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Quantum Physics Problems

This document contains solutions to homework problems in quantum mechanics. It shows: 1) Derivations of commutator identities including [AB,C]=A[B,C]+[A,C]B. 2) Finding eigenstates and eigenvalues of sample Hamiltonians. 3) Calculating probabilities of measurement outcomes and expressing states in terms of eigenbases. 4) Deriving time dependence of initial states by expressing them in eigenbases of the Hamiltonian.

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Raghu Achukola
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
206 views

Quantum Physics Problems

This document contains solutions to homework problems in quantum mechanics. It shows: 1) Derivations of commutator identities including [AB,C]=A[B,C]+[A,C]B. 2) Finding eigenstates and eigenvalues of sample Hamiltonians. 3) Calculating probabilities of measurement outcomes and expressing states in terms of eigenbases. 4) Deriving time dependence of initial states by expressing them in eigenbases of the Hamiltonian.

Uploaded by

Raghu Achukola
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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PHY 373 HW #6

Raghuveer Achukola, ra25544


March 8, 2016
1. Problem 1:
(a) We attempt to prove the commutator identity; mainly:
[AB, C] = A [B, C] + [A, C] B
By the defintion of the commutator we have:
[AB, C] = ABCCAB = ABCACB+ACBCAB = A(BCCB)+(ACCA)B = A [B, C]+[A, C] B
Q.E.D
(b) We attempt to show that:
[xn , p] = ihnxn1
The momentum operator is:
p = ih
Thus:
[xn , p] = (ihxn

+ ih xn )()
x
x

Inserting the test function :


[xn , p] = i
hxn x + i
h(xn )x = ihxn x + ihxn x + ihnxn1 = ihnxn1
Thus:
[xn , p] = ihnxn1
Eliminating we get:
[xn , p] = ihnxn1
Q.E.D
(c) We attempt to show more generally that:
[f (x), p] = ihfx
where fx =

f
x

We have:
p = ih

Thus:
[f, p] = ihf
I.e:
[f, p] = (ihf

+ ih f
x
x

+ ih f ) = ihf x + ih(f )x
x
x

Expanding:
[f, p] = ihf x + ihf x + ihfx = ihfx
Eliminating we have:
[f, p] = ihfx
Q.E.D

2. Problem 2: We have a theoretical Hamiltonian of a system with |1i, and |2i making up an orthonormal basis:
= (|1ih1| |2ih2| + |1ih2| + |2ih1|)
H
By definition of orthonormal basis we have:
h1||1i = h2||2i = 1
h1||2i = h2||1i = 0
We take a test eigenvector which has eigenvalue E: = c1 |1i + c2 |2i, which can be expressed as a
function of |1i and |2i by definition of an orthonormal basis. Then we have:
= (|1ih1| |2ih2| + |1ih2| + |2ih1|)(c1 |1i + c2 |2i) = E(c1 |1i + c2 |2i)
H
Multiply through:
*1
*0
*0
*1
*0
*1
*1
*0
= (c1 |1ih1||1ic








H
h2||1i+c
h2||1i+c
h1||1i+c
h1||2ic
h2||2i+c
h2||2i+c
h1||2i)
1 |2i
1 |1i
1 |2i
2 |1i
2 |2i
2 |1i
2 |2i

We can simplify by using the definitions of orthonormal basis stated above:
= (c1 |1i + c1 |2i c2 |2i + c2 |1i) = E(c1 |1i + c2 |2i)
H
Thus we have the equations:
(c1 + c2 ) = Ec1
(c1 c2 ) = Ec2
We have:


E
+ 1 c2
c1 =



E
1 c1
c2 =



Plugging into each other:



c1 =

E
+1





E
1 c1


This implies:

E2
1 = 1 E 2 = 22 E = 2
2
We have found the two eigenvalues. We will
look at the corresponding eigenvector for E+ and E .
The eigenvector for E+ exists when E = + 2 The equations then become:

c1 = ( 2 + 1)c2
h
i

|+ i = c1 |1i + ( 2 + 1)|2i

When E = 2 we have:
c1 = (1
and

2)

h
i

| i = c1 |1i + (1 2)|2i

3. Problem 3
(a) If operator A has two normalized eigenstates: 1 with eigenvalue a1 and 2 with eigenvalue a2 .
If A is measured and returns a1 the probabilities of each relevant eigenstate are irrelevant. The
system is in the eigenstate that corresponds to the eigenvalue a1 , namely
1

(b) We know the system is in eigenstate 1 which is related to the eigenstates of operator B thusly:
1 =

3
4
1 + 2
5
5

The Probability of finding a particle in state 1 (observing eigenvalue b1 is simply the square of
the coefficient of 1 : P1 =
eigenvalue b2 ): P2 =

