Quantum mechanics (along with General Relativity) is one of the two foundational theories on which modern physics rests. PHYS2013 introduces the basic theoretical concepts and formalism, including the wave mechanics developed by Schroedinger and others and some aspects of the matrix formalism first developed by Heisenberg.

The course starts with an overview of the historical evidence that led to the development of a quantum theory of matter and light. This is followed by an introduction to the key elements of quantum mechanics, including the statistical interpretation of wave functions, the role of operators and their connection with observables, and uncertainty. These concepts are initially introduced and reinforced through relatively simple problems with analytic solutions, but computational solutions are also examined where appropriate.

PHYS2013 provides the foundations for further studies of, for example, atomic and nuclear spectroscopy, elementary particle physics and solid state physics as well as more advanced quantum mechanics. It is thus a core course in that it provides the background needed for several courses offered at third year. There is a small laboratory component (shared with PHYS2020).

Honours Pathway Option

This course is offered as an advanced option. The HPO/ASE for this course is a research assignment in the rapidly evolving area of non-Hermitian physics. You will be working on a familiar quantum system of a particle in an infinite square well but with gain or loss. In addition to analytical work, you will also learn a few numerical techniques in MATLAB to solve the problems. The HPO/ASE will count toward 25% of your mark, the rest of the assessment will be weighted at 75%.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. identify and understand the kinds of experimental results which are incompatible with classical physics and which required the development of a quantum theory of matter and light;
2. interpret the wave function and apply operators to it to obtain information about a particle's physical properties such as position, momentum and energy;
3. solve the Schroedinger equation to obtain wave functions for some basic, physically important types of potential in one dimension, and estimate the shape of the wavefunction based on the shape of the potential;
4. understand the role of uncertainty in quantum physics, and use the commutation relations of operators to determine whether or not two physical properties can be simultaneously measured;
5. apply the technique of separation of variables to solve problems in more than one dimension and to understand the role of degeneracy in the occurrence of electron shell structure in atoms;
6. relate the matrix formalism to the use of basis states, and solve simple problems in that formalism;
7. design, set up and carry out experiments; analyse data recognising and accounting for uncertainties; and compare results with theoretical predictions.

Research-Led Teaching

Quantum Optics

Atomic And Molecular Physics

Degenerate Quantum Gases And Atom Optics

Recommended Resources

The course does not exactly follow one textbook, however it is closely related to the content from ‘Griffith’s: Introduction to Quantum Mechanics’ second edition. I will endeavour to state which sections of Griffith’s are relevant to which sections of the course in the preamble to each online section on EDX. Also all the video slides will be released on the EDX platform.

The classic text Quantum Mechanics by Leornard Schiff is available online freely and legally: https://archive.org/details/QuantumMechanics_500. The "PDF with text version" is probably the most useful, as it is searchable. It is dated (1968), but the fundamentals of quantum mechanics haven't changed that much. It is also available from the library. We will mostly refer to chapters 1 to 6.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• Results of in class quizzes
• Marked assignments
• Full solutions to Workshop Problems

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

Other Information

Please note, that where there are multiple assessment tasks of the same type, e.g weekly assignments a date range is used in the Assessment Summary. The first date is the approximate due date of the first task, the return date is the approximate return date for the final task. Further information is provided in the assessment section of the class summary, and details are provided on the course wattle site.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Weeks 1-12Flipped classroom-Short videos will be posted followed by a series of multiple choice question.Weekly Workshop (1 on campus and 1 online for remote students)	Flipped Classroom:Short videos will be posted followed by a series of multiple choice questions to test your understanding of the video content.Workshop: problem sheets will be set approximately every week throughout the semester. A typical workshop consists of a problem sheet that is based on concepts of the weekly videos that the whole class works through. Discussion with other students at your table, about the problems, is encouraged, however, the real strength of the workshop is the student’s access to experienced tutors/lecturer. For those students that are remote, there will be an on-line workshop (compulsory)

Tutorial Registration

This course requires you to register for edX edge. You must use the username that is your ANU ID, e.g. u1234567. This is a uniform policy for all physics courses. If you have another edX edge account you cannot use it, and must create a new one with the correct username. Incorrect usernames will be regularly deleted. This ensures that people do not have duplicate accounts that might be used for cheating. Please refer to the Wattle page for further info.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
MC Questions (online)	10 %	*	*	1,2,3,4,5,6
Assignments (offline)	20 %	*	*	1,2,3,4,5,6
Workshop Quizzes (offline)	10 %	*	*	1,2,3
Final Exam	35 %	30/05/2024	27/06/2024	1,2,3,4,5,6
Labs	25 %	*	*	7

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines , which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Guideline and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
• Code of practice for teaching and learning

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Skills website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

The course now follows the ‘flipped classroom’ model, that is, there are no lectures but instead short videos that convey the course content.

