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Quantum mechanics is a fundamental theory that describes the behavior of nature at and below the scale of atoms. [2]: 1.1 It is the foundation of all quantum physics, which includes quantum chemistry, quantum field theory, quantum technology, and quantum information science. Quantum mechanics can describe many systems that classical physics cannot.
Applications of quantum mechanics include explaining phenomena found in nature as well as developing technologies that rely upon quantum effects, like integrated circuits and lasers. [note 1] Quantum mechanics is also critically important for understanding how individual atoms are joined by covalent bonds to form molecules.
Animation showing the tunnel effect and its application to an STM. Quantum tunnelling falls under the domain of quantum mechanics.To understand the phenomenon, particles attempting to travel across a potential barrier can be compared to a ball trying to roll over a hill.
This effect can be found in many domains of physics, but can usually be reduced to insignificance by using different instruments or observation techniques. A notable example of the observer effect occurs in quantum mechanics, as demonstrated by the double-slit experiment. Physicists have found that observation of quantum phenomena by a detector ...
It is generally argued that the Aharonov–Bohm effect illustrates the physicality of electromagnetic potentials, Φ and A, in quantum mechanics.Classically it was possible to argue that only the electromagnetic fields are physical, while the electromagnetic potentials are purely mathematical constructs, that due to gauge freedom are not even unique for a given electromagnetic field.
Subsequently, it was predicted that measurements applied more slowly could also enhance decay rates, a phenomenon known as the quantum anti-Zeno effect. [16] In quantum mechanics, the interaction mentioned is called "measurement" because its result can be interpreted in terms of classical mechanics. Frequent measurement prohibits the transition.
Quantum mechanics is the study of matter and its interactions with energy on the scale of atomic and subatomic particles.By contrast, classical physics explains matter and energy only on a scale familiar to human experience, including the behavior of astronomical bodies such as the moon.
The Ramsauer–Townsend effect, also sometimes called the Ramsauer effect or the Townsend effect, is a physical phenomenon involving the scattering of low-energy electrons by atoms of a noble gas. This effect is a result of quantum mechanics .