Quantum Physics: An Introduction Based on Photons (ePub)

Along with the traditional material covered in a quantum mechanics course (states, operators, the Schrödinger equation, the hydrogen atom), the book offers an in-depth discussion of concepts such as Hilbert space, quantum measurement, entanglement, and decoherence. These concepts are critical to understanding quantum physics and its relationship to the macroscopic world, but are rarely covered in entry-level textbooks. The book uses a mathematically simple physical system-photon polarization-as a visualization tool, allowing the student to see the intricate beauty of the quantum world from the very first pages. The formal concepts of quantum physics are illustrated with examples from modern experimental research such as quantum computers, communications, teleportation and non-locality. The material of the book was successfully used as the main textbook in a two-semester course on quantum mechanics for physics students. However, the potential circle of readers is much wider and covers both undergraduate and graduate students studying the exact sciences, and all those interested in quantum physics and quantum technologies. The mathematical apparatus required to understand the book does not go beyond the course of a technical university or mathematical school. The author, a professor at Oxford University, a world-famous experimenter in the field of quantum optics and quantum informatics, uses Socratic pedagogy: the student is invited to independently develop the apparatus of quantum physics by sequentially solving carefully formulated problems. Detailed solutions are presented in the second part of the manual.