Students are requested to complete their knowledge of elementary physics with a few significant concepts of quantum mechanics applied to atoms, molecules and condensed matter.

Lessons and discussions

Discussion about a few crucial topics

Elements of thermodynamics, classical mechanics and electromagnetism.

1. An outline of classical statistical mechanics and kinetic theory of ideal gases. Planck theory of black body radiation. Photoelectric and Compton effects. Main features of the X-rays spectra.
Emission and absorption of monocromatic electromagnetic radiation in atoms. Rutherford's atomic model; discrete energy levels in the Bohr's theory of atoms. Waves or particles? the diffraction of electrons.
The wave function; uncertainty principles.
The Schroedinger equation. A few simple problems in quantum mechanics. Electronic energy levels and wave functions in hydrogen. Angular momentum quantization. Hydrogen-like systems. Alkali atoms. The electron's spin; Pauli exclusion principle. Quantum systems of many identical particles: symmetric and antisymmetric wave functions. Helium atom.
Mendeleev periodic table. A summary of the quantum mechanics formal structure.

2. Molecules: the chemical bond.

3. Bose-Einstein distribution law; spontaneous and stimulated radiative transitions; the LASER effect. Specific heat due to lattice vibrations in solids: Einstein theory, Debye theory.
Fermi-Dirac distribution law; electrical conductivity; specific heat due to electrons in metals.
Electronic energy bands in crystals: Kronig-Penney model; metals and insulators. Intrinsic and doped semiconductors; semiconductor devices: diodes and transistors.
Superconductivity as a quantum phenomenon on macroscopic scale.

4. Basic properties of nuclei. Radioactivity. Nuclear reactions: fission and fusion.

Lecture notes
A.P.French, E.F.Taylor: "An introduction to Quantum Physics", Van Nostrand Reinhold (International), 1979