Physics 385: Quantum Mechanics I

This course begins with the quantum description of some two-dimensional systems (photon polarization and spin-1/2 particles) using the formalism of matrix mechanics. The course then moves on to cover two-particle systems, time evolution, and continuous systems (e.g., the harmonic oscillator). Lectures, discussion, problems. In years when the Quantum Mechanics laboratory is offered as a corequisite with the course experiments will include single photon interference, and tests of local realism (e.g., Bell inequalities). The course will be 3-credits with no lab, and 4-credits with the lab.