Why Quantum Is Hard to Visualise
Quantum mechanics defies intuition. The wave function isn't physical; it's a probability amplitude that collapses on measurement. Particles tunnel through classically forbidden barriers. Two particles can be entangled across arbitrary distances. None of this has a direct visual analogy.
The challenge for a simulation is to make these phenomena legible — to show the math in motion without lying about what it represents.
What's Planned
- Double slit experiment — single photon interference pattern building up over time
- Quantum tunnelling — Gaussian wave packet hitting a potential barrier
- Hydrogen atom orbitals — 3D probability density ψ² surfaces
- Schrödinger's equation solver — finite difference time domain (FDTD) on a 2D grid
- Quantum harmonic oscillator — energy level transitions, wavefunctions
- Bloch sphere — qubit state visualisation for quantum computing intro
The target audience is someone who has heard the words "wave function" but never seen one — not someone working on a quantum computer. The goal is conceptual clarity, not computational accuracy.
The Quantum category page is already live at /categories/quantum/. The first simulations will appear there when they're ready.