PHYSICS THROUGH PROBLEM SOLVING IV

Problems from Elementary Quantum Mechanics

PRASANTA K PANIGRAHI
Physical Research Laboratory, Navrangpura Ahmedabad 380009 (prasanta@prl.res.in)

QUESTION 1
Consider a one-dimensional harmonic oscillator in the presence of a constant electric field E along the X-axis:
H= h2 2 1 + m 2 x 2 eEx , 2m x 2 2

a= c)

m h x m x 2h

where we may associate an electrical dipole moment for the oscillator along the X-axis given by d = ex: a) Find the exact energy eigen values and eigen functions of H. Interpret the energy shift relative to the levels for the non interacting oscillator. b) Consider the ground state of H. Show that it is an eigen state of the lowering operator a defined as,

Find the eigen states of a2 and interpret them physically . d) Starting from H0 find the first and second order corrections to the ground state energy. What is the correction to the ground state energy from higher orders? e) Consider the complex Hamiltonian:
H = h2 2 1 + m 2 x 2 + ix . 2m x 2 2

Find the energy eigen values and eigen functions. What is the difference between eigen values of H and H ?

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f)

Find the transformation property of H and the eigen functions under the parity and time reversal operations:

Assuming that is invariant under PT, draw conclusions about the energy eigen value.

P: x x and T: i i.

ANSWER 1
(a) Given Hamiltonian is:
H= H=
h 1 + m 2 x 2 eEx 2m x 2 2
2 2

2 m eE 0 = c0 exp x m 2 2h

h2 2 + 2m x 2
2

Now,
a 0 = m h x c0 m x 2h
2 m eE exp x m 2 2h

eE e2 E 2 1 m 2 x 2 4 2 m m 2

Put y = x
H=

eE which gives m 2

e2 E 2 h2 2 1 2 y2 m + 2m y 2 2 2m 2

m eE 0 = 0 2h m 2

Thus, energy eigen values are,

1 e2 E 2 E n = n + h 2 2 m 2

Therefore, 0 is an eigen state of annihilation operator, which makes it the well-known Coherent State. (c) There are two eigen states of a2 : | > and |>. We note that

It is clear that, energy gets reduced in the presence of a constant electric field as compared to a non-interacting oscillator. The eigen functions are:
2 m eE n = cn exp x m 2 2h m eE Hn x m h 2

a2| = 2 |
and
a 2 [| + | ] = 2 [| + | ]

One can clearly see that equilibrium point has shifted to the left. (b) Consider the ground state of H:
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The first one is the coherent state, a shifted Gaussian function as seen above. The second one is a linear superposition of two displaced Gaussians with opposite displacements. This is the known as the Cat state invented by Schrdinger. (d) The Hamiltonian can be written as:

H = H0 + H1
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where,
H =
h2 2 1 + m 2 x 2 + ix 2m x 2 2

(2) = En

2m
k

e 2 E 2 h n k , n 1 + (n + 1) k , n +1 , ( 0) E ( 0) En k

H1 = eEx
Now, we know that
h (a + a + ) , x= 2m

( 2) = En

n +1 e2 E 2 h n + ( 0) , ( 0) ( 0) ( 0) 2m E n E n 1 E n E n +1 e2 E 2 . 2m 2

( 2) = En

also
( 0) | n H0 | n = E n

Hence, the entire correction to energy comes from the second order. All higher order corrections (containing higher powers of eE) are zero. (e) Given Hamiltonian is:
H =

1 ( 0) Here, E n = n + h denotes the unper 2 turbed eigen value. First order correction to energy is,
(1) En = n| H1 | n

h2 2 1 + m 2 x 2 + ix , 2m x 2 2

with > 0. It can be written as,

H = i h2 2 1 + m 2 x + 2 m 2 2 m x 2 + 2 . 2m 2 i which gives, m 2
2

h (1) En n| x| n , = eE 2m h (1) En n| a + a + n = 0 . = eE 2m

So, there is no change in energy in the first order. Second order correction can be evaluated as,
E Now,
k H1 n = eE
(2) n

Now, put y = x +
H =

2 h2 2 1 2 y2 + + m . 2 m y 2 2 2m 2

E
k

k | H1 | n
( 0) n

2 ( 0) k

Energy eigen values and eigen functions are as follows:

1 2 E n = n + h + 2 2m 2

h 2m

(
Thus,

n k , n 1 + n + 1 k , n +1 .

2 m i n = cn exp x+ m 2 2h

m i Hn x+ m 2 h

.
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In this case, the eigen values are still real but energy levels get shifted upwards in comparison to the first example. (f) Under parity operation, x changes sign and under time reversal operation, i changes sign. Hamiltonian H is not invariant under parity and time reversal operations separately but is invariant under joint operations. It can be seen that the above wave functions are invariant

under the actions of parity and time reversal operations together. This accounts for the real nature of the eigen values even when the perturbing term is imaginary. Starting from the eigen value equation, one can show that under parity and time reversal operations E E*. Hence, when Hamiltonian and the wave functions remain invariant under PT, the eigen values will be real.

QUESTION 2
For the ground state of harmonic oscillator:
mx 2 0 ( x ) = c0 exp 2h

(b) Show that-

W ( x, p)dp = | ( x)|
0

(a) Compute
W ( x , p) = 1 2 h

i da exp pa h

Note: W(x, p) is called the Wigner function, which is a quasi probability distribution function

a a * x x + 2 2

ANSWER 2:
(a) Putting the value of 0(x), we have
W ( x , p) = 1 2 h W ( x , p) =

ipa 2 da exp |c | h 0

| c0 |2 mx 2 exp 2 h h

2 2 m m a a exp x exp x+ 2 2 2h 2h

mx 2 ipa da exp da h 4h

Finally, we get
W ( x , p) = p2 mx 2 exp h mh hm | c0 |2

| c |2 mx 2 W ( x , p) = 0 exp 2 h h

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ipa ma 2 da exp exp h 4h

(b) Now, we will integrate this Wigner function with respect to momentum as follows:

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W ( x , p)dp =

mx 2 exp h hm | c0 |2

mx 2 W ( x , p)dp=| c0 |2 exp h

p2 exp dp mh | c0 |
2

=| 0 ( x )|2

W ( x , p)dp=

which is the probability density in coordinate space.

hm

mx 2 exp hm h

QUESTION 3
(a)Compute the wave function momentum representation,
1

in

the

(b) Show that,

ipx 0 ( p) = 0 ( x ) exp dx h 2 h

W ( x, p)dx =

0 ( p)

Interpret your result.

ANSWER 3
(a) The Fourier transform of a Gaussian exp ( x2) goes like exp(k2/4). It is worth noting that has appeared in the denominator. A localized wave function in the coordinate space is more spread out reciprocally in the momentum space, which indeed is the original uncertainty relation. (b) Integrating Wigner function with respect to coordinate gives,
p 2 h exp mh m hm | c0 |2 W ( x , p)dx =

| c0 |2 p2 exp = | p |2 mh m

W ( x , p)dx =

p2 exp mh hm | c0 |2

which is the probability density in momentum space.

mx 2 dx exp h

W ( x , p)dx =

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