High School Practical applications of quantum mechanics

Click For Summary
Quantum mechanics is fundamental to the functionality of all modern electronic devices, including diodes, transistors, and integrated circuits. These solid-state devices rely on the interaction of electrons and quasi-particles known as holes, which cannot be accurately understood without quantum mechanics. Misconceptions abound in popular literature and beginner textbooks about quantum mechanics and quantum field theory, leading to widespread misunderstandings even among educators. The complexity of quantum field theory further complicates accurate comprehension, highlighting the need for a deeper understanding of these concepts. Overall, quantum mechanics plays a crucial role in optimizing technology and improving human existence.
Jazzy Smaff
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
What are some of the practical applications of quantum mechanics that are being utilized to optimize our existence as a species?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Diodes.
 
  • Like
Likes bhobba
Jilang said:
Diodes.

All solid-state devices, diodes, transistors, integrated circuits, computers - just about anything electronic in modern times requires QM to work. Our modern world would not exist without it.

Solid state devices work by an interaction of electrons and so called holes. Holes at the intuitive level can be thought of as the absence of electrons, and you will find many textbooks explaining how such work using that idea. It's wrong - that holes exist and act like particles (called quasi particles) requires QM.

You will find many things in popularization's and beginner textbooks, especially in things related to QM are wrong, and becomes much much worse when you move onto so called Quantum Field theory. Its so bad in QFT we have professors on this site that teach this stuff that people don't believe when they are told its wrong - it really is that bad. They believe the popularization's - its quite maddening really so its wise to be aware of it early on.

Thanks
Bill
 
Last edited:

Thread 'Two equivalent statements of time reversal symmetric Hamiltonian'

Time reversal invariant Hamiltonians must satisfy ##[H,\Theta]=0## where ##\Theta## is time reversal operator. However, in some texts (for example see Many-body Quantum Theory in Condensed Matter Physics an introduction, HENRIK BRUUS and KARSTEN FLENSBERG, Corrected version: 14 January 2016, section 7.1.4) the time reversal invariant condition is introduced as ##H=H^*##. How these two conditions are identical?
View full post »

Similar threads

Undergrad Lagrangian Mechanics, Continuous Particle Paths and QFT
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
Undergrad When do classical mechanics and electromagnetics stop working?
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
Graduate Multiparticle Relativistic Quantum Mechanics in an external potential
  • · Replies 22 ·
Replies
22
Views
3K
Undergrad Energy and momentum in quantum mechanics
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
1K
Undergrad Why do ##t## and ##-i\hbar\partial_t## not satisfy the definition of a linear map/operator in Hilbert space?
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
Insights Quantum Computing for Beginners
  • · Replies 19 ·
Replies
19
Views
5K
Undergrad States and observables in quantum mechanics
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
1K
Undergrad More information on the momentum eigenstate in the position basis
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
1K
Undergrad How to understand quantum computers?
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
2K
Graduate Multi-scale Decoherence and the Quantum-to-Classical Transition
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K