Erwin_Schrodinger

1.

Erwin Schrödinger
The Scientist Who Changed
Quantum Physics
1887–1961 • Physicist • Nobel Prize 1933
Artemii Nevredimov

2.

Glossary
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QUANTUM MECHANICS
ELECTRON
Physics of very small particles
Negatively charged particle
WAVE FUNCTION
PROBABILITY
Mathematical description of a quantum state
Likelihood of an event
SUPERPOSITION
QUANTUM
Combination of possible states
Discrete amount of a physical quantity

3.

Childhood & Scientific Career
1887
Born in Vienna, Austria
1910
PhD — University of Vienna
1914–18
World War I
1921
University of Zurich
1926
Schrödinger equation
1933
Nobel Prize in Physics
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4.

Quantum Physics & Schrödinger's Idea
THE PROBLEM
SCHRÖDINGER'S APPROACH
Describe the quantum state
with a wave function Ψ.
Particles can behave
like waves.
A new mathematical description was needed.
1926 — Schrödinger equation
iℏ ∂Ψ/∂t = ĤΨ
Ψ = wave function
Ĥ = Hamiltonian
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5.

Schrödinger Equation: Main Forms
TIME-DEPENDENT FORM
iℏ ∂Ψ/∂t = ĤΨ
TIME-INDEPENDENT FORM
−(ℏ²/2m)∇²Ψ + VΨ = EΨ
Ψ — wave function | E — energy | V — potential energy | ℏ = h/2π
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6.

Wave Function & Schrödinger's Cat
WAVE FUNCTION
Ψ(x,t)
P(x,t) = |Ψ(x,t)|²
Probability density
1935 — thought experiment
Superposition: |alive⟩ + |dead⟩
A thought experiment — not a real experiment
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7.

Nobel Prize & Legacy
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1933 — NOBEL PRIZE IN PHYSICS
with Paul Dirac
• Foundation of modern quantum mechanics
• Atoms and molecules
• Electrons and energy levels
• Semiconductors
• Lasers and electronics
• Quantum computing

8.

Questions for the Audience
01
When did Schrödinger develop his famous equation?
02
What does the wave function Ψ describe?
03
Do you think Schrödinger's cat is a useful way to explain quantum mechanics to ordinary
people? Why or why not?
Thank you for listening!