Quantum Dynamics via Path Integrals: Which Path will the Molecule Choose?

Dani, Reshmi

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/109803 Copy

Description

Title

Quantum Dynamics via Path Integrals: Which Path will the Molecule Choose?

Author(s)

Dani, Reshmi

Issue Date

2021

Keyword(s)

• Path Integrals
• Quantum Systems

Abstract

Entering the microscopic world of atoms and molecules, we turn to quantum mechanics where things become probabilistic i.e we can only calculate probabilities of a system being at a certain point in space, the well known ‘uncertainty’. Path integrals are one formulation of quantum mechanics and my research involves studying how quantum systems evolve in time i.e the dynamics using path integrals. In this picture, I have combined two of my passions painting and quantum mechanics and we see that for a system starting at the blue to go to the orange block in time, we consider all the paths that can exist in between them. All the paths interact with the environment differently, visualised in the picture. These path integrals help us to deal with system-environment interaction rigorously and I have been using these methods to study extended systems like magnetic chains comprised of arbitrary number of molecules quantum mechanically which is otherwise impractical to do via traditional wave function based quantum mechanical methods. It is amusing how science mirrors life, where often we are faced by so many paths to choose from – the difference being that we can only choose one path while the atom chooses all.

Type of Resource

Image

Language

eng

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/109803

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2021 Reshmi Dani

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