9
25

Similarly the probability of finding a particle in state 2 , (getting

16
25

(c) We have the probabilities:


P (1 ) = P (1 |1 )P (1 ) + P (1 |2 )P (2 )
We need to express the eigenstates of B in terms of the eigenstates of A in order to calculate the
conditional probabilities:
3
4
1 = 1 + 2
5
5
3
4
2 = 1 2
5
5
We can solve these equations to get.
1 =

4
3
1 + 2
5
5

2 =

4
3
1 2
5
5

Thus we have conditional probabilities: P (1 |1 ) = P (2 |2 ) =


16
25 Thus:

9
25

P (a1 ) = P (1 ) = P (1 |1 )P (1 ) + P (1 |2 )P (2 ) =

and P (2 |1 ) = P (1 |2 ) =
9 9
16 16
+
25 25 25 25

or
P (a1 ) =

337
= 0.539
625

3.5 Problem 3.5 Time dependence of the initial state depends on the eigenstate make up of the initial
state. Thus we have to find the eigenstates of the Hamiltonian so we can express the initial states in
terms of them: We know that energy is a constant so it can be expressed as the matrix

E 0 0
0 E 0
0 0 E
Given Hamiltonian operator:

a 0
0 c
b 0

b
0
a

Given H = E and thus (H E) = 0 we have the characteristic equation:

aE
0
b
cE
0 =0
det 0
b
0
aE
Solving gives us:
(c E)(a E)2 (c E)b2 = 0
Thus we have either:
E=c
or
E =ab

Now we must find the corresponding eigenvectors For E = c:


a 0 b
x
cx
0 c 0 y = cy
b 0 a
z
cz
We get the system of equations:

ax + bz = cx
cy = cy

bx + az = cz
Solving we get
(a c)x = bz
(a c)z = bx
Solving we get:

(a c)2 b2 x = 0
We are told a c 6= b Thus. for the first eigenvalue we have x = 0 = z. Thus the first eigenvector
corresponding to the eigenvalue E = c is:

0
|s1 iE=c = c1 1
0
Normalization gives us c21 = 1 c1 = 1 Thus:

0

|s1 i = 1
0
We can find the eigenvectors for the eigenvalue E = a + b by substituting a+b in the place of c on the
right hand side of the system of equations:

ax + bz = ax + bx
cy = ay + by

bx + az = az + bz
Solving gives us:
(a + b)y = cy
x=z
But we are told a c 6= b. Thus: y=0 and our vector is of the form:

1
|s2 iE=a+b = c2 0
1
Normalization gives us: c22 (12 + 02 + 12 ) = 1 c22 = 1/2 c2 =

1
1
|s2 i = 0
2 1
The eigenvector for E = a-b is similarly solved by:
(a b)y = cy
x = z

1
2

Thus we have:

Again we have a c 6= b and thus y=0 and an eigenvector of the form:



1
|s3 iE=ab = c2 0
1
Normalization gives us: c23 (12 + 02 + (1)2 ) = 1 c23 = 1/2 c3 =

1
2

Thus we have:

1
1
|s3 i = 0
2 1
(a) This initial state: |S(0)i is clearly the exact same as our |s1 i eigenvector. Thus the time dependence simply varies by a factor of eiE1 t/h . But the energy eigenvalue of this eigenvector is c.
Thus:

0
|S(t)i = eict/h 1
0
(b) We notice that if we subtract |s2 i |s3 i we get

0
0

2
We can thus express |Si as
1
|Si = (|s2 i |s3 i)
2
Thus knowing that time dependence varies with eiEt/h we have:

1
1
1
1
1
|S(t)i = 0 eiE2 /h 0 eiE3 t/h
2
2 1
2 1
The energies that correspond to |s2 i and |s3 i are E = a+b and E = a-b respectively as shown in
Part a. thus:


1
1
1 i(a+b)t/h 1 i(ab)t/h
0 e
0
|S(t)i = e
2
2
1
1
Problem 4 (a) We attempt to find the commutation relations:
[Lz , x]
[Lz , x] = Lz x xLz
Note that :
Lz = xpy ypx
We have:
*0

[Lz , x] = xpy xypx xxxpy +xypx = x(py xxpy )ypx x+xypx = x
[py
, x]ypx x+xypx = xypx ypx x
Using a test function
h

h
[Lz , x] = xy( x ) y( )(xx + ) = ihxyx + ihxyx + ihy = (ihy)
i
i
Thus we have:
[Lz , x] = ihy

Lz , y
0
:

