Quantum Mechanics

This new, third volume of Cohen-Tannoudji's groundbreaking textbook covers advanced topics of quantum mechanics such as uncorrelated and correlated identical particles, the quantum theory of the electromagnetic field, absorption, emission and scattering of photons by atoms, and quantum entanglement. Written in a didactically unrivalled manner, the textbook explains the fundamental concepts in seven chapters which are elaborated in accompanying complements that provide more detailed discussions, examples and applications.

• Completing the success story: the third and final volume of the quantum mechanics textbook written by 1997 Nobel laureate Claude Cohen-Tannoudji and his colleagues Bernard Diu and Franck Laloë
• As easily comprehensible as possible: all steps of the physical background and its mathematical representation are spelled out explicitly

• Comprehensive: in addition to the fundamentals themselves, the books comes with a wealth of elaborately explained examples and applications

  Claude Cohen-Tannoudji was a researcher at the Kastler-Brossel laboratory of the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris where he also studied and received his PhD in 1962. In 1973 he became Professor of atomic and molecular physics at the Collège des France. His main research interests were optical pumping, quantum optics and atom-photon interactions. In 1997, Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, together with Steven Chu and William D. Phillips, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his research on laser cooling and trapping of neutral atoms.

  Bernard Diu was Professor at the Denis Diderot University (Paris VII). He was engaged in research at the Laboratory of Theoretical Physics and High Energy where his focus was on strong interactions physics and statistical mechanics.

  Franck Laloë was a researcher at the Kastler-Brossel laboratory of the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris. His first assignment was with the University of Paris VI before he was appointed to the CNRS, the French National Research Center. His research was focused on optical pumping, statistical mechanics of quantum gases, musical acoustics and the foundations of quantum mechanics.

  Autorentext
  Claude Cohen-Tannoudji was a researcher at the Kastler-Brossel laboratory of the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris where he also studied and received his PhD in 1962. In 1973 he became Professor of atomic and molecular physics at the Collège des France. His main research interests were optical pumping, quantum optics and atom-photon interactions. In 1997, Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, together with Steven Chu and William D. Phillips, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his research on laser cooling and trapping of neutral atoms.

  Bernard Diu was Professor at the Denis Diderot University (Paris VII). He was engaged in research at the Laboratory of Theoretical Physics and High Energy where his focus was on strong interactions physics and statistical mechanics.

  Franck Laloë was a researcher at the Kastler-Brossel laboratory of the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris. His first assignment was with the University of Paris VI before he was appointed to the CNRS, the French National Research Center. His research was focused on optical pumping, statistical mechanics of quantum gases, musical acoustics and the foundations of quantum mechanics.

  Inhalt
  CREATION AND ANNIHILATION OPERATORS FOR IDENTICAL PARTICLES
  General Formalism
  One-Particle Symmetric Operators
  Two-Particle Operators
  Complements

  FIELD OPERATOR
  Definition of the Field Operator
  Symmetric Operators
  Time Evolution of the Field Operator (Heisenberg Point of View)
  Relation to Field Quantization
  Complements

  PAIRED STATES OF IDENTICAL PARTICLES
  Creation and Annihilation Operators of a Pair of Particles
  Building Paired States
  Properties of the Kets Characterizing the Paired States
  Correlations Between Particles, Pair Wave Function
  Paired States as a Quasi-Particle Vacuum; Bogolubov-Valatin Transformations

  REVIEW OF CLASSICAL ELECTRODYNAMICS
  Classical Electrodynamics
  Describing the Transverse Field as an Ensemble of Harmonic Oscillators
  Complements

  QUANTIZATION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
  Quantization of the Radiation in the Coulomb Gauge
  Photons, Elementary Excitations of the Free Quantum eld
  Description of the Interactions
  Complements

  ABSORPTION, EMISSION AND SCATTERING OF PHOTONS BY ATOMS
  A Basic Tool: the Evolution Operator
  Photon Absorption Between Two Discrete Atomic Levels
  Stimulated and Spontaneous Emissions
  Role of Correlation Functions in One-Photon Processes
  Photon Scattering by an Atom
  Complements

  QUANTUM ENTANGLEMENT, MEASUREMENTS, BELL'S INEQUALITIES
  Introducing Entanglement, Goals of This Chapter
  Entangled States of Two Spin-1/2 Systems
  Entanglement Between More General Systems
  Ideal Measurement and Entangled States
  "Which Path" Experiment: Can One Determine the Path Followed by the Photon in Young's Double Slit
  Entanglement, Non-Locality, Bell's Theorem
  Complements

  APPENDIX: FEYNMAN PATH INTEGRAL
  Quantum Propagator of a Particle
  Interpretation in Terms of Classical Histories
  Discussion. A New Quantization Rule
  Operators

  APPENDIX: LAGRANGE MULTIPLIERS
  Function of Two Variables
  Function of N Variables

  APPENDIX: BRIEF REVIEW OF QUANTUM STATISTICAL MECHANICS
  Statistical Ensembles
  Intensive or Extensive Physical Quantities

  APPENDIX: WIGNER TRANSFORM
  Delta Function of an Operator
  Wigner Distribution of the Density Operator (Spinless Particle)
  Wigner Transform of an Operator
  Generalizations
  Discussion: Wigner Distribution and Quantum Effects