A. C. Sharma - A Textbook on Modern Quantum Mechanics: A Textbook on Modern Quantum Mechanics

First edition published 2022

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2022 A C Sharma

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ISBN: [978-0-367-72344-6] (hbk)

ISBN: [978-0-367-72347-7] (pbk)

ISBN: [978-1-003-15445-7] (ebk)

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Quantum mechanics not only describes the microscopic world but is also essential to explain many macroscopic quantum systems such as semiconductors, superconductivity, and superfluidity. Concepts such as the particle properties of radiation, the wave properties of matter, quantized energy and momentum, and the idea that one can no longer know exactly where a single particle like an electron is at any instant of time are the foundations of modern sciences and are indispensable when explaining most of the experimental results in physical, chemical, material, and biological sciences. Consequently, advances in modern technologies are not possible without prior knowledge of modern quantum mechanics.

I taught multiple courses on quantum mechanics during my 33-year teaching career at The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara (India) and Jiwaji University, Gwalior (India), and as subject matter expert to several other universities. The purpose of writing this book has been to design a textbook that

1. provides everything a student needs to know for succeeding at all levels of under-graduate and graduate studies,

2. meets international standards with detailed and elegant mathematical treatment and the up-to-date interpretation/presentation style, and

3. contains enough solved examples to illustrate the fundamental concepts.

Over the past decades, quantum mechanics has continually evolved, and the tools of presentation and mathematical treatment of the subject have gone through significant changes. Therefore, I felt the need to write a textbook on modern quantum mechanics that has a rejuvenated approach to the subject matter. As a teacher, I believe that testing the understanding of a topic by problem-solving is vital for learning the concepts.

The topics covered in this book are divided into 12 chapters. Several newly emerged topics from contemporary physics are incorporated either as text or as solved examples. There are over a hundred solved examples and an equal number of unsolved exercises in this book. Each chapter of this book consists of solved examples followed by unsolved exercises, with answers, to consolidate the readers understanding. Every effort has been made to make this book reader friendly.. A contemporary approach is used for presentation and discussions on field quantization and second quantization for systems of Bosons and Fermions.

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It is my pleasure to acknowledge the questions followed by intense discussions with my all students, on whom the matter of this book is well tested. I am indebted to two of my colleagues, Professor Mahesh Prakash, former head, School of Physics, Jiwaji University, Gwalior, and Professor J. P. Singh, former head, Physics Department, Faculty of Science, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara, for their critical reading of the first draft of this book and making several valuable suggestions. I would also like to acknowledge, with a sense of gratitude the valuable input and the assistance in drawing the figures from Dr. Digish K. Patel (one of my former graduate students), Assistant Professor, Ganpat University, Mehsana (Gujarat). Dr. Pushpendra Tripathi, Associate Professor, Aligarh Muslim University has also made many useful suggestions for the content of this book. With a deep sense of gratitude I thank my wife, Ragini Sharma, for her constant encouragement and wholehearted support throughout my professional career, especially when I was writing this book. Finally, I acknowledge with pleasure the encouragement and support received from our sons Sanshit and Mayank and our daughter-in-law Vrishti.

Dr. A C Sharma is a retired Professor of Physics from the Faculty of Science, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara (Gujarat) India. He has been head of the physics department, dean of the faculty of science for two terms, chairman of the board of studies in physics, chairman of the faculty board for two terms, and coordinator of many research programs awarded to physics department and to science faculty from the Department of Science and Technology, and from the University Grants Commission, New Delhi. He has distinguished educational records, obtained his Ph.D. from Roorkee University (now IIT Roorkee) and did his post-doctoral work at Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge (U. K.). Professor Sharma has served as scientists pool officer at IIT Delhi, lecturer at Jiwaji University Gwalior, and then reader and professor at Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. He has also been a visiting scientist to Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden and Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He has 33 years experience of teaching undergraduate, post-graduate, and graduate students and 40 years research experience in different areas of theoretical condensed matter physics. Semiconductors, surfaces and interfaces, superconductivity and nanostructures have been the areas of his research interest. Many-particle theory and numerical computations have been his expertized techniques to perform the research work. He has published 125 research papers. Some of his research papers are published in journals like Physical Review, Journal of Condensed Matter Physics, and Journal of Applied Physics and Solid State Communications. Professor Sharma has successfully completed 8 major research projects, delivered 41 invited talks at national and international conferences, organized 6 conferences, and supervised 12 students for their Ph.D. degrees. He has been awarded several scholarships, visiting fellowships and medals. Professor Sharma is a member of the Indian Physics Association, and a Fellow of Gujarat Science Academy. He has worked as a subject expert to evaluate the graduate thesis and research proposals for several universities/institutions and referee to several search journals.