Mediaspace scheduled maintenance: Aug 25, 2026 07:00 - 12:00 AM. During this time, videos will be temporarily unavailable. Check status updates.

Lecture

Quantum Physics: Wave Nature and Measurement Interpretation

In course

PHYS-207(c): General physics : quanta

Le cours traite les ondes électromagnétiques (optique géométrique et optique physique) et donne une introduction à la physique quantique. ...

Description

This lecture covers the wave nature of matter, particular solutions of the Schrödinger equation, and the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. It explores the interpretation of quantum mechanics, the concept of wave packets, and the implications of the Copenhagen interpretation. The lecture delves into the Schrödinger's cat thought experiment, the properties of potential wells with infinite and finite barriers, and the energy spectrum associated with these systems. It also discusses the normalization of wave functions, probability densities, and the comparison of energy levels in different potential well scenarios.

This video is available exclusively on Mediaspace for a restricted audience. Please log in to MediaSpace to access it if you have the necessary permissions.

Watch on Mediaspace

Instructor

Alfredo Pasquarello

Alfredo Pasquarello studied physics at the Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa and at the University of Pisa, obtaining their respective degrees in 1986. He obtained a doctoral degree at the EPFL in 1991 with a thesis on Multiphoton Transitions in Solids . Then, he moved to Bell Laboratories at Murray Hill (New Jersey), where he carried out postdoctoral research on the magnetic properties of carbon fullerenes. In 1993, he joined the Institute for Numerical Research in the Physics of Materials (IRRMA), where his activity involved first-principles simulation methods. In 1998, he was awarded the EPFL Latsis Prize for his research work on disordered silica materials. Succeeding in grant programs of the Swiss National Science Foundation, he then set up his own research group at IRRMA. In July 2003, he is appointed Professor in Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics at EPFL. Currently, he leads the Chair of Atomic Scale Simulation.

Official source

Ontological neighbourhood

Physics

Quantum mechanics: Interpretations of quantum mechanics

Related concepts (32)

Quantum mechanics

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. Classical physics, the collection of theories that existed before the advent of quantum mechanics, describes many aspects of nature at an ordinary (macroscopic) scale, but is not sufficient for describing them at small (atomic and subatomic) scales.

Copenhagen interpretation

The Copenhagen interpretation is a collection of views about the meaning of quantum mechanics, stemming from the work of Niels Bohr, Werner Heisenberg, Max Born, and others. The term "Copenhagen interpretation" was apparently coined by Heisenberg during the 1950s to refer to ideas developed in the 1925–1927 period, glossing over his disagreements with Bohr. Consequently, there is no definitive historical statement of what the interpretation entails.

Many-worlds interpretation

The many-worlds interpretation (MWI) is an interpretation of quantum mechanics that asserts that the universal wavefunction is objectively real, and that there is no wave function collapse. This implies that all possible outcomes of quantum measurements are physically realized in some "world" or universe. In contrast to some other interpretations, such as the Copenhagen interpretation, the evolution of reality as a whole in MWI is rigidly deterministic and local.

Schrödinger equation

The Schrödinger equation is a linear partial differential equation that governs the wave function of a quantum-mechanical system. Its discovery was a significant landmark in the development of quantum mechanics. The equation is named after Erwin Schrödinger, who postulated the equation in 1925 and published it in 1926, forming the basis for the work that resulted in his Nobel Prize in Physics in 1933. Conceptually, the Schrödinger equation is the quantum counterpart of Newton's second law in classical mechanics.

Measurement in quantum mechanics

In quantum physics, a measurement is the testing or manipulation of a physical system to yield a numerical result. A fundamental feature of quantum theory is that the predictions it makes are probabilistic. The procedure for finding a probability involves combining a quantum state, which mathematically describes a quantum system, with a mathematical representation of the measurement to be performed on that system. The formula for this calculation is known as the Born rule.

Related lectures (38)

Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle: Wave-Particle Duality

Delves into Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle and the wave-particle duality of quantum objects, including recent matter-wave interference experiments.

Quantum Physics IV: Path Integral

Covers the concept of path integral in quantum physics, focusing on phase space path integral and real space path integral.

Principles of Quantum Mechanics

Explores the principles of quantum mechanics, including discrete light properties and wave-particle dualism.

Advanced General Chemistry I

Explores the quantization of energy levels, wave-particle duality, and uncertainty principle in advanced general chemistry.

Statistical Thermodynamics: Density of States