Quantum Mechanics - Homework Assignment 6

Alejandro Gomez Espinosa

October 23, 2012

Shankar Ex. 7.3.6 Consider a particle in a potential V (x) =
1
2
mw
2
x
2
, x > 0 and V (x) =
, x 0. What are the boundary conditions on the wave functions now?. Find the
eigenvalues and eigenfunctions.
This problem is the regular simple harmonic oscillator (SHO) with a boundary con-
dition (0) = 0. Then, from Shankar (7.3.22), we know that the eigenvalues for the
SHO are:

n
(x) =
_
mw
2
2n
(n!)
2
_
exp
_

mwx
2
2
_
H
n
__
mw

x
_
(1)
where H
n
are the Hermite polynomials. Using the boundary condition, it is clear that
the only way that (0) vanishes is when the even terms of the Hermite polynomials
vanish, therefore the solution should only include the odd terms.
In addition, for the eigenfunctions of the complete SHO, the have the normalization
condition:
_

n
dx = 2
_

0

n
dx = 1
Rename the eigenfunctions of this problem
n
, this solutions must be normalized in
the range of x given by the problem:
_

0

m
dx = 1
where m are odd integers, according to the description above. Then,
_

0

m
dx = 2
_

0

n
dx
m
=

2
n
where n and m are dummy indices. Thus, using this result with m odd, i.e. m =
2n + 1, we found:

n
=

2
n
(x) =
_

2mw
2
2n+1
((2n + 1)!)
2
_
exp
_

mwx
2
2
_
H
(2n+1)
__
mw

x
_
(2)
with n = 0, 1, 2, 3, .... Finally, the eigenvalues of (1) are E = (n +
1
2
)w for all n. In
our case, with n odd, we can rewrite this values as:
E
n
=
_
2n + 1 +
1
2
_
w =
_
2n +
3
2
_
w
again for n = 0, 1, 2, 3, ....

gomez@physics.rutgers.edu
1
2) Using ladder-operator algebra, show that T = V in any eigenstate |n of the har-
monic oscillator (here T =
1
2m
P
2
is the kinetic energy and V =
1
2
mw
2
x
2
is the
potential energy).
Using the kinetic energy operator T =
P
2
2m
, and the denition of P, calculate P
2
:
P
2
= n|P
2
|n
= n|
_

mw
2
(a

a)
2
_
|n
=
mw
2
n|
_
a

a aa

+aa
_
|n
=
mw
2
n|
_
a

a +aa

_
|n
=
mw
2
_
n|a

a|n +n|aa

|n
_
=
mw
2
(nn|n + (n + 1)n|n)
=
mw
2
(2n + 1)
Then,
T =
P
2

2m
=
1
2m
_
mw
2
(2n + 1)
_
=
w
4
(2n + 1) (3)
Now, using the potential energy operator V =
mw
2
X
2
2
and the denition for X,
calculate X
2
:
X
2
= n|X
2
|n
= n|
_

2mw
(a

+a)
2
_
|n
=

2mw
n|
_
a

+a

a +aa

+aa
_
|n
=

2mw
n|
_
a

a +aa

_
|n
=

2mw
_
n|a

a|n +n|aa

|n
_
=

2mw
(nn|n + (n + 1)n|n)
=

2mw
(2n + 1)
Then,
V =
mw
2
X
2

2
=
mw
2
2
_

2mw
(2n + 1)
_
=
w
4
(2n + 1) (4)
From (3) and (4), we found that T = V .
2
3) Using ladder-operator algebra, compute 2|P
3
|1 (the matrix element of P
3
between the
rst and second excited oscillator eigenstates.)
2|P
3
|1 =
_
imw
2
_
3/2
2|(a

a)
3
|1
=
_
imw
2
_
3/2
2|
_
a

aa

aa

+aaa

a +a

aa aa

a +aaa
_
|1
=
_
imw
2
_
3/2
2|
_
a

aa

+aa

+a

a
_
|1
=
_
imw
2
_
3/2
(2|a

aa

|1 +2|aa

|1 +2|a

a|1)
=
_
imw
2
_
3/2 _
2

2 + 3

2 +

2
_
2|2
=
_
imw
2
_
3/2 _
6

2
_
Shankar Ex, 7.4.6. Show that a(t) = e
iwt
a(0) and that a (t) = e
iwt
a

(0). Hint:
There may be more than one way to do it, but a straightforward way is to write
|(t = 0) =

n
c
n
|n, write |(t) by inserting the appropriate time time-evolution
factor into each term in the sum, and then compute (t)|a|(t) and (t)|a|(t).
Lets derivate with respect to time the expression a(t):
d
dt
a(t) =
d
dt
(t)|a|(t)
=
i

