Welcome to

Waves and Quantum Physics

Interference and diffraction
Photons and matter waves
The Bohr atom
Introduction to quantum Physics.
Introduction to solid state physics

Prof. Vo Van Hoang

Department of Physics, Faculty of Applied Science
Institute of Technology of HochiMinh City-Vietnam

Web and Grading Policy

Information on the Web

Similar course can be seen at:

http://courses.physics.illinois.edu/phys214/
Text books:
University Physics with Modern Physics by Young & Freedman (12th
edition, 2008)

Grading Policy

Your final grade for this course of Physics will be based your total
score:
final exam (50 pts),
midterm exam (20 pts),
homework (15 pts total)
seminar presentation (highest = 15 pts total)

Prof. Vo Van Hoang,

Office: 103B4, Ly Thuong Kiet Street, District 10, HCM City
Email: vvhoang2002@yahoo.com

Outlines
The physical phenomena will be introduced to you are of great practical
interest
Wave phenomena
Interference:
what happens when you add waves?
e.g.,
light + light = interference ??
Interference!

Application of the phenomenon: Interferometers

Precise distance and rotation measurements
Noninvasive microscopy

Diffraction:
Optical Spectroscopy - diffraction gratings
Optical Resolution - diffraction-limited performance of lenses,

Quantum Physics
All particles act like waves only certain energies allowed in
atoms (explains emission spectra of elemental gases (hydrogen,
neon, etc.), molecules, and even solids and biological systems.

Outlines
The wave-nature of electrons, neutrons, etc., can
be exploited in novel probes of materials, biological
systems, etc. (e.g., electron and neutron scattering).
Quantum tunneling: In the quantum world, a particle of energy E

can tunnel through a potential barrier of energy PE > E.

Application of quantum tunneling: Scientists and engineers exploit
this phenomena with a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) to view
atoms, individual biomolecules, nanometer-scale devices, etc.
man made atoms: Behavior of quantum wires, quantum dots,
etc., that are fabricated and studied by scientists and engineers.

Introduction to solid state Physics:

Nature of chemical bonds, structure of molecules

and solids, etc.
Band structure of solids: metals, semiconductors
and dielectrics.

Lecture 1: Wave Properties

Wavelength: The distance between identical points on the wave.

Amplitude: The maximum displacement A of a point on the wave.

For a fixed time t :

Wavelength

Amplitude A
x

Wave Properties: continue

Period: The time T for a point on the wave to undergo

one complete oscillation.

For a fixed position x :

Period T

Amplitude A

Speed: The wave moves one wavelength in one period T

so its speed is v = / T.
v

Frequency: f = 1/T = cycles/second.

Angular frequency: = 2 f = radians/second

v f

Example
Displacement in mm

displacement vs. time at x = 0.4 m

0.8
0.4
0

-0.4
-0.8

.02 .04 .06 .08 .1 .12 .14 .16

time in seconds

What is the amplitude, A, of this wave?

What is the period, T, of this wave?
And frequency f?
If this wave moves with a velocity v = 50 m/s,
what is the wavelength, , of the wave?

Example-solution
Displacement in mm

displacement vs. time at x = 0.4 m

0.8

0.4

0
-0.4
-0.8

.02 .04 .06 .08 .1 .12 .14 .16

time in seconds

What is the amplitude, A, of this wave?

What is the period, T, of this wave?

A = 0.6 mm

T = 0.1 s, f=1/T=10 Hz

If this wave moves with a velocity v = 50 m/s,

what is the wavelength, , of the wave?

v = f = /T
= vT = 5.0 m

Exercise 1: Wave Motion

The speed of sound in air is a bit over 300 m/s, and the speed
of light in air is about 300,000,000 m/s.
Suppose we make a sound wave and a light wave that both
have a wavelength of 3 meters.
1. What is the ratio of the frequency of the light wave to that of
the sound wave?
(a) About 1,000,000
(b) About 0.000001
(c) About 1000
2. What happens to the wavelength if the light passes under water or
other medium (not in vacuum)?
(a) Increases
(b) Decreases
(c) Stays the

Solution for exercise 1: Wave Motion

The speed of sound in air is a bit over 300 m/s, and the speed
of light in air is about 300,000,000 m/s.
Suppose we make a sound wave and a light wave that both
have a wavelength of 3 meters.
1. What is the ratio of the frequency of the light wave to that of
the sound wave?
(a) About 1,000,000
(b) About 0.000001
(c) About 1000

v
f

flight
f sound

vlight

vsound

1,000,000

1,000,000

2. What happens to the wavelength if the light passes under water?

(a) Increases
(b) Decreases
(c) Stays the same

The frequency cannot change.

