Quantum Physics for Scientists and Technologists: Fundamental Principles and Applications for Biologists, Chemists, Computer Scientists and Nanotechnologists by Paul Sanghera
 Publisher:Wiley-Interscience.
 Release date: January 25, 2011

Download the Preface: Science, Technology, and Quantum Physics: Mind the Gap
With his diverse background in entrepreneurial startups, physics research, and other fields of science including biology, chemistry, and computer science; Dr. Sanghera presents quantum mechanics with a pragmatic orientation as opposed to being overly theoretical or abstract. Making quantum physics accessible to non-physicists, Quantum Physics for Scientists and Technologists is a self-contained, cohesive, concise, yet comprehensive presentation of quantum physics targeted at students and professionals in biology, chemistry, material science, engineering, computer science, nanotechnology, and other fields in science and technology. The fact that all these fields are currently dealing with the molecules and atoms underlines the increasing need of learning quantum mechanics even in these non-physics majors because quantum physics is the science of the micro and nano world of molecules, atoms, subatomic particles, and their behavior in living and non-living systems.  Most, if not all, books on quantum physics written for the science students use abstract mathematical formulation of quantum mechanics and leave its implications and connections to the real world often non-intuitive. That kind of abstract framework may be useful for physics students, but is not that helpful and often a learning hurdle for non-physics majors. Breaking away from that traditional abstract approach taken in most other quantum mechanics book, in this book, a comprehensive picture of quantum mechanics is logically developed step by step from scratch without the use of abstract and complex mathematical tools and formalisms such as bra-ket vectors, Hilbert space, matrix algebra, or group theory.  To develop and explain quantum mechanics principles, this book uses only basic calculus that almost all the science students learn in their college sophomore years.
This book presents comprehensive coverage of quantum theory supported by experimental results and explained through applications and examples.  Throughout the book, concepts and principles of quantum physics are explained in the language of non-physics majors by presenting examples and applications from non-physics fields including biology, chemistry, nanotechnology, and related fields.  The interfaces and connections between quantum physics and non-physics fields such as biology, chemistry, computing, and nanotechnology are revealed or introduced in an easy to understand fashion.

Furthermore, this book takes advantage of the amazing story of how quantum mechanics was developed. The concepts and principles that make the foundation of the quantum theory are developed in context of the history of the gradual development of quantum mechanics, which some of us find as amazing as quantum mechanics itself. This facilitates to introduce the key concepts and principles of quantum physics as explanations to the results of those historic experiments which could not be explained with classical physics. Also in doing so, the book illustrates for the students in an interesting way the process of scientific discoveries and advances, a bonus for a curious reader.

After introducing, in the first few chapters, the foundational concepts and principles of quantum mechanics (such as quantization, uncertainty principle, quantum mechanical tunneling, and wave-particle duality) in context of explaining the results of historical experiments, these concepts are woven together in the formalism of quantum mechanics. Afterwards, quantum theory is presented in a single wave equation called Schrӧdinger wave equation, and it is demonstrated in the subsequent chapters how the principles of quantum mechanics naturally arise when we apply this wave equation to solve physical problems. The relevance of these types of problems to non-physics fields is revealed throughout the book. 

The application of quantum physics to simple systems such as hydrogen atom and periodic table of elements is extended in a logical way to complex systems such as molecules and assemblies of molecules. This covers the topics of molecular vibrations, molecular rotations, and quantum statistics of assemblies of molecules.  Also covered are the quantum mechanical foundations of modern tools and techniques used across several fields such as atomic and molecular spectroscopy, lasers, nuclear magnetic resonance imaging, and electron microscopy. 
The material is presented in a logical learning sequence: a section builds upon previous sections and a chapter on previous chapters. There is no hopping from topic to topic and no jargon without explanation. All concepts and principles of quantum physics are explained from scratch the first time they appear and no prior knowledge of quantum physics is assumed. Other features of the book that help take the mystery out and bring quantum mechanics home for non-physics students, researchers, scientists, and technologists include the following:

1. It’s shown throughout the book while discussing different topics how quantum principles generate the same results as classical physics when we move from the micro world to the macro world. Due to its universal importance across different fields, another principle emphasized throughout the book is the natural tendency of systems to be in a state of equilibrium, that is, in a state of stability.
2. Living in the Quantum World, a section at the end of each chapter, features real world applications of one or more quantum mechanics principles discussed in the chapter.
3. Enough Study Checkpoints and problems with solutions are presented throughout the book to make difficult concepts easy to understand.
4. Pictures, illustrations, tables, notes, and cautions are used to emphasize and help understand the difficult and tricky concepts.
5. To help understand important concepts in each chapter, enough problems with solutions are presented within the chapter, and some additional problems are given at the end of the chapter.
6. To ease the reader into the chapter smoothly, each chapter begins with a chapter opening section which consists of an interesting picture with a light amusing note that is in a direct or subtle way related to the main issue in the chapter.
7. To inspire the students, the quantum mechanics related individual achievements within the communal scientific context are emphasized by presenting brief biographies throughout the book. It also contributes to keep the presentation interesting.