Solutions to previous control questions

Heisenberg and Schr

odinger picture

Example: Harmonic oscillator

Learning outcomes & control questions

Theoretical Physics II B Quantum Mechanics

Lecture 10
Frank Krauss

14.2.2013

F. Krauss
Theoretical Physics II B Quantum Mechanics[1cm] Lecture 10

Solutions to previous control questions

Heisenberg and Schr

odinger picture

Heisenberg and Schr

odinger picture

Example: Harmonic oscillator

F. Krauss
Theoretical Physics II B Quantum Mechanics[1cm] Lecture 10

Example: Harmonic oscillator

Learning outcomes & control questions

Solutions to previous control questions

Heisenberg and Schr

odinger picture

Example: Harmonic oscillator

Learning outcomes & control questions

Solutions to previous control questions

9.1 (a) The Hamiltonian already is diagonal, 


0
1
and therefore




~
1
0
E =
for |E+ i = |i =
and |E i = |i =
0
1
2
(b) The time evolution operator is given by


i

t0 )
U(t,
t0 ) = exp H(t
~

h
0)
exp i(tt
0
2
h
i
=
0)
0
exp i(tt
2
= ~
H
2

F. Krauss
Theoretical Physics II B Quantum Mechanics[1cm] Lecture 10

1
0

Solutions to previous control questions

Heisenberg and Schr

odinger picture

Example: Harmonic oscillator

Learning outcomes & control questions

9.1 (b) Continued: Applying it to a general linear combination

|i = c |i + c |i will result in time-dependent prefactors


i(t t0 )
c (t0 )
c (t) = exp
2


i(t t0 )
c (t) = exp
c (t0 )
2
(c) Since the Hamiltonian and the spin-operator in z direction do not
depend explicitly on time, and because they also commute we find
that
dhEi
dhSz i
=0=
.
dt
dt
Calculating the expectation value directly, we find
D   E
~
 
hSz i =
Sz  = (|c (t0 )|2 |c (t0 )|2 )
2
D   E
~

hEi =
H  =
(|c (t0 )|2 |c (t0 )|2 ) = hSz i .
2
F. Krauss
Theoretical Physics II B Quantum Mechanics[1cm] Lecture 10

Solutions to previous control questions

Heisenberg and Schr

odinger picture

Example: Harmonic oscillator

Learning outcomes & control questions

9.1 (d) The time evolution of the expectation value can in this case be
written as
D   E
 
hSx i = Sx 
=

~
~
c c exp [it] + c c exp [it] = cos (t) ,
2
2

and similarly
D   E
 
hSy i = Sy 
=

~
~
ic c exp [it] + ic c exp [it] = sin (t) ,
2
2

i.e. the spin experiences a precession movement around the z-axis.

To obtain the results above, we have used that c = c = 12 .

F. Krauss
Theoretical Physics II B Quantum Mechanics[1cm] Lecture 10

Solutions to previous control questions

Heisenberg and Schr

odinger picture

Example: Harmonic oscillator

Learning outcomes & control questions

Unitary transformations, again

Remember that the time evolution operator U(t,

t0 ) is unitary. This
implies probability conservation:


D
E



h(t)|(t)i = (t0 ) U
(t, t0 )U(t,
t0 ) (t0 ) = h(t0 )|(t0 )i ,
i.e. the norm of a state ket does not change during time evolution.
Instead, time evolution merely acts like a phase factor on the state
ket, rotating it in Hilbert space.
Even more, phase differences between different kets are invariant:


D
E



h(t)|(t)i = (t0 ) U
(t, t0 )U(t,
t0 ) (t0 ) = h(t0 )|(t0 )i ,

F. Krauss
Theoretical Physics II B Quantum Mechanics[1cm] Lecture 10

Solutions to previous control questions

Heisenberg and Schr

odinger picture

Example: Harmonic oscillator

Learning outcomes & control questions

Interpreting time evolution

Consider now an aribtrary operator sandwich with an explicitly
and keep in mind that for
time-independent operator O
measurements were mainly interested in the case where we sandwich
with identical states, i.e. where h| h|. Under time evolution,
 
D
E

(t0 ) O
 (t0 )
 


E
D
E
D



U(t,

(t) O
=
(t0 ) U
(t, t0 )O
t0 ) (t0 ) .
 (t)
Theres two extreme ways to interpret this:
1. Schr
odinger picture:

Time evolution for state kets, |(t)i U(t,

t0 ) |(t0 )i,

with operators unchanged, O O.

2. Heisenberg picture:

(t, t0 )O(t
0 )U(t,

Time evolution for operators, O(t)

U
t0 ),
with state kets unchanged, |i |i.
F. Krauss
Theoretical Physics II B Quantum Mechanics[1cm] Lecture 10

Solutions to previous control questions

Heisenberg and Schr

odinger picture

Example: Harmonic oscillator

Learning outcomes & control questions

Kets and operators in both pictures

For the sake of a compact notation, assume t0 = 0.
Assume kets and operators to coincide for t = t0 :
operators in the Schr
odinger and Heisenberg picture
are


 equal,

(S) = O
(H) (0) and the state kets are equal,  (S) (0) =  (H) .
O
Then:
(H) (t) =
O

E
 (S)
=
 (t)

(t)O
(S) U(t)

U

E


U(t)
 (H) .