[Lz , y] = xpy yypx yyxpy +yypx = y(ypx px y)yxpy +xpy y = y
[y,
px
]yxpy +xpy y = xpy yyxpy
Using a test function
h

h
[Lz , x] = x( )(yy + ) yx( )(y ) = ihxyy ihx + ihxyy = (ihx)
i
i
Thus we have:
[Lz , y] = ihx
[Lz , z] We have:
[Lz , z] = xpy z ypx z zxpy + zypx
Using a test function
[Lz , z] = x(i
h

:0
:0


zy)
xy)
)(z)+y(ih )(z)+zx(ih )zy(ih ) = (ih)
(zx
h)
(yz


y +(i
x
y
x
y
x

Thus:
[Lz , z] = 0
[Lz , px ] Note that once again
Lz = xpy ypx
. We have:
: 0 = xp p p xp = [xp , p ]


[Lz , px ] = xpy px ypx px px xpy +px ypx = xpy px px xpy +
[px
, y]p
x
y x
x
y
y x
We use the commutator relation from Problem 1
:0

[Lz , px ] = [xpy , px ] = x
[py
, p
hpy
x ] + [x, px ]py = i
Thus:
[Lz , px ] = ihpy
[Lz , py ] We have:

*0

[Lz , py ] = xpy py ypx py py xpy +py ypx = ypx py +py ypx +
[x,
py ]py = py ypx ypx py = [py , ypx ] = [ypx , py ]
We use the commutator relation from Problem 1
* ih

: 0 [y,

[Lz , py ] = [ypx , py ] = (y
py ]px ) = ihpx
[px
, p
y] + 
Thus:
[Lz , py ] = ihpx
[Lz , pz ] We have:
[Lz , py ] = xpy pz ypx pz pz xpy + pz ypx = [xpy , pz ] [ypx , pz ]
We use the commutator relation from Problem 1
0
*0

: 0 [x,
: 0 [p 

:


pz
]py 
[y,
pz ]px
[Lz , py ] = [xpy , pz ] [ypx , pz ] = x
[py
, p
z ] y
x , pz ] + 
Thus:
[Lz , pz ] = 0

(b) We attempt to find [Lz , Lx ]


[Lz , Lx ] = Lz Lx Lx Lz = (xpy ypx )(ypz zpy ) (ypz zpy )(xpy ypx )
Expanding we have
[Lz , Lx ] = xpy ypz ypx ypz xpy zpy + ypx zpy ypz xpy + ypz ypx + zpy xpy zpy ypx
Simplifying:
[Lz , Lx ] = [xpy , ypz ] + [zpy , xpy ] + [ypx , zpy ] + [ypz , ypx ] = C1 + C2 + C3 + C4
where
C1 = [xpy , ypz ]

C2 = [zpy , xpy ]

C3 = [ypx , zpy ]

C4 = [ypz , ypx ]

We attempt to find C1 first:


C1 = [xpy , ypz ]
By the commutator rule:
C1 = x[py , ypz ]+[x, ypz ]py = x[ypz , py ][ypz , x]py = x(y[pz , py ]+[y, py ]pz )(y[pz , x]+[y, x]pz ) = i
hxpz
C2 = z[py , xpy ]+[z, xpy ]py = z[xpy , py ][xpy , z]py = z(x[py , py ][x, py ]py )(x[py , z]+[x, z]py )py = 0

C3 = y[px , zpy ]+[y, zpy ]px = y[zpy , px ][zpy , y]px = y(z[py , px ]+[z, px ]py )(z[py , y]+[z, y]py )px = z[py , y]px
C4 = y[pz , ypx ]+[y, ypx ]pz = y[ypx , pz ][ypx , y]pz = y(y[px , pz ]+[y, pz ]px )(y[px , y]+[y, y]px )pz = 0
We have:
[Lz , Lx ] = C1 + C2 + C3 + C4 = ih(zpx xpz )
But this is precisely i
h times Ly = (zpx xpz ) Thus:
[Lz , Lx ] = ihLy
Q.E.D
Problem 5. (a) We have total kinetic energy of a system as:
T =

1 2
I
2

where I is the moment of inertia = m(a/2)2 + m(a/2)2 = ma2 /2


H=

ma2 2
4

We know the angular momentum is:


L = I = ma2 /2
We must express H in terms of L:
H = L2 /(ma2 )
But we know the eigenvalues of L2 are:
2 (n)(n + 1)
h
Thus the eigenvalues of H are:
2 (n)(n + 1)/(ma2 )
h
Thus:
H =

2 (n)(n + 1)
h
= En
ma2

Thus:
En =

2 (n)(n + 1)
h
ma2

(b) The eigenfunctions are then simply the spherical harmonics:

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