Physics 256: Lecture

The Wavefunction

 The Wavefunction
 Observables
 The state vector
 Explaining two-slit experiment
 Interference terms

Physics 201: Lecture 1, Pg 1

 The Wavefunction
z

  a  z b  z
z

xi 1
xi
xi 1 x3 
xx̂2
  a x1  b x2  ...
x̂1
State vector with infinitely many
components
Physics 201: Lecture 1, Pg 2
 The Wavefunction
 Let’s break space into N sections of length dx

  

1 0  0 
     
xi 1  0  xi  1 xi 1  0 
     
0  0  1
        

Eigenvectors
  a x1  b x2  ...  p xi 1  q xi  r xi 1  ...
Physics 201: Lecture 1, Pg 3
 The Wavefunction
 The general state vector will look like:

  
 
 i 1 
 i 
 
 i 1 
  

Physics 201: Lecture 1, Pg 4

 The Wavefunction
 Where each i is an inner product as below:

Inner product   
 
 i 1 
 i  xi    0 
1
0 

 i 
 
 i 1 
  

Eigenvector
General State vector

Physics 201: Lecture 1, Pg 5

 Clicker Question 1:
Express this vector in column vector from.

 
1

3 x1  i x2  2e i 7 x4  5 x5 
39

  
 
 i 1 
 i 
 
 i 1 
  

Physics 201: Lecture 1, Pg 6

 Clicker Question 1:
What are the units of thei?

  
 
(a) m-2  i 1 
(b) m-1
((c)) unitless
 i 
 
(d) m1  i 1 
(e) m2   

Physics 201: Lecture 1, Pg 7

 The Wavefunction
 Altogether the general state vector will look like:

  
   i  xi 
 i 1 
 i 
 
 i 1 
2
Pr( xi )   i  xi 
2

  

   1 x1  2 x2  ...  i 1 xi 1  i xi  i 1 xi 1  ...

Physics 201: Lecture 1, Pg 8

 Clicker Question 2:
Assume a particle is in the position state given
below. What is the probability of finding the
particle
ti l iin th
the x4 bin?
bi ?

 
1
 i 7
3 x1  i x2  2e x4  5 x5 
39
( )
(a) 4e2i7/39
(b) 1/2
(c) 0
(d) 2/39
(e) 4/39

What are the units of Physics

i? 201: Lecture 1, Pg 9
Wavefunction

Physics 201: Lecture 1, Pg 10

Wavefunction

Physics 201: Lecture 1, Pg 11

 Probability Density

Theep
probability
obab ty
density P(x) is
analogous to the
li
linear mass d density
it
(x).

Physics 201: Lecture 1, Pg 12

 Problem
 We broke space into N sections of length dx
 Let’s now take dx  0 (infinite many sections)
 As d  0 N grows and
A dx Pr ((xi)  0
dP
 Let’s have Pr (x) = const.
  
 
1 2
 i 1 
lim   i   const .

dx 0 dx
  i 
 
 i 1 
The wavefunction

  
i
 x  
dx
Physics 201: Lecture 1, Pg 13
 The Wavefunction
Pr  xi     xi  dx
2

P x0  x  xi     x 
2
Pr i d
dx
range

 (x
Student: In order for a wave
( ) function
 ( xi ) to get a prob, the function
must
 ( x0 ) Have units 1/meter otherwise
taking
an integral gives you a number
x0 xi x i meters.
in t
x1

Pr  x0  x  xi      x  dx
2

x0
Student: Why do we square psi?
Physics 201: Lecture 1, Pg 14
 Normalization
 If the
th detector
d t t were infinitely
i fi it l wide,
id the
th probability
b bilit th
thatt
the electron would arrive somewhere on the detector
would be 100%
100%.

 This is called the normalization condition.

Physics 201: Lecture 1, Pg 15

Clicker Question 3:

A non-normalized wave fn (x)

i plotted.
is l tt d
The probability that the particle
will be found between 4 and 6 is

A) 0
B) 2/5
C) 2/7
D) -2/5
E) None
N

Physics 201: Lecture 1, Pg 16

 Clicker Question 4:

How would you physically interpret the wave function in

the sketch?

A) This doesn’t look very physical…

B) QM doesn’t let you “interpret”

wave functions like this
C) It’s
’ a large particle
D) a small particle
E) a particle located at a definite spot (x0)

Physics 201: Lecture 1, Pg 17

 Student Questions
 There are many formulas in Q6.3 and Q6.4, do we
need to know all of them?
 F
From Q6.3:
Q6 3 The Th wave function,
f ti it says that
th t the
th
quanton can have infinite possible position
coordinates. Although g that mayy be true,, shouldn't
the quanton only have one true position? Why are
there still infinite components? What difference
does it make to use infinite components rather than
the actual component which we call psi(i)?
 The variable psi represents the wavefunction
wavefunction, but
does it also represents the state? Is there any
connection?

