Quantum Mechanics II - Homework 1
Quantum Mechanics II - Homework 1
Quantum Mechanics II - Homework 1
0
e
x
x
n
dx = n!
(n+1)
Let us calculate the energy using the variational method and the given trial wavefunction:
E
0
=
|H|
|
=
_
0
e
x
_
2
2m
2
x
2
+
m
2
x
2
2
_
e
x
dx
_
0
e
2x
dx
=
2
2m
_
0
e
2x
dx
_
0
e
2x
dx
+
m
2
2
_
0
x
2
e
2x
dx
_
0
e
2x
dx
=
2
2
2m
+
m
2
2
2(2)
3
(2)
1
=
2
2
2m
+
m
2
4
2
Then, we have to minimize the energy with respect to :
E
0
=
2
m
m
2
2
3
= 0
4
=
m
2
2
2
2
2
=
m
2
Replacing this term in the energy:
E
0
=
2
+
2
4
(1)
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1
Shankar Ex. 17.2.1 Consider H
1
= x
4
for the oscillator problem. (Use the operator algebra, expand-
ing x in terms of a and a
.)
(1) Show that
E
1
n
=
3
2
4m
2
2
[1 + 2n + 2n
2
] (2)
Using the operator algebra, H
1
has the form:
H
1
= x
4
=
2
4m
2
2
(a +a
)
4
=
2
4m
2
2
_
a
4
+ 4a
3
a
+ 6a
2
(a
)
2
+ 4a(a
)
3
+ (a
)
4
_
(3)
Then, to calculate the rst energy level we use:
E
1
n
= n|H
1
|n (4)
Notice that using equation (3) in (4), due to the operator algebra, only the middle term in the
parenthesis holds. But also, notice that 6a
2
(a
)
2
represents the sum of the six combinations of
the operators a
2
and (a
)
2
, since the ladder operators are not hermitian. Therefore:
E
1
n
=
2
4m
2
2
n|
_
aaa
+aa
aa
+aa
a +a
aaa
+a
aa
a +a
aa
_
|n
n|aaa
|n = n|a(N + 1)a
|n = n|aNa
+aa
|n = (n + 1)n|1 +aa
|n = (n + 1)(n + 2)
n|aa
aa
|n = n|aNa
|n = (n + 1)n|aa
|n = (n + 1)
2
n|aa
a|n = n|aa
N|n = nn|aa
|n = n(n + 1)
n|a
aaa
|n = n|Naa
|n = (n + 1)n|N|n = n(n + 1)
n|a
aa
a|n = n|NN|n = n
2
n|a
aa|n = n|a
Na|n = (n 1)n|a
a|n = n(n 1)
E
1
n
=
2
4m
2
2
_
(n + 1)(n + 2) + (n + 1)
2
+n(n + 1) +n(n + 1) +n
2
+n(n + 1)
_
=
2
4m
2
2
(6n
2
+ 6n + 3)
=
3
2
4m
2
2
(2n
2
+ 2n + 1)
That is the same as (2).
2
(2) Argue that no matter how small is, the perturbation expansion will break down for some large
enough n. What is the physical reason?
Let us compare the energy for the small perturbation and the normal SHO:
E
1
n
E
0
n
=
3
2
4m
2
2
2n
2
+ 2n + 1
_
n +
1
2
_
2
2n
2
+ 2n + 1
_
n +
1
2
_
2m
2
3
3
2n
2
+ 2n + 1
_
n +
1
2
_
where, for a large value of n and small value of , the relation does not hold because the
perturbation is no longer small.
The physical reason is the form of the perturbation. Since H
1
= x
4
, for a large values of x,
this term is going to blow up and the system is no longer a SHO.
Shankar Ex. 17.2.2 Consider a spin-1/2 particle with gyromagnetic ratio in a magnetic eld B =
Bi + B
0
k. Treating B as a perturbation, calculate the rst- and second-order shifts in energy and
rst-order shift in wave function for the ground state. Then compare the exact answers expanded to
the corresponding orders.
