©2017, www.nanotechnology.hu
Schödinger’s cat on a hot roof
Wave function patterns as ornamental elements in architecture
Quantum mechanics textbooks show simple examples of wave functions
for simple potentials, like a square potential well, the harmonic
oscillator, or a spherically symmetrical potential. Wave functions for
more general potential shapes are available, however, only by
numerically solving the Schrödinger equation. This is what the Web-
Schrödinger
1
software is good at, it is capable of calculating the time
dependent and stationary wave functions for any form of two dimensional potentials.
This came handy for Dr. Robert Valentine
2
in the USA, who wanted to decorate his newly
built house in Colorado with nice wave function patterns.
After a lengthy web search he found our Web-Schrödinger. Then he carefully designed
a potential box in Web-Schrödinger matching the form of the forefront of his house and
calculated the first few stationary wave functions of this potential. He then choose the
most dazzling pattern and “materialized”
3
it using vitreous glass tiles 3/4" square,
attached with thin set mortar.
1
http://www.nanotechnology.hu/online/web-schroedinger/index.html
2
Earned his PhD in Physics from the University of Arizona; his dissertation was titled “Chaos in the deBroglie-Bohm Causal
Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics”
3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reu9BEuqY4s
©2017, www.nanotechnology.hu