Richard W. Robinett

Research Interests

Prof. Robinett's research involves semi-classical methods in quantum mechanics (including periodic orbit theory), the time-dependence of quantum states and wave packet revivals, the visualization of quantum phenomena, and the pedagaogical aspect of quantum mechanics. Prof. Robinett has also written an undergraduate textbook (Oxford University Press) on quantum mechanics

Education

University of Minnesota (B.A., Magna cum laude), 1975
University of Minnesota (Ph.D.), 1981

Honors and Awards

Excellence in Honors Advising Award, Schreyer Honors College, 2011
Undergraduate Program Leadership Award, 2005
Fellow, American Physical Society, 2003
Excellence in Advising Award, 2003
C.I. Noll Award for Excellence in Teaching, 2002
Atherton Award for Excellence in Teaching, 1999
Provost's Award for Collaborative Instruction and Curricular Innovation, 1994
Penn State Society of Physics Students Teaching Award, 1992

List of Publications on Personal Site

M. Belloni, and R.W. Robinett, “The infinite well and Dirac delta function potentials as pedagogical, mathematical and physical models in quantum mechanics”, J. Phys. 540 vol. 2, 25-122 (2014) arXiv:10.1016

L. J. Ruckle, M. Belloni, and R. W. Robinett, “The biharmonic oscillator and asymmetric linear potentials: from classical trajectories to momentum-space probability densities in the extreme quantum limit”, Eur. J. Phys. 33, 1505-1525 (2012).

M. Belloni and R. W. Robinett, “Less than perfect quantum wavefunctions in momentum space: How ϕ (p) senses disturbances in the force”, Am. J. Phys. 79, 94-102 (2011) arXiv:1010.4244.

O. A. Ayorinde, K. Chisholm, M. Belloni and R. W. Robinett, ”New identities from quantum mechanical sum rules of parity related potentials”, J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 43, 235202 (22 pp) (2010) arXiv:1007.1625.

R. W. Robinett, ”The Stark effect in linear potentials”, Eur. J. Phys. 31, 1-13 (2010) arXiv:0909.2209

M. Belloni and R.W. Robinett, ”Constraints on Airy function zeros from quantum-mechanical sum rules”, J. Phys A: Math. Theor. 42, 075203 (2009) arXiv:1007.1623.

M. Belloni and R. W. Robinett, “Quantum mechanical sum rules for two model systems”, Am. J. Phys. 76, 798-806 (2008) arXiv:0802.2217.

L. P. Gilbert, M. Belloni, M. A. Doncheski, and R. W. Robinett, “Playing quantum physics Jeopardy with zero-energy eigenstates”, Am. J. Phys. 74, 1035-1036 (2006) arXiv:quant-ph/0606196.

L. P. Gilbert, M. Belloni, M. A. Doncheski, and R. W. Robinett, “Piecewise zero-curvature energy eigenfunctions in one dimension”, Eur. J. Phys. 27, 1331-1339 (2006) .

R. W. Robinett “Self-interference of single Bose-Einstein condensates due to boundary effects”, Phys. Scr. 73, 681-684 (2006) arXiv:quant-ph/0511075.