Quantum mechanics: Resources

Also see: Maths for QM, Linear Algebra

Recommended textbooks

Bohm, D. (1989). Quantum Theory. Dover Publications.

I have discovered this gem surprisingly late. Bohm lucidly discussed several topics which are hard to find in other books (one example would be statistical properties of correlations for classical and quantum systems, see chapter 10.)

Sakurai, J. J., & Napolitano, J. (2021). Modern quantum mechanics (3rd ed). Cambridge University Press.

One of the best graduate-level QM book. I love its concision.

Townsend, J. S. (2012). A modern approach to quantum mechanics (2nd ed). University Science Books.

An easier version of Sakurai's book. (And there exists a cheaper Indian edition.)

Griffiths, D. J., & Schroeter, D. F. (2018). Introduction to quantum mechanics (Third edition). Cambridge University Press.

A good undergrad-level textbook. The chapter on time-independent Schrödinger equation is neat.

Gasiorowicz, S. (1974). Quantum physics. New York, Wiley.

It is at Griffiths's level and comes with several detailed examples. Though not as popular, it does provide a solid introduction.

Flügge, S. (1999). Practical quantum mechanics. Springer.

A completely different sort of book which teaches QM through a series of problems.

Shankar, R. (1994). Principles of quantum mechanics (2nd ed). Plenum Press.

I love this book! The chapters on rotational invariance, addition of angular momenta, scattering theory, and path integral are particularly good.

Das, A. (2006). Field Theory: A Path Integral Approach (2nd ed., Vol. 75). World Scientific.

A pedagogic introduction to path integrals.

Open Quantum Systems

O. Hassasfar. Open Quantum Systems. Medium blogpost, accessed 2026-06-14.

P. Szańkowski. Introduction to the Theory of Open Quantum Systems. SciPost Phys. Lect. Notes 2023, 68

F. Campaioli, J. H. Cole, H. Hapuarachchi. Quantum Master Equations: Tips and Tricks for Quantum Optics, Quantum Computing, and Beyond. PRX Quantum 2024, 5 (2), 020202

Quantum Optics

Prof. Amarenda Sarma's (IIT Guwahati) lecture series: Essentials of Quantum Optics

If the lectures feel a bit slow and tedious at times, that's only because he derived almost everything he talked about. Strong recommendations!

Another useful lecture series: From Classical to Quantum Light

Mikhail Lukin, Lecture Notes Quantum Optics (2021).

N. Meher, Quantum optics in MATLAB, J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 57, 073001 (2024).

Good introduction to numerical side of quantum optics.

C. Navarrete-Benlloch, Introduction to Quantum Optics, arXiv:2203.13206.

Quantum Information Science

Artur Ekert, Timothy Hosgood, Alastair Kay, Chiara Macchiavello. Introduction to Quantum Information Science; 2025. Free ebook

So very good. And check out the YouTube playlist with Ekert's classes.

Mark Wilde. From Classical to Quantum Shannon Theory; Cambridge University Press 2016. arXiv version.

Chapter 2–4 covers the basics, emphasizing the role of density matrices.

Quantum entanglement, a series of short lectures by Mark Wilde.

Quantum Computation Lecture Notes (Caltech CS219) by John Preskill

E. Witten. A Mini-Introduction To Information Theory. Riv. Nuovo Cim. 2020, 43 (4), 187–227.

C. A. Fuchs and J. van de Graaf, Cryptographic distinguishability measures for quantum-mechanical states, IEEE Transactions on Information Theory 45, 1216 (1999).

C. A. Fuchs, Quantum Mechanics as Quantum Information (and Only a Little More), arXiv:quant-ph/0205039.

Foundations of Quantum mechanics

Norsen, T. (2017). Foundations of Quantum Mechanics: An Exploration of the Physical Meaning of Quantum Theory (1st ed.). Springer International Publishing

Foundations of quantum mechanics is a great subject, until you want to publish, of course. Norsen's accessible and mildly opinionated book provides a good introduction.

Peres, A. (2010). Quantum theory: Concepts and methods. Kluwer Acad. Publ.

Asher Peres's book goes deep early on and is easily the most difficult of all the books mentioned in this list. It's very rewarding, though.

Foundations of Quantum Mechanics by Florian Marquardt.

Fun slides.

Another series, by Rob Spekkens, on Foundations of Quantum Mechanics.