27.09.2014 Views

PDF (double-sided) - Physics Department, UCSB - University of ...

PDF (double-sided) - Physics Department, UCSB - University of ...

PDF (double-sided) - Physics Department, UCSB - University of ...

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

Chapter 3<br />

Understanding Qubits<br />

Numerically<br />

3.1 Solving the Schrödinger Equation<br />

The evolution <strong>of</strong> any quantum system is described by the Schrödinger equation<br />

[Schrödinger, 1926], named after Erwin Schrödinger who discovered it in 1926:<br />

i ∂ t ψ (r, t) = Ĥ ψ (r, t) (3.1)<br />

Here, ψ (r, t) is the state <strong>of</strong> the system expressed by its “wave-function” as a<br />

function <strong>of</strong> position r and time t. The wave-function is also called the “probability<br />

amplitude” as its square gives the probability <strong>of</strong> finding the system at position r<br />

37

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!