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    Problem Set 6 Solution

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    Sourajit Roy
    This document contains solutions to problems from a quantum physics problem set. 1) It finds the eigenfunctions and eigenvalues of the position (x) and momentum (p) operators. 2) It shows that the eigenfunctions of the kinetic energy operator K are the same as the momentum operator p, and gives an example of orthogonal and non-orthogonal degenerate eigenfunctions. 3) It writes the time-independent Schrodinger equation in momentum space basis and obtains an equation for the wavefunction depending on the potential matrix element. 4) It calculates the possible energy measurement outcomes and their probabilities for a particle in a finite square well, and finds the expected position value after a measurement of

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    Problem Set 6 Solution

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    Sourajit Roy
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    This document contains solutions to problems from a quantum physics problem set. 1) It finds the eigenfunctions and eigenvalues of the position (x) and momentum (p) operators. 2) It shows that the eigenfunctions of the kinetic energy operator K are the same as the momentum operator p, and gives an example of orthogonal and non-orthogonal degenerate eigenfunctions. 3) It writes the time-independent Schrodinger equation in momentum space basis and obtains an equation for the wavefunction depending on the potential matrix element. 4) It calculates the possible energy measurement outcomes and their probabilities for a particle in a finite square well, and finds the expected position value after a measurement of

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    This document contains solutions to problems from a quantum physics problem set. 1) It finds the eigenfunctions and eigenvalues of the position (x) and momentum (p) operators. 2) It shows that the eigenfunctions of the kinetic energy operator K are the same as the momentum operator p, and gives an example of orthogonal and non-orthogonal degenerate eigenfunctions. 3) It writes the time-independent Schrodinger equation in momentum space basis and obtains an equation for the wavefunction depending on the potential matrix element. 4) It calculates the possible energy measurement outcomes and their probabilities for a particle in a finite square well, and finds the expected position value after a measurement of

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    46 views3 pages

    Problem Set 6 Solution

    Uploaded by

    Sourajit Roy
    This document contains solutions to problems from a quantum physics problem set. 1) It finds the eigenfunctions and eigenvalues of the position (x) and momentum (p) operators. 2) It shows that the eigenfunctions of the kinetic energy operator K are the same as the momentum operator p, and gives an example of orthogonal and non-orthogonal degenerate eigenfunctions. 3) It writes the time-independent Schrodinger equation in momentum space basis and obtains an equation for the wavefunction depending on the potential matrix element. 4) It calculates the possible energy measurement outcomes and their probabilities for a particle in a finite square well, and finds the expected position value after a measurement of

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    of 3

    QUANTUM PHYSICS I

    PROBLEM SET 6
    SOLUTION

    A. Eigenfunctions and eigenvalues of common operators

    What are the eigenfunction and eigenvalues of the operators


    i) x̂
    As seen in class, the eigenfunctions are fx0 (x) = δ(x − x0 ) with eigenvalues x0 , for any
    real x0 . In fact,

    x̂fx0 (x) = x̂δ(x − x0 ) = xδ(x − x0 ) = x0 δ(x − x0 ) = x0 fx0 (x). (1)


    √
    ii) p̂ As seen in class, the eigenfunctions are fk (x) = eikx / 2π with eigenvalues ~k, for
    any real k. In fact,
    d eikx eikx
    p̂fk (x) = −i~ √ = ~k √ = ~kfk (x). (2)
    dx 2π 2π
    Repeat items i) and ii).

