Inquiry-based pedagogy for quantum many-body systems: examples of entanglement, quantum correlated interference, inelastic scattering, collective recoil, and asynchronous measurement

Abstract Exploring many-body interactions in an inquiry-based environment can enhance undergraduate and graduate student understanding of quantum physics. Specific classroom examples are provided in increasing complexity of content and maturity of comprehension. The simplest example of a purely quantum system (without using a classical potential) involves the many-body treatment of two quantum objects reflecting from each other via hard-sphere scattering in one dimensional motion. This example is extended to a particle confined in an infinite square well or interacting with a finite barrier and finite well where each of the objects generating the potentials now recoils due to reflection of the particle. These simple systems introduce concepts of entanglement, quantum correlated interference, and measurements made on a subset of the bodies. Completely inelastic scattering that involves the fusing (or destruction) of two bodies into the creation of a third is also discussed. In addition to this content, guided inquiry-based pedagogy is illustrated using two examples: collective recoil when a particle reflects from two scatterers and measurements on each body made asynchronously. The examples provided explore potential methods to verify quantum effects on a macroscopic scale and address measurement in a quantum system.