[a, H]
=
i

wa
d
dt
a(t) = iwa
a(t) = e
iwt
a(0)
Now, lets try to show the second part:
a

(t) = a(t)

=
_
e
iwt
a(0)
_

= e
iwt
a

(0)
3
5) Consider the three operators

x
=
_
0 1
1 0
_
,
y
=
_
0 i
i 0
_
,
z
=
_
1 0
0 1
_
(5)
(You may recognize these as the famous Pauli spin matrices.)
a) Check that for each of these operators the eigenvalues are 1 and obtain normal-
ized vectors.
Lets calculate the eigenvalues of
x
:
det

1
1

= 0
2
1 = 0 = 1, 1
then, the eigenvectors:
_
0 1
1 0
__
x
y
_
=
_
x
y
_
= 1 y = x, x = y |
x
, 1 =
1

2
(|1 |2)
= 1 y = x, x = y |
x
, 1 =
1

2
(|1 +|2)
Then, the eigenvalues of
y
:
det

i
i

= 0
2
1 = 0 = 1, 1
then, the eigenvectors:
_
0 i
i 0
__
x
y
_
=
_
x
y
_
= 1 iy = x, ix = y |
y
, 1 =
1

2
(|1 i|2)
= 1 iy = x, ix = y |
y
, 1 =
1

2
(|1 +i|2)
Then, the eigenvalues of
z
:
det

1 0
0 1

= 0
2
1 = 0 = 1, 1
then, the eigenvectors:
_
1 0
0 1
__
x
y
_
=
_
x
y
_
= 1 x = x, y = y |
z
, 1 = |2
= 1 x = x, y = y |
z
, 1 = |1
4
b) Check that the generalized uncertainty relation
(A)(B)
1
2
|[A, B]| (6)
is satised for A =
x
, B =
y
, and the system is in the +1 eigenvector of

z
. (That is, explicitly compute the variance A, the variance B, and the
right-hand side.)
Calculate the variance of A:
A =
x
=
_

2
x

x

2
x
=
_
1 0
_
_
0 1
1 0
__
0 1
1 0
__
1
0
_
=
_
1 0
_
_
1 0
0 1
__
1
0
_
= 1

x
=
_
1 0
_
_
0 1
1 0
__
1
0
_
=
_
1 0
_
_
0
1
_
= 0
Therefore,

x
=
_

2
x

x

2
=

1 0 = 1 (7)
Then, the same procedure for the variance of B:
B =
y
=
_

2
y

y

2
y
=
_
1 0
_
_
0 i
i 0
__
0 i
i 0
__
1
0
_
=
_
1 0
_
_
1 0
0 1
__
1
0
_
= 1

y
=
_
1 0
_
_
0 i
i 0
__
1
0
_
=
_
1 0
_
_
0
i
_
= 0
Therefore,

y
=
_

2
y

y

2
=

1 0 = 1 (8)
5
Now the RHS:
[A, B] = [
x
,
y
]
= xy
y

x
=
_
0 1
1 0
__
0 i
i 0
_

_
0 i
i 0
__
0 1
1 0
_
=
_
i 0
0 i
_

_
i 0
0 i
_
=
_
2i 0
0 2i
_
[A, B] =
_
1 0
_
_
2i 0
0 2i
__
1
0
_
=
_
1 0
_
_
2i
0
_
= 2i
|[A, B]| = 2 (9)
Finally, plug in (8) and (9) in (6):
(A)(B)
1
2
|[A, B]| 1 = 1
that proves the principle.
c) Repeat (same A and B) but now the system is in the +1 eigenvector
x
. Calculate
the variance of A:
A =
x
=
_

2
x

x

2
x
=
1
2
_
1 1
_
_
0 1
1 0
__
0 1
1 0
__
1
1
_
=
1
2
_
1 1
_
_
1 0
0 1
__
1
1
_
=
1
2
(2) = 1

x
=
1
2
_
1 1
_
_
0 1
1 0
__
1
1
_
=
1
2
_
1 1
_
_
1
1
_
=
1
2
(2) = 1
Therefore,

x
=
_

2
x

x

2
=

1 1 = 0 (10)
Since A = 0 we dont need to calculate B because the product (A)(B) =
0.
6
Now the RHS:
[A, B] = [
x
,
y
]
=
_
2i 0
0 2i
_
[A, B] =
1
2
_
1 1
_
_
2i 0
0 2i
__
1
1
_
=
1
2
_
1 1
_
_
2i
2i
_
= 0
|[A, B]| = 0 (11)
Finally in (6):
(A)(B)
1
2
|[A, B]| 0 = 0
that proves the principle.
7