Course Description
5.73 covers fundamental concepts of quantum mechanics: wave properties, uncertainty principles, Schrödinger equation, and operator and matrix methods. Basic applications of the following are discussed: one-dimensional potentials (harmonic oscillator), three-dimensional centrosymmetric potentials (hydrogen atom), and …
5.73 covers fundamental concepts of quantum mechanics: wave properties, uncertainty principles, Schrödinger equation, and operator and matrix methods. Basic applications of the following are discussed: one-dimensional potentials (harmonic oscillator), three-dimensional centrosymmetric potentials (hydrogen atom), and angular momentum and spin. The course also examines approximation methods: variational principle and perturbation theory.
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![Illustration of an avoided crossing.](/courses/5-73-introductory-quantum-mechanics-i-fall-2005/b5276fba9ebe0d234be2539ef9a6e3c7_5-73f05.jpg)
The Born-Oppenheimer approximation fails when two electron states almost cross, also known as an “avoided crossing.” An avoided crossing is illustrated in the above plot of adiabatic electronic energy as a function of R. (Figure by Prof. Troy Van Voorhis.)