    B. Eigenfunctions of kinetic energy

    What are the eigenfunctions and eigenvalues of the kinetic operator K̂ = p̂2 /2m. Show
    two degenerate eigenfunctions of the kinetic operator which are orthogonal to each other.
    Also, show two degenerate eigenfunctions that are NOT orthogonal.
    The eigenfunctions of K̂ are the same as the ones of p̂:

    1 1 1
    K̂fk (x) =p̂p̂fk (x) = p̂~kfk (x) = (~k)2 fk (x), (3)
    2m 2m 2m
    and the corresponding eigenvalues are ~2 k 2 /2m. The functions fk (x) and f−k (x) are two
    linearly independent eigenfunctions (as long as k 6= 0) since they share the same eigenvalue
    ~2 k 2 /2m. They are also orthogonal since
    Z ∞ Z ∞
    ∗ 1 ikx ikx
    dx (f−k (x)) fk (x) = dx e e = δ(2k) = 0, (4)
    −∞ −∞ 2π
    where we assumed that k 6= 0. An example of two non-orthogonal degenerate eigenfunctions
    √
    is fk (x) and 17fk (x) − 3if−k (x)/ 172 + 32 .
    2

    C. Schroedinger equation in momentum space

    Denote by |ki the momentum eigenfunction with eigenvalue p = ~k, that is

    p̂|ki = ~k|ki, (5)

    and by |ni the energy eigenfunction of the hamiltonian Ĥ = p̂2 /2m + V̂ with eigenvalue En

    Ĥ|ni = En |ni. (6)

    Write the time independent Schroedinger equation in 6 in the basis of momentum eigenfunc-
    tions. You should obtain an equation for ψn (k) = hk|ni depending on the “matrix element”
    hk|V̂ |k ′ i. Hint: the answer is
     2 2  Z
    ~k
    ψn (k) − En + dk ′ hk|V̂ |k ′ iψn (k ′ ) = 0. (7)
    2m
    R
    Multiplying the Schr´’odinger on the left by hk| and inserting the identity 1 = dk ′ |k ′ ihk ′ |
    we have
    Z
    hk|Ĥ dk ′ |k ′ ihk ′ |ni = hk|En |ni
    Z
    p̂2
    dk ′ hk| + V (x̂)|k ′ ihk ′ |ni = En hk|ni
    2m
     
    Z
     k2 
    dk ′  hk|k ′ i +hk|V (x̂)|k ′ i hk ′ |ni = En hk|ni. (8)
    2m | {z }
    δ(k−k′ )

    Defining ψn (k) = hk|ni we then have


     2 2  Z
    ~k
    ψn (k) − En + dk ′ hk|V̂ |k ′ iψn (k ′ ) = 0. (9)
    2m

    D. Probabilistic interpretation

    A particle lives inside two impenetrable walls at x = 0 and x = a. Its wave function at
    time t is given by √
     2 x, for 0 < x < a,
    a
    Ψ(x, t) = . (10)
     0, otherwise
    i) If the energy is measured, what are the possible outcomes and with which probabilities?
    3

    First, let us normalize the wave function properly:


    Z a
    r
    2 2 a3 A2 3
    1= Ax = →A= . (11)
    0 3 a3

    The possible outcomes of an energy easuremnt are the eigenvalues of the infinite square well
    hamiltonian, namely
    ~2 π 2 2
    En = n , n = 1, 2, · · · . (12)
    2ma2
    To find the probabilities of each one we write the wave function as a linear superposition of
    eigenfucntions of the hamiltonian

    ∞ r
    X 2
    Ax = cn sin(nπx/a). (13)
    n=1
    a
    The values of the constants cn are given by
    Z ar r
    √ (−1)n
    3 2
    cn = x sin(nπx/a) = − 6 . (14)
    0 a3 a nπ

    The probability of finding the value En is given by |cn |2 = 6/(n2 π 2 ).


    ii) Suppose the energy measurement results in the value E = 4~2 π 2 /(2ma2 ). What is the
    expected (average) value of the position immediately after this measurement?
    q
    If the energy value E2 is measured, the wave function collapses to ψ2 (x) = a2 sin(2πx/a).
    A subsequent measurement of the position will yield the value x with probability
    q
    | a2 sin(2πx/a)|2 . The expected value will be

    Z a
    2 a
    dx x sin2 (2πx/a) = . (15)
    0 a 2

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