Developed the Schrödinger Equation, a Fundamental Equation in Quantum Mechanics.
Introduction
Erwin Schrödinger (circa 1887 – 1961) was a Nobel Prize-winning Austrian physicist who developed several fundamental results in the field of quantum theory, which formed the basis of wave mechanics.
Early Life and Education
Erwin Schrödinger was born in Vienna in 1887. He received private education at home until the age of 11, then attended the Akademisches Gymnasium, where he excelled in various subjects including physics, mathematics, and languages. He later entered the University of Vienna in 1906, earning a Ph.D. in physics in 1910. During his time at the university, he was influenced by the physicist Fritz Hasenöhrl.
Contributions
Schrödinger Wave Equation
He formulated the wave equation (stationary and time-dependent Schrödinger equation) and revealed the identity of his development of the formalism and matrix mechanics.
Schrödinger’s wave equation was created in the first half of 1926. It resulted from his dissatisfaction with the quantum condition in Bohr’s orbit theory and his belief that atomic spectra should be determined by some kind of eigenvalue problem.
Schrödinger proposed an original interpretation of the physical meaning of the wave function.
In quantum mechanics, the Schrödinger equation is a partial differential equation that describes how the quantum state of a quantum system changes with time. It describes the motion of particles in non-relativistic quantum mechanics.
Schrödinger Model (Cloud Model)
Schrödinger took the Bohr atom model a step further. Schrödinger used mathematical equations to describe the likelihood of finding an electron in a certain position.
This atomic model is known as the quantum mechanical model of the atom.
It cannot say with certainty where the electron is at any given point in time, yet it can describe where it is likely to be. Clarity through fuzziness is one way to describe the idea. The model based on this probability equation can best be described as the cloud model.
The cloud model represents a sort of history of where the electron has probably been and where it is likely to be going.
Imagine a dot in the middle representing the nucleus, while the dots around the outside represent instances of the electron. As the electron moves, it leaves a trace of where it was. This collection of traces quickly begins to resemble a cloud. The probable locations of the electron predicted by Schrödinger’s equation coincide with the locations specified in Bohr’s model.
Perturbation Theory
Perturbation theory comprises mathematical methods for finding an approximate solution to a problem by starting from the exact solution of a related, simpler problem. A critical feature of the technique is a middle step that breaks the problem into “solvable” and “perturbation” parts.
Perturbation theory is applicable if the problem at hand cannot be solved exactly but can be formulated by adding a “small” term to the mathematical description of the exactly solvable problem.
In quantum mechanics, an atom or a molecule can be thought of as a collection of point charges (electrons and nuclei), so that the second definition of the dipole applies.
The interaction of an atom or molecule with a uniform external field is described by the operator. This operator is used as a perturbation in first- and second-order perturbation theory to account for the first- and second-order Stark effect.
In the late 20th century, broad dissatisfaction with perturbation theory in the quantum physics community, including not only the difficulty of going beyond second order in the expansion but also questions about whether the perturbative expansion is even convergent, led to a strong interest in non-perturbative analysis, that is, the study of exactly solvable models.
Quote
“Once a problem is removed by feeble excuse, there is no need to ponder over it.”
Awards
- Haitinger Prize (1920)
- Matteucci Medal (1927)
- Nobel Prize in Physics (1933)
- Max Planck Medal (1937)
- ForMemRS (1949)
- Erwin Schrödinger Prize (1956)