But the expecation values are equal:





D
E D
E
 (H)  (H)
 (S)  (S)
(H) O
(t)
= (S) (t) O
 (t) .

F. Krauss
Theoretical Physics II B Quantum Mechanics[1cm] Lecture 10

Solutions to previous control questions

Heisenberg and Schr

odinger picture

Example: Harmonic oscillator

Learning outcomes & control questions

Heisenberg equation of motion

in the Schr
Assuming the operator O
odinger picture and the
Hamiltonian to be explicitly time-independent,

(t)
(H) (t)
U
dO

(S) U(t)
(t)O
(S) U(t)
=
O
+U
dt
t
t
i (S)
i (S)
= + U (t)H O U(t) U (t)O H U(t)
~
~
i (S)
i (S)
= + U (t)H U(t)U (t)O U(t) U
(t)O U(t)U (t)H U(t)
~
~
h
i
h
i
i (H)
i (H)
(t)H
U(t)

,
= O
(t), U
= O
(t), H
~
~
where in going to the last expression use has been made from the
does not depend explicitly on time,
fact that hif H
i
h
i

H
= 0.
U = exp i Ht/~
and U,

F. Krauss
Theoretical Physics II B Quantum Mechanics[1cm] Lecture 10

Solutions to previous control questions

Heisenberg and Schr

odinger picture

Example: Harmonic oscillator

Learning outcomes & control questions

Connection to classical physics

The Heisenberg equation of motion
i
(H) (t)
1 h (H)
dO

=
O (t), H
dt
i~
is strikingly similar to the classical equations of motion in the same
setup (explicitly time-independent Hamiltonians), which, using
Poisson brackets, can be written as
dO
= [O, H]classical
dt
leading to the assumption
[ , ]quantum
[ , ]classical
i~
It is worth noting, though, that this stretches to observables, such as
spin, which do not have any classical analogue.
However, analogue above indicates that in many aspects the
dynamics in the Heisenberg picture and their interpretation are
closer in spirit to classical physics. There is also no notion of a state
ket of any dynamical consequence.
F. Krauss
Theoretical Physics II B Quantum Mechanics[1cm] Lecture 10

Solutions to previous control questions

Heisenberg and Schr

odinger picture

Example: Harmonic oscillator

Learning outcomes & control questions

Base kets in the Heisenberg picture

Common misconception of the Heisenberg picture:
all kets are stationary. This is not true,
only state kets stationary, the base kets move!

Base kets are usually the eigenkets of an operator L;

yields
multiplying the eigenvalue equation from the left with U
U
(t)L
(S) |i i = U
(t)L
(S) U(t)
(t) |i i
U


(H) (t) U
(t) |i i = U
(t)i |i i .
= L
This indicates that the base kets in the Heisenberg picture indeed
move with time, but opposite to the way the state kets evolve in the
Schr
odinger picture.
However, the component representation of state kets behaves the
same way in both the Schr
odinger and the Heisenberg picture:
 E
D
E D
E D 
 
(H)
(S)
k (t) = k (t)| (H) = k | (S) (t) = k U(t)
 .
F. Krauss
Theoretical Physics II B Quantum Mechanics[1cm] Lecture 10

Solutions to previous control questions

Heisenberg and Schr

odinger picture

Example: Harmonic oscillator

Learning outcomes & control questions

Reminder: Hamiltonian
From classical Hamiltonian to ladder operators:




m 2 2
1
1
p2

+
x = ~ N +
= ~ a+ a +
.
H=
2m
2
2
2
Commutators of creation and annihilation operators:
h
i
h
i
a = a , H,
a = ~a .
[a+ , a ] = 1 , N,
Connection to position and momentum operators:
r
r
m
x i p
~
~m
a =
[a+ + a ] , p = i
[a+ a ] .
, x =
2m
2
2~m

F. Krauss
Theoretical Physics II B Quantum Mechanics[1cm] Lecture 10

Solutions to previous control questions

Heisenberg and Schr

odinger picture

Example: Harmonic oscillator

Learning outcomes & control questions

Time development in the Heisenberg picture

Heisenberg E.o.M. yields two coupled differential equations for x & p

i h i
d
x
i h i
p
d
p
= p, H
= m 2 x and
= x, H
=
dt
~
dt
~
m
Decouple nicely when going to ladder operators:
i
da
i h
= ia
= a , H
dt
~

F. Krauss
Theoretical Physics II B Quantum Mechanics[1cm] Lecture 10

a (t) = exp (it) a (0)

Solutions to previous control questions

Heisenberg and Schr

odinger picture

Example: Harmonic oscillator

Learning outcomes & control questions

Therefore:
r

~
x(t) =
[exp (it) a+ (0) + exp (it) a (0)]
2m
r
~
[cos(t)(a+ + a ) + i sin(t)(a+ a )]
=
2m
sin(t)
= cos(t) x(0) +
p(0) .
m
and similarly
p(t) = cos(t) p(0) m sin(t) x(0) .
They look like their classical analogue: the position and momentum
operators x and p oscillate with frequency .