Physics 201: Lecture 1, Pg 18

 Discrete vs. Continuous
State Vector/Function:
Discrete: 0  ca a  cb b
 (x)
2  
Continuous:  ( x)  sin  x
a a 
Probability:
2
Discrete: ca = probability quanton will be
measured to be in state a.
ca  cb  1
2 2

| (x)|2
 (x)
2
Continuous:
 = probability density

  x  dx  1
2

 Physics 201: Lecture 1, Pg 19

 Clicker Question 5:
According to the Copenhagen interpretation a
quanton really has a position at all times, but QM
d
doesn’t’t allow
ll us tto predict
di t th
thatt position
iti with
ith
certainty at future times as we could in classical
mechanics.

(A) True
(B) False

Physics 201: Lecture 1, Pg 20

 Quantum Indeterminacy
 Even if we know all there is to know (wavefunction) we cannot
predict the result of a simple experiment to measure position
 Question: Suppose I measure the position of a particle to be at
position xi. Where was it prior to the measurement?
A Realist: It was really at xi (QM is incomplete)
A.
B. Orthodox (Copenhagen Interpretation): The particle wasn’t
anywhere. The act of measurement forced the particle to
take a stand
“take stand.”
C. Agnostic: Who cares? Why worry about it?
 Most agree with B B.
 Bell’s theorem gave us an experimental test, and results have
(pretty much!) confirmed the orthodox position (we’ll talk more
d i th
during the fifinall llecture)
t )

Physics 201: Lecture 1, Pg 21

Measurement
Measurement
 2-Slit Experiment
 A eigenfunction for a particle with momentum
p0 is:

 p  Ae
0
ip0 x / 

 Where A is a normalization constant

 This is an oscillating complex wave
yx, t   A coskx k
2


p0 2 2 h
k   
  p0 p0
Quanton’s wavelength AgreesPhysics
with201:
DeLecture
Broglie
1, Pg 24
 Clicker Question 5:
Is this wavefucntion normalizeable?

 p  Ae
0
ip0 x / 

A. Yes
B No
B.

Physics 201: Lecture 1, Pg 25

 2-Slit Experiment
 A eigenfunction for a particle with momentum
p0 is:

 p x, t   Ae
0
ip0 x /   iEt / 
e
 This is an oscillating complex wave

Ae i  kx
k t 
 A coskx  t   i Asin kx  t 

p0 2 E
k  
  
A momentum eigenfunction is a complex travelling wave
Physics 201: Lecture 1, Pg 26
 2-Slit Experiment
 Adding two waves:

 p r , t   Ar e
0
i  p0 r  Et  / 

 r1 , r2 , t   Ar1 e i  p0 r1  Et  / 
 Ar2 e i  p0 r2  Et  / 

 r1 , r2 , t   Ar e i  p0 r1  Et  / 

e i  p0 r2  Et  / 

Physics 201: Lecture 1, Pg 27
 Clicker Question 6:
What is:  e   i  p0 r1  Et  / 
e i  p0 r2  Et  / 
?
(a) 1

(b) i  p0 r1  p0 r2  / 
e
(c)  i  p0 r1  p0 r2  / 
e
(d)  i  p0 r1  p0 r2  2 Et  / 
e
( )
(e)
 i  p0 r1  p0 r2  / 
e
Physics 201: Lecture 1, Pg 28
 2-Slit Experiment
 Adding two waves:

 r1 , r2 , t   Ar e i  p0 r1  Et  / 

e i  p0 r2  Et  / 

 r1 , r2 , t   Ar  e i  p0 r1  Et  / 
e  e 
i  p0 r2  Et  /   i p0 r1  Et  / 
 ei  p0r2  Et /  
2 2

2

 Ar  e  i  p0 r1  Et /   e  i  p0 r2  Et /  
e  i p0 r1  Et  / 
 e i  p0 r2  Et /  
 r1 , r2 , t   Ar  2  e ip0  r1  r2  / 
e  ip0  r1  r2  / 

2 2

 r1 , r2 , t   Ar  2  2 cos p0 r1  r2  /  

2 2

Physics 201: Lecture 1, Pg 29

 2-Slit Experiment
 Adding two waves:

 r1 , r2 , t   Ar  2  2 cos p0 r1  r2  /  

2 2

p0 2
k  r1  r2  d sin 
 

  d sin   
 r1 , r2 , t   Ar  2  2 cos 2
2 2
 
   
Physics 201: Lecture 1, Pg 30
 Quantum Mechanics
(1) If there are multiple ways an event can occur you must add
the probability amplitudes for each of these ways

 r1 , r2 , t   Ar1 ei  p r  Et /   Ar2 ei  p r  Et / 

0 1 0 2

  d sin   
 r1 , r2 , t   Ar  2  2 cos 2
2 2
 
   
(2) If we use a proximity detector there is only one way for the
event to occur
 r1 , t   Ar1 e
i  p0 r1  Et  / 

 r1 , t   A r1 e  i  p r  Et /  Ar1 e i  p r  Et / 

2 0 1 0 1

 r1 , t   Ar1 
2 2

Physics 201: Lecture 1, Pg 31