Therefore, must decrease.
Question: do you hear about the frequency and
wavelength in daily experience?

The Wave Equation...

We will assume waves of the form y(x,t) = f(x vt) and cos(kx - wt)

What is the origin of these functional forms?

These are solutions to a wave equation:
Example: Sound waves = pressure waves:

d2p

1 d2p
2 2
2
dx
v dt

with v 330 m/s (air at sea level)

For electromagnetic waves, the origin is Maxwells equations, which lead to

wave equations for the electric and magnetic fields:

2 Ey
2 Ey
0 0
2
x
t2
c

2h 1 2h
2
2
x
v t2

1
3 108 m/s
0 0

= f =

y
x
z
E y E0 sin(kx t )

Bz B0 sin(kx t )

Harmonic Plane Waves

Consider a wave that is harmonic

in x and has a wavelength of .

x
If the amplitude is maximum at
2

y
x

A
cos
x
x = 0, this has the functional form:

And, if this is moving to the right with

speed v it will be described by:

y x, t A cos
x vt A cos kx t

the wave number, K, is defined as:

Can you provide an example about a harmonic wave?

Exercise 2
A harmonic wave moving in the positive x direction can
be described by the equation y(x,t) = A cos ( kx - t ).
Which of the following equations describes a harmonic
wave moving in the negative x direction?
(a) y(x,t) = A sin (kx t)
(b) y(x,t) = A cos (kx t)
(c) y(x,t) = A cos (kx t)

Exercise 2
A harmonic wave moving in the positive x direction can
be described by the equation y(x,t) = A cos ( kx - t ).
Which of the following equations describes a harmonic
wave moving in the negative x direction?
(a) y(x,t) = A sin (kx t)
(b) y(x,t) = A cos (kx t)
(c) y(x,t) = A cos (kx t)

In order to keep the argument

zero, if t increases, x must
decrease.

Summary

y
The formula y x , t A cos kx t
A
describes a harmonic plane
wave of amplitude A moving in
x
the
+x direction.
For a wave on a string, each point on the wave oscillates in
the y direction with simple harmonic motion of angular
frequency .

2
The wavelength is
k

The speed is

v
k

Sound waves or electro-magnetic (EM) waves that are created from a

point source are spherical waves, i.e., they move radially from the source
in all directions.
These waves can be represented by circular arcs:
These arcs are surfaces of constant phase (e.g., crests)

Note: In general for spherical waves the intensity

will fall off as 1/r2.

Wave Forms

So far we have considered harmonic waves, represented

v
by sines or cosines, that go on forever.

We can also have pulses or

wavepackets caused by a brief
disturbance of the medium:
And pulse trains which are
somewhere in between:

Note that nearly any waveform can be represented as a

combination of various harmonic waves, i.e., sines and
cosines. This is the topic of Fourier Analysis (and very useful
for signal processing!)

Mathematical Description of
Wavepackets
y

Suppose we have some function y = f(x):

y( x ) Ae x

y(x) Ae ( x d)

f(x - d) is just the same shape moved

a distance d to the right:
0

Let d = vt Then
f(x - vt) will describe the same
shape moving to the right with
speed v.

/ 2 2

x=d

y
v
y( x )

x = vt

/ 2 2

Amplitude and Intensity

In this part of the course we will deal primarily with sound waves and electromagnetic waves (radio
frequency, microwaves, light).
How bright is the light? How loud is the sound?

Amplitude, A
SOUND WAVE:
EM WAVE:

Intensity, I

peak differential pressure, po

peak electric field, Eo

power transmitted/area (loudness)

power transmitted/area (brightness)

Power transmitted is proportional to the square of the amplitude.

E2
I
P time-averaged power = I area (amplitude) 2
o c

We will rarely (if ever) calculate the magnitudes of p or E, and we

will generally calculate ratios of intensities, so we can simplify our
analysis and write:

I A2

Intensity

or

Amplitude

Transmitted power per

unit area (W/m2)

A= I

Superposition of Waves

Question: What happens when two waves collide?

Answer: They ADD together!