F. Krauss
Theoretical Physics II B Quantum Mechanics[1cm] Lecture 10

Solutions to previous control questions

Heisenberg and Schr

odinger picture

Example: Harmonic oscillator

Learning outcomes & control questions

Alternative derivation
Alternatively, can also apply time-evolution operator directly:
#
"
#
"

i Ht
i Ht

x(0) exp
x(t) = U (t)
x (0)U(t) = exp
~
~
Using the Baker-Hausdorff formula
h
i h h
ii
)A
exp(i G
) = A
+ i G
, A
+ G
, G
, A
+ ...
exp(i G
and by repeatedly identifying
h

i
h
i
p (0)
= i~
= i~m
x(0)
p(0)
H,
and H,
x (0)
m

the result of the previous slide can be confirmed.

F. Krauss
Theoretical Physics II B Quantum Mechanics[1cm] Lecture 10

Solutions to previous control questions

Heisenberg and Schr

odinger picture

Example: Harmonic oscillator

Learning outcomes & control questions

Expectation values hX i and hPi

Since the operators x(t) and p(t) oscillate like
x(t)

p(t)

sin(t)
p(0)
m
cos(t) p(0) m sin(t) x(0) ,
cos(t) x(0) +

one would maybe naively expect that also the expectation values of
the corresponding observables oscillate in a similar fashion.
This however is not true: Consider the expectation value with
respect to the nth eigenstate, |n i:
r
~
hn |
x | n i =
hn |[a+ + a ]| n i = 0 ,
2m
because the creation and annihilation operators and thus the
position and momentum operators have only non-diagonal entries in
this base.
F. Krauss
Theoretical Physics II B Quantum Mechanics[1cm] Lecture 10

Solutions to previous control questions

Heisenberg and Schr

odinger picture

Example: Harmonic oscillator

Learning outcomes & control questions

Therefore, to observe oscillations that look anything like a classical

oscillator, the states must be superpositions of different energy
eigenstates.
For example, consider, in obvious notation, a state
|i = c0 |0i + c1 |1i.
Taking the expectation value with respect to such a state
r
 
 

 
 




~




c0 c1 0 a (t) 1 + c1 c0 1 a+ (t) 0
6= 0
h |
x | i =
2m
is non-vanishing and will indeed lead to some oscillatory movement.

F. Krauss
Theoretical Physics II B Quantum Mechanics[1cm] Lecture 10

Solutions to previous control questions

Heisenberg and Schr

odinger picture

Example: Harmonic oscillator

Learning outcomes & control questions

Coherent states
Following the logic above, a state b|i could be constructed as a
superposition of energy eigenstates, such that it most closely
imitates the classical oscillator.
Such a coherent state is defined by the eigenvalue equation for the
non-Hermitian annihilation operator a :
a |i = |i ,
which clearly must be a superposition of all energy eigenstates:
|i =

f (n) |ni , where |f (n)|2 =

n=0

nn
exp(
n) ,
n!

the distribution of the energy eigenkets n follows a Poisson

distribution around a mean n.
Such a state can be obtained by translating the gound state energy
of the oscialltor by some finite amount, and it satisfies the minimal
uncertainty product at all times.
F. Krauss
Theoretical Physics II B Quantum Mechanics[1cm] Lecture 10

Solutions to previous control questions

Heisenberg and Schr

odinger picture

Example: Harmonic oscillator

Learning outcomes & control questions

Learning outcomes
Heisenberg vs. Schr
odinger picture:
Heisenberg picture
Stationary

State kets
Observables

Moving

O
U)

=U
(O(t)
Moving oppositely
|bk i)
(|bk (t)i = U

Base kets

Schr
odinger picture
Moving
|i)
(|(t)i = U
Stationary
Stationary

In all cases, time evolution operator given by



Zt
0

i
i
0 0 H is t indep.

U(t) = exp
dt H(t )

exp Ht .
~
~
0

F. Krauss
Theoretical Physics II B Quantum Mechanics[1cm] Lecture 10

Solutions to previous control questions

Heisenberg and Schr

odinger picture

Example: Harmonic oscillator

Learning outcomes & control questions

Control questions
10.1 Consider, once again, the Hamiltonian
= eB Sz = Sz .
H
mc
already encountered in the control questions to the last lecture.
(a) Write the Heisenberg E.o.M. for the three time-dependent spin
operators Sx, y , z (t) and solve them.
(b) For the states |1 i = |i and | i = 12 [|i |i] write down the
Schr
odinger equation and solve it explicitly, i.e. give expressions for
these three states as functions of time in the Schr
odinger picture.
(c) Compare the time evolution of the expectation values of Sx,z with
respect to those three states in both pictures and check that they
coincide.

F. Krauss
Theoretical Physics II B Quantum Mechanics[1cm] Lecture 10