Quantum Physics and Mechanics

Quantum Field Theories

The history of quantum field theory starts with its creation by Paul Dirac. He tried to quantize the electromagnetic field in the late 1920s. Major developments in the theory were made in the 1950s, and directed to the introduction of quantum electrodynamics (QED). QED was so successful and truly predictive that efforts were made to apply the same basic concepts for the other forces of nature. By the late 1970s, these efforts were successful in the utilization of gauge theory to the strong nuclear force and weak nuclear force, producing the modern standard model of particle physics. Efforts to describe gravity using the same techniques have, to date, failed. Learning of quantum field theory is still flourishing, as are applications of its methods to many physical problems. It remains one of the most vital areas of theoretical physics today, providing a common language to several different branches of physics.