Six Quantum Pieces: A First Course In Quantum Physics

This book is an original first approach to quantum physics, the core of modern physics. It combines the competence of a well-known researcher in quantum information science and the freshness in style of two high school students.Quantum physics is known to be challenging for two reasons: it describes counter-intuitive phenomena and employs rather advanced mathematics. The description of "e;traditional"e; quantum phenomena (the structure of atoms and molecules, the properties of solids, the zoology of sub-atomic particles) does indeed involve the whole formalism. However, some other striking phenomena, somehow the most "e;typically quantum"e; ones, can be described using only high school mathematical skills. This approach exploits this fact, thus making it possible for a beginner to tackle mind-boggling experiments like teleportation and the violation of Bell's inequalities, and practice notions like superposition, entanglement and decoherence.