The Hamiltonian for this problem is:
H = B =
2
B =
2
(B
x
+B
0
z
) (5)
where the Hamiltonian for the unperturbed system is H
0
=
2
B
0
z
and the perturbed Hamilto-
nian is H
1
=
2
B
x
. Using (5), the eigenvalue problem has the solutions:
0 =
2
_
(B
0
E)(B
0
E) B
2
_
E
2
_
B
2
0
+B
2
=
B
0
2
1 +
B
2
B
2
0
=
B
0
2
_
1 +
B
2
2B
2
0
+...
_
Therefore:
E
0
=
B
0
2
, E
2
=
B
2
4B
0
(6)
Now, let us calculate the energy of the rst- and second-order shifts using time-independent pertur-
bation theory:
E
1
= |H
1
|
= | BS
x
|
=
B
2
|(S
+
+S
)|
= 0 (7)
3
E
2
m
|m|H
1
||
2
E
0
E
0
m
=
2
B
2
4
||(S
+
+S
)||
2
E
0
E
0
=
2
B
2
4
||S
+
| +|S
||
2
B
0
=
B
2
4B
0
||S
||
2
=
B
2
2
4B
0
=
B
2
4B
0
(8)
Comparing (7) and (8) with (6), we can verify our results.
Finally, the rst-order shift in the wave function is given by:
| = |
0
+|
1
= |
0
+
m
|m
0
m
0
|H
1
|
E
0
E
0
m
= |
0
+
|H
1
|
E
0
E
0
m
|
= |
0
B
2
|S
|
B
0
|
= |
0
B
2B
0
|
4) Consider a particle of mass m in a 1D innite square-well potential: V (x) = 0 for |x| < L/2 and
V (x) = + for |x| > L/2. Recall that the ground-state energy is
2
2
/2mL
2
. The three questions
below are independent.
a) Find the rst-order shift of the ground-state energy if a perturbing potential V
pert
(x) = (x) is
added at the center of the well.
In this case, the Hamiltonian for the perturbed system is H
1
= (x). In addition, the ground
state of the 1D innite square-well potential is given by
|n
0
=
_
2
L
cos
_
2L
x
_
(9)
Then, using (4) and (9), we can calculate the rst-order shift of the ground state energy:
E
1
n
= n
0
|H
1
|n
0
=
2
L
n
0
|(x)|n
0
=
2
L
_
L/2
L/2
(x) cos
2
_
2L
x
_
dx
=
2
L
cos
2
_
2L
0
_
=
2
L
4
b) Consider the case where there are two identical bosons of mass m in this 1D potential, and
suppose there is an attraction V
pert
(x, x
) = (x x
) = |
1
(x) |
1
(x
) =
2
L
cos
_
2L
x
_
cos
_
2L
x
_
(10)
In the case of the energy, is given by the sum of the energy of the two particles:
E
0
1
= E
1
+E
2
=
2
2
mL
2
(11)
Now, using the same procedure as part a), we can calculate the rst-order energy shift for this
case:
E
1
1
=
0
1
|H
1
|
0
1
=
4
L
_
L/2
L/2
_
L/2
L/2
(x x
) cos
2
_
x
2L
_
cos
2
_
x
2L
_
dxdx
=
4
L
_
L/2
L/2
cos
4
_
x
2L
_
dx
=
4
L
_
3
8
+
1
_
L
=
3
2
4
_
1
a
0
_
3/2
_
2
r
a
0
_
e
r/2a
(13)
|210 =
1
4
_
1
a
0
_
3/2
r
a
0
e
r/2a
cos (14)
Replacing (13) and (14) in (12):
= 200|eEr sin |210
=
_
1
16
_
1
a
0
_
3
r
a
0
_
2
r
a
0
_
e
r/a
0
cos eEr cos r
2
sin drdd
=
eE
8
_
1
a
0
_
3
_
0
_
0
r
4
a
0
_
2
r
a
0
_
e
r/a
0
cos
2
sin drd
=
eE
24a
4
0
_
0
r
4
_
2
r
a
0
_
e
r/a
0
dr
=
eE
24a
4
0
__
0
2r
4
e
r/a
0
dr
_
0
r
5
a
0
e
r/a
0
dr
_
=
eE
24a
4
0
_
2(4!)a
5
0
5!a
5
0
_
=
eE
24
(72a
0
)
= 3eEa
0
6