We say the waves are in a superposition

Movie (super_pulse)

Movie (super_pulse2)

Exercise 3
Pulse 2 has four times the peak intensity of pulse 1, i.e., I2 = 4 I1.
1. What is the maximum intensity, Imax?
(a) 4 I1
(b) 5 I1
(c) 9 I1

2. What is the minimum intensity, Imin?

(a) 0
(b) I1
(c) 3 I1

exercise 3
Pulse 2 has four times the peak intensity of pulse 1, i.e., I2 = 4 I1.
1. What is the maximum intensity, Imax?
(a) 4 I1
(b) 5 I1
(c) 9 I1

A2 I 2 4 I1 2 I1 2 A1
I tot Atot A1 A2 A1 2 A1 9 A12 9 I1
2

2. What is the minimum intensity, Imin?

(a) 0
(b) I1
(c) 3 I1

I tot Atot A1 A2 A1 2 A1 A12 I1

2

Adding Waves: Superposition

What happens when two waves collide?

The waveforms add (point by point)

Why?
The wave equation is linear (variables appear linearly)
For linear equations, if y1 and y2 are solutions, then
y = (Ay1 + By2) is also a solution.
Superposition -- a consequence of a linear differential equation
-- is common for many types of waves: string, sound, light, and
matter waves in quantum mechanics.

Adding Waves with Different Phases

Example: Suppose we have two waves with the same amplitude A1

and angular frequency . Then their wave numbers k are also the
same. Suppose that they differ only in phase :
y1 = A1 cos(k x - t)
and
y2 = A1 cos(k x - t + )

Spatial dependence of
2 waves at t = 0:
Resultant wave:

Trig identity:

y = y1 +y2

A1 cos cos 2A1 cos
cos

2
2

y1 y2

kx t / 2

/ 2

y 2A1 cos( / 2) cos(kx t / 2)

Amplitude
Oscillation

Interference of Waves

What happens when two waves are present at the same

point in space and time? (single )

Always add amplitudes (pressures or electric fields).

What we observe however is Intensity (absorbed power).
I = A2
For 2 equal waves, A 2A1 cos( / 2)

Example:
Stereo speakers:

Listener:

Terminology
Constructive interference:
waves are in phase ( = 0,
2, 4, ..)
Destructive interference:
waves are out of phase
( = , 3, 5, )

Of course, can take on an infinite number of

values. We wont use terms like mostly
constructive or slightly destructive.

exercise 4: Changing phase of the

Each speaker alone produces an intensity of I = 1 W/m at the listener:
Source
1

I = I1 = 1 W/m2
Drive the speakers in phase. What is the intensity I at the listener?

I =
Now shift phase of one speaker by 90o.What is the intensity I at the listener?

I =

exercise 4:
Each speaker alone produces an intensity of I = 1 W/m at the listener:
Solution
1

I = A12 = I1 = 1 W/m2
Drive the speakers in phase. What is the intensity I at the listener?

I = (2A1)2 = 4I1 = 4 W/m2

Now shift phase of one speaker by 90o.What is the intensity I at the listener?

I = 4 I1cos2(450) = 2.0 I1 = 2.0 W/m2

Home work # 1: path length-dependent phase

Each speaker alone produces intensity I 1 = 1W/m2 at the listener, and f = 900 Hz.

d=3m

Sound velocity: v = 330 m/s

r1 = 4 m

I = I1 = 1 W/m2

Drive speakers in phase. Compute the intensity I at the listener in this

case:
Hint:
r1
with
r2 - r1
Do
r2
you see why?

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

Procedure:
Compute path-length difference: =
Compute wavelength: =
Compute phase difference:
Write formula for resultant amplitude A =
Compute the resultant intensity, I = A2 =

A 1 = I1
Answer: I = ?? W/m2

Home work # 1: Young

interference

The Young interference of light is considered: wavelength of light is

of 600 nm, the distance between two slits is of 1 mm and the
distance from the slits to screen is of 1m. Determine:
The width of the light band of interference pattern, i?
The position of the 3th light band (or maximum) and the 4 th dark
band (or minimum)?
Could you propose the experiment for determination of the
wavelength of the light in general? Please, explain in details.

References

H.D. Young & R.A. Freedman, University Physics with Modern

Physics, 12th Edition, Eddison Wesley, 2008
D. Halliday, R. Resnick and K.S. Krane, Fundamentals of Physics,
Vol. 2&3, John Wiley & Sons, 1994