763622S ADVANCED QUANTUM MECHANICS

Solutions 9

Spring 2010

1. Time-dependent potentials: spin-spin coupling

Consider a composite system made up of two spin- 12 particles. For t < 0, the Hamiltonian
does not depend on spin and can be taken to be zero by suitably adjusting the energy
scale. For t > 0, the Hamiltonian is given by
H=

4
S1 S2 .
~2

Suppose the system is in the state |i for t 0.

a) Find, as a function of time, the probability for the system to be found in each of
the states |i, |i, |i and |i by solving the problem exactly.
b) Solve the problem by assuming the validity of the rst-order time dependent perturbation theory with H as perturbation switched on at t = 0. Under what condition
does this procedure yield the correct results?

Solution:

a) To solve excatly is to nd the solution |(t)i of the Schrdinger equation. A good
starting point is to write the Hamiltonian in the basis {|i , |i , |i , |i}. To
do that we now express the spin-spin couling using Sz and S -operators, since they
are easy to use
4
4
H = 2 (S1x S2x + S1y S2y + S1z S2z ) = 2
~
~


1
(S1+ S2 + S1 S2+ ) + S1z S2z .
2

Now, it's turn for the basis representation:

1 0
0 0
0 1 2 0

H =
0 2 1 0 .
0 0
0 1

Eigenstates and eigenenergies are:

E1 =
|1i = |i

E2 =
|2i = |i + |i

E3 = 3
|3i = |i |i

E4 =
|4i = |i .

As we have learned the general time-dependent state is convenient to express with

the eigenstates and eigenenergies:

|(t)i =c1 (0)ei ~ t |i + c2 (0)ei ~ t (|i + |i)

+ c3 (0)ei

3
t
~

(|i |i) + c4 (0)e ~ t .

Initial value reduces the state to the form of

3
3
1
1
|(t)i = (ei ~ t + ei ~ t ) |i + (ei ~ t ei ~ t ) |i
2
2

and the occupation probabilities for the original basis states are:



1

P (t) =
1 + cos 4 t
2
~
P (t) = P (t) = 0.

1
P (t) =
2





1 cos 4 t
~

b) The rst-order time dependent perturbation theory gives transition probabilities

(0)
(1)
cni (t) = cni (t) + cni (t) from the initial state |ii to the nal state |ni. The explicit
form for the zeroth and rst order terms is
(0)
cni

(1)
cni

= ni

i
=
~

eini t Vni (t0 ) dt0 .

0

t0

The situation is considered in the interaction picture, where H0 = 0 t and V =

4/~2 S1 S2 t 0. Thus ni = (En Ei )/~ = 0 n, i. The perturabation term is
simply
Vni (t0 ) = exp(ini t) hn |VI (t)| ii = hn |V | ii

and we can read it from the basis representation given in (a). The initial state is
|i and the notation is simplied such that cn = cni . Thus, we get the transition
and occupation probabilities:
c (t) = c (t) = 0
i
c (t) = 1 + t
~
i
c (t) = 2t
~

P (t) = P (t) = 0
2 t2
P (t) = 1 + 2
~
2 2
4 t
P (t) =
.
~2

The occupation probabilites are not properly normalized. Let us do the normalization and simultaneously approximate them up to the second order in t/~:
P (t) = P (t) = 0
2 2

1 + ~2t
42 t2
Pe (t) =

2 2
~2
1 + 5~2t
Pe (t) =

42 t2
~2
2 2
+ 5~2t

42 t2

.
~2

If we expand the exact results up to the same order we get congruent results:



1

42 t2
P (t) =
1 + cos 4 t
1
2
~
~2



2 2
1

4 t
P (t) =
1 cos 4 t

.
2
~
~2

The end statement: With the Hamiltonian H and the initial value |i, the rst
order time-dependent perturbation theory is valid with small t. More specically,
it is valid up to second order in t/~.
2. Classical elds: Lagrangian density and the Euler-Lagrange equation
Given two independent elds, and ? , show that the Lagrangian density
~
~2
? + V ? + (? ? )
L=
2m
2i

leads to the Schrdinger equation

~2 2

+ V = i~
2m
t

and identically for ? . What are the corresponding canonical momementum conjugates?

Solution:

In the lectures the Euler-Lagrange equation is derived

3
X
L

L
L

= 0.
x
t
(/t)

k (/xk )
k=1

After converting our Lagranian density L from vector notation to index notation, it is
more tractable to be fed into to the E-L equation
3

~2 X ?
~
L=
+ V ? + (? ? ).
2m j=1 xj xj
2i

We have to indepenedent elds ( and ? ), but let us consider rst ? . Then the E-L
equation reads
3
X

L
L
+
? = 0,
?
?
xk ( /xk ) t ( /t)
k=1
3

~2 X 2
~
~
V = 0
2
2m j=1 xj
2i
2i

~2 2
+ V = i~
2m
t

and similiarly for the other eld . The canonical momentum conjugate to ? and is
dened, in this order,
L
(? /t)

1 = i~
2

1 =

L
(/t)
?
2 = i~ .
2
2 =

3. Quantized radiation eld

Verify by explicit calculation that:
a) The Hamiltonian operator of a quantized radiation eld
1
H=
2

(B B + E E) d x


XX
1
~.
H=
Nk, +
2

reduces to

b) Momentum
1
P=
c

E B d3 x

reduces to

XX
k

Solution:

~kNk, .

