Physics
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Boundless Physics
Introduction to Quantum Physics
History and Quantum Mechanical Quantities
Physics Textbooks Boundless Physics Introduction to Quantum Physics History and Quantum Mechanical Quantities
Physics Textbooks Boundless Physics Introduction to Quantum Physics
Physics Textbooks Boundless Physics
Physics Textbooks
Physics
Concept Version 7
Created by Boundless

Implications of Quantum Mechanics

Quantum mechanics has had enormous success in explaining microscopic systems and has become a foundation of modern science and technology.

Learning Objective

  • Explain importance of quantum mechanics for technology and other branches of science


Key Points

    • A great number of modern technological inventions are based on quantum mechanics, including the laser, the transistor, the electron microscope, and magnetic resonance imaging.
    • Quantum mechanics is also critically important for understanding how individual atoms combine covalently to form molecules. The application of quantum mechanics to chemistry is known as quantum chemistry.
    • Researchers are currently seeking robust methods of directly manipulating quantum states for applications in computer and information science.

Terms

  • cryptography

    the practice and study of techniques for secure communication in the presence of third parties

  • relativistic quantum mechanics

    a theoretical framework for constructing quantum mechanical models of fields and many-body systems

  • string theory

    an active research framework in particle physics that attempts to reconcile quantum mechanics and general relativity


Full Text

The field of quantum mechanics has been enormously successful in explaining many of the features of our world. The behavior of the subatomic particles (electrons, protons, neutrons, photons, and others) that make up all forms of matter can often be satisfactorily described only using quantum mechanics. Quantum mechanics has also strongly influenced string theory.

Quantum mechanics is also critically important for understanding how individual atoms combine covalently to form molecules. The application of quantum mechanics to chemistry is known as quantum chemistry. Relativistic quantum mechanics can, in principle, mathematically describe most of chemistry. Quantum mechanics can also provide quantitative insight into ionic and covalent bonding processes by explicitly showing which molecules are energetically favorable to which other molecules and the magnitudes of the energies involved. Furthermore, most of the calculations performed in modern computational chemistry rely on quantum mechanics.

A great number of modern technological inventions operate on a scale where quantum effects are significant. Examples include the laser , the transistor (and thus the microchip), the electron microscope, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The study of semiconductors led to the invention of the diode and the transistor, which are indispensable parts of modern electronic systems and devices.

Laser

Red (635-nm), green (532-nm), and blue-violet (445-nm) lasers

Researchers are currently seeking robust methods of directly manipulating quantum states. Efforts are being made to more fully develop quantum cryptography, which will theoretically allow guaranteed secure transmission of information. A more distant goal is the development of quantum computers, which are expected to perform certain computational tasks exponentially faster than classical computers. Another topic of active research is quantum teleportation, which deals with techniques to transmit quantum information over arbitrary distances.

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