A weekly 2 hour workshop gives you access to experienced tutors available to assist with problem sheets and general course questions. There will be a workshop offered on line as well as in person. Workshop attendence is compulsory.

Examination(s)

Please refer to the ANU Exam timetable or Wattle for exam times and locations.

Please note, that where a date range is used in the Assessment Summary in relation to exams, the due date and return date for mid-semester exams indicate the approximate timeframe in which the exam will be held; the due and return date for end of semester exams indicate the approximate timeframe in which the exam will be held and the date official end of Semester results are released on ISIS. Students should consult the course wattle site and the ANU final examination timetable to confirm the date, time and venue of the exam.

Assessment Task 1

MC Questions (online)

After most lectures there will be a series of exercises (multiple choice questions). You will in general have one go at each question and they should be done independently. The combined mark from all these exercises will form 10% of the mark.

Assessment Task 2

Assignments (offline)

There will be a total of 8 assignments that you will do throughout the course. These will be released on the Wattle site and will contribute 20% to your final mark. (The top 6 results of the 8 assignments will be recorded for assessment)

Assignments will NOT be accepted after the due time/date (refer to the Wattle page for dates (you will get a mark of ZERO if you miss the upload date) - this is so I can put solutions up promptly.

Assessment Task 3

Workshop Quizzes (offline)

After each workshop there will be a short WATTLE multiple choice quiz. . These quizzes will be worth a total of 10%.

Assessment Task 4

Final Exam

There will be a 3hr final exam, similar to previous years exams. Previous exams are available from the library. The final exam will be worth 35%, and will test the entire course content. The end of semester exam is intended to assess your ability to use concepts drawn from throughout the course to solve problems similar in spirit to some of those encountered in class. It is also a means of assessing your work as an individual, and your ability to think on the spot.

The date range in the Assessment Summary indicates the start of the end of semester exam period and the date official end of semester results are released on ISIS. Please check the ANU final Examination Timetable http://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/assessments-exams/examination-timetable to confirm the date, time and location exam.

Assessment Task 5

Labs

The lab component is carried out through the second year lab program and will be worth 25%. The lab program is designed to improve your observational, experimental design, data-taking, analysis and critical thinking skills. Although some of the experiments are related to quantum mechanics, it is NOT intended to support the PHYS2013 lectures and is essentially an independent program. For more information see the Second Year Physics Lab Wattle site.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. The University’s students are an integral part of that community. The academic integrity principle commits all students to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support, academic integrity, and to uphold this commitment by behaving honestly, responsibly and ethically, and with respect and fairness, in scholarly practice.

The University expects all staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle, the Academic Integrity Rule 2021, the Policy: Student Academic Integrity and Procedure: Student Academic Integrity, and to uphold high standards of academic integrity to ensure the quality and value of our qualifications.

The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 is a legal document that the University uses to promote academic integrity, and manage breaches of the academic integrity principle. The Policy and Procedure support the Rule by outlining overarching principles, responsibilities and processes. The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 commences on 1 December 2021 and applies to courses commencing on or after that date, as well as to research conduct occurring on or after that date. Prior to this, the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 applies.

 

The University commits to assisting all students to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. All coursework students must complete the online Academic Integrity Module (Epigeum), and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students are required to complete research integrity training. The Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as understanding and upholding academic integrity.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

No submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date will be permitted. If an assessment task is not submitted by the due date, a mark of 0 will be awarded.

Referencing Requirements

The Academic Skills website has information to assist you with your writing and assessments. The website includes information about Academic Integrity including referencing requirements for different disciplines. There is also information on Plagiarism and different ways to use source material.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

Not an option.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Access and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students