Prerequisites:
Maxwell equations:

B=A

Transversality condition:

1 A
c t

() k = 0

Commutation relation:

[
ak, , a
k0 ,0 ] = k,k0 ,0
r

Vector potential:

E=

A(x, t) = c

i
~ X 1 h
2 a
k, (t)
() eikx + a
k, (t)
() eikx
2V k,

Vector identity 1:
(A B) (C D) = (A C)(B D) (A D)(B C)
Vector identity 2:
A B C = (A C)B (A B)C
a) To calculate the H , let us split procedure in smaller pieces
1
H=
2
|

1
B Bd x +
2
{z
} |
3

(i),HB

E E d3 x .
{z
}

(ii),HE

(i)Magnetic energy
r
B=A=c
r
=c

i
~ X 1 h

() ikx
() ikx
2

a
k, (t)(  e ) + a
k, (t)(  e
)
2V k,

i
~ X 1 h

()
ikx
()
ikx
2

i
ak, (t)(
 k)e
i
ak, (t)(
 k)e
2V k,

Magnetic energy:
~c2
HB =
4V

dx
3

XX

1 1
k 2 k0 2

a
k, (t)
ak0 ,0 (t)(
() k)(
( ) k0 )ei(k+k )x

k, k0 ,0
0

() k)(
( ) k0 )ei(k+k )x
a
k, (t)
ak0 ,0 (t)(
+a
k, (t)
ak0 ,0 (t)(
() k)(
( ) k0 )ei(k+k )x


()
(0 )
0 i(kk0 )x
+a
k, (t)
ak0 ,0 (t)(
 k)(
 k )e

For the rst the integration over the entire spatial space takes care of the exponentials and reduces a sum via Kronecker delta function
1
V

ei(kk )x d3 x = k,k0 .0
0


~c2 X 1
0
HB =
k a
k, (t)
ak,0 (t)(
() k)(
( ) k)
4 k,,0
0

ak,0 (t)(
() k)(
( ) k)
+a
k, (t)
0

+a
k, (t)
ak,0 (t)(
() k)(
( ) k)
+

a
k, (t)
ak,0 (t)(
()

(0 )

k)(



k)
0



~c2 X 1

HB =

a
k, (t)
ak,0 (t) + a
k, (t)
ak,0 (t) + a
k, (t)
ak,0 (t) + a
k, (t)
ak,0 (t)
4 k,,0 k
0

(
() k)(
( ) k)

Now we can resort to the vector identity and the transversality condition:
0

(
() k)(
( ) k) = (
() ( ) )(k k) (
() k)(k ( ) ) = k 2 ,0
| {z }
| {z }
=0

,0

HB =

X ~c2
k,

k1


a
k, (t)
ak, (t) +

a
k, (t)
ak, (t)

a
k, (t)
ak, (t)

a
k, (t)
ak, (t)


X ~k 

a
k, (t)
ak, (t) + a
k, (t)
ak, (t) + 2
ak, (t)
ak, (t) + 1
=
4
k,

(ii) Electric energy with time dependent a operators: ak, = ak, (0) exp(ikct) is
then
E = c

1 A

r
=

h
i
~ X 12
k ic|k| a
k, (t)
() eikx a
k, (t)
() eikx .
2V k,

Using the same tricks as with magnetic energy we get

HE =

X ~k h
k,

i
ak, (t)
ak, (t) + 1 .

ak, (t)
ak, (t) a
k, (t)
ak, (t) + 2

Thus we end up happily

H = HB + HE =

X
k,



1
~k Nk, +
.
2

b) With the momentum P we have similar expressions as above:

1
P=
V

dx

c2 ~|k|

k,k0 ,,0

1
2

1
2
k0

a
k, a
k0 ,0 (
() ( ) k0 )ei(k+k )x

2k

k0 ,0 (
() ( ) k0 )ei(k+k )x
+a
k, a
a
k, a
k0 ,0 (
() ( ) k0 )ei(k+k )x


()
(0 )
0 i(kk0 )x
a
k, a
k0 ,0 (
  k )e

and after spatial integration

P=

X ~
0
[a
k, a
k,0 (
() ( ) k)
2
k,,0
0

a
k, a
k,0 (
() ( ) k)
0

k,0 (
() ( ) k)
a
k, a

a
k, a
k,0 (
()

(0 )


k) .

We proceed using the vector identity 2 and the transversality condition:

P=

X~
k,

[k(
ak, a
k, + a
k, a
k, )
k(
ak, a
k,

a
k, a
k, )

+
+
.

X ~

k(
ak, a
k, + a
k, a
=
k, + 1) + 2k
ak, a
k,
2
k,

The rst term vanishes due to the symmetry in the summation which includes both
k and k and we have pairs that cancel each other
k(
ak, a
k, + a
k, a
k, + 1) k(
ak, a
k, + a
k, a
k, + 1)
= k(
ak, a
k, + a
k, a
k, + 1) k(
ak, a
k, + a
k, a
k, + 1) = 0

Finally, we end up happily

P=

X
k,

~kNk, .