Quantum physics allows us to understand the nature of the physical phenomena which govern the behavior of solids, semi-conductors, lasers, atoms, nuclei, subnuclear particles and light. In Quantum Physics, Le Bellac provides a thoroughly modern approach to this fundamental theory. Throughout the book, Le Bellac teaches the fundamentals of quantum physics using an original approach which relies primarily on an algebraic treatment and on the systematic use of symmetry principles. In addition to the standard topics such as one-dimensional potentials, angular momentum and scattering theory, the reader is introduced to more recent developments at an early stage. These include a detailed account of entangled states and their applications, the optical Bloch equations, the theory of laser cooling and of magneto-optical traps, vacuum Rabi oscillations and an introduction to open quantum systems. This is a textbook for a modern course on quantum physics, written for advanced undergraduate and graduate students.

Table of Contents

1 Introduction

2 The mathematics of quantum mechanics I: finite dimension

3 Polarization: photons and spin-1/2 particles

4 Postulates of quantum physics

5 Systems with a finite number of levels

6 Entangled states

7 Mathematics of quantum mechanics II: infinite dimension

8 Symmetries in quantum physics

9 Wave mechanics

10 Angular momentum

11 The harmonic oscillator

12 Elementary scattering theory

13 Identical particles

14 Atomic physics

15 Open quantum systems

Appendix A The Wigner theorem and time reversal

Appendix B Measurement and decoherence

Appendix C The Wigner- Weisskopf method

About the Author

Michel Le Bellac is Emeritus Professor at the University of Nice and a well-known elementary particle theorist. He graduated from the École Normale Supérieure in 1962, before conducting research with CNRS. In 1967 he returned to the University of Nice and was appointed Full Professor of Physics in 1971, a position he held for over 30 years. His main fields of research have been the theory of elementary particles and field theory at finite temperatures. He has published four other books in French and three other books in English, including Thermal Field Theory (Cambridge University Press, 1996) and Equilibrium and Non-equilibrium Statistical Thermodynamics (with Fabrice Mortessagne and G. George Bartouni, Cambridge University Press, 2004).