at the Scuola Normale Superiore and the University of Pisa, prior to completing his PhD at the EPFL's Institute of Theoretical Physics. Subsequently he did post-doctoral work, first at the EPFL and then in the physics department of the Humboldt University of Berlin. In 2002, he returned to the EPFL to create his own research group, receiving a "professeur boursier" fellowship from the Swiss National Science Foundation. In 2006, he was appointed tenure-track assistant professor at the EPFL and joined the NCCR for Quantum Photonics. In 2010 he was appointed associate professor. Currently he directs the Laboratory of Theoretical Physics of Nanosystems.

Official source

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