Abstract
Abstract
This chapter begins its exploration of field quantization with an illustration of how a harmonic oscillator may be quantized, which motivates and preludes the subsequent discussion on canonical quantization, also known as the second quantization. Then it uses the formalism to quantize the Klein-Gordon and Schrodinger equations. Afterwards, goes on to present the quantization of the Maxwell equations, which establishes the celebrated photoelectric effect through a derivation of the Planck-Einstein relation and Compton-Debye formula. Finally, the chapter concludes with a comparison study of the thermodynamic properties of a harmonic oscillator with respect to its classical and quantum-mechanical descriptions.
Publisher
Oxford University PressOxford