8.06x Problem Set 1
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ken adams8.06x Problem Set 1
Uploaded by
ken adams8.
06x Problem Set 1
Problem 1. The Joy of 2 × 2 Hermitian Matrices
In this problem let a = (a1 , a2 , a3 ) be a real vector, σ = (σ1 , σ2 , σ3 ) be the triplet of Pauli
matrices, and I the 2 × 2 identity matrix.
a) Calculate the eigenvalues of a · σ. (Hint: consider the eigenvalues of (a · σ)2 and
evaluate tr(a · σ).) What are the eigenvalues of a0 I + a · σ, where a0 is a real number?
b) Let a = (α, 0, β). Use second order perturbation theory to find the eigenvalues of
a · σ for the case α β, with both α and β positive. (Check your answer by Taylor
expansion of the exact eigenvalues.)
c) Define the inner product hA, Bi ≡ tr[A† B] on the space of 2 × 2 matrices. Let A ≡
1
(a I + a · σ), with a = (a1 , a2 , a3 ). Construct Hermitian matrices Q0 , Q1 , Q2 , Q3 such
2 0
that aµ = hQµ , Ai, for µ = 0, . . . , 3.
Problem 2. Anharmonic Oscillator
Consider the anharmonic oscillator with Hamiltonian
p̂2 √ x̂3
H= + 12 mω 2 x̂2 + λ 2 ~ω 3 ,
2m d
where d2 = ~
mω
and we treat the x̂3 term as a perturbation.
a) Find the shift in the ground state energy to order λ2 .
b) Find the corrected ground state |0i to order λ, writing your answer as a sum of harmonic
oscillator states. Include, if required, the appropriate normalization constant that
makes the state of unit norm to first order in λ.
c) Find the x̂ expectation value h0|x̂|0i in the corrected ground state to leading order
in λ.
d) Sketch the potential V (x) as a function of x/d for small λ > 0. Is the state you found
in (b) anything like a true energy eigenstate?
e) Establish the anharmonicity of the oscillator by computing En (λ) − E0 (λ), including
leading-order corrections in λ.
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Quantum Mechanics III (8.06x) — (Online) Problem Set 1
Problem 3. Perturbation of the Three-Dimensional Harmonic Oscillator
The spectrum of the three-dimensional isotropic harmonic oscillator is degenerate. In this
problem, we see how a certain perturbation reduces the degeneracy. (This problem does not
require the tools of degenerate perturbation theory.)
Consider a system described by the Hamiltonian H = H (0) + δH. The unperturbed
Hamiltonian is given by
1 2 1
H (0) = p̂ + 2 mω 2 x̂2 ,
2m
where x̂ = (x̂1 , x̂2 , x̂3 ), p̂ = (p̂1 , p̂2 , p̂3 ). The perturbation δH is given by
δH = λω L̂2 ,
where L̂2 = x̂3 p̂1 − x̂1 p̂3 is the component of angular momentum in the y direction, and λ is
unit free.
a) Set λ = 0, so that H = H (0) . Use creation and annihilation operators for “oscillator
quanta” in the 1, 2 and 3 directions, with number operators N1 , N2 , N3 , respectively.
Denote eigenstates of these number operators by their eigenvalues, as |n1 , n2 , n3 i.
What is the energy En1 ,n2 ,n3 of the state |n1 , n2 , n3 i?
How many linearly independent states are there with energy E = 27 ~ω?
b) Express δH in terms of creation and annihilation operators.
Find the matrix representation of δH in the E = 25 ~ω degenerate subspace spanned
by |1i ≡ |1, 0, 0i, |2i ≡ |0, 1, 0i, |3i ≡ |0, 0, 1i.
c) What are the eigenvalues and eigenstates of δH in the E = 52 ~ω degenerate subspace?
[Use normalized eigenstates that are column vectors with top non-vanishing component
real and positive.]
Give the eigenvalues and eigenstates of H = H (0) + δH in the degenerate subspace.
What is the matrix representation of H (0) +δH in the degenerate subspace in this basis
of eigenvectors?
d) Calculate [H (0) , δH]. What can be said about hφ|δH|ψi when |ψi and |φi are eigen-
states of H (0) with different energy eigenvalues?
[The results you will find mean that δH is a “non-generic” perturbation of H (0) . We
were able to focus on a single degenerate subspace, and in order to analyze H =
H (0) + δH, we did not have to assume that λ was small. If δH were “generic”, we
would have had to assume that λ was small in order to make progress.]
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Quantum Mechanics III (8.06x) — (Online) Problem Set 1
Problem 4. Polarizability of a Particle on a Ring; the Methanol Molecule
Consider a particle of mass m constrained to move in the xy-plane on a circular ring of
radius a. The only variable of the system is the azimuthal angle φ measured with respect
to the x axis. The state of the system is described by a wave function ψ(φ) that must be
periodic and normalized:
Z 2π
ψ(φ + 2π) = ψ(φ), |ψ(φ)|2 dφ = 1.
0
The kinetic energy of the particle can be written as
L̂2z ~ d
H (0) = , L̂z = .
2ma2 i dφ
(0) (0) (0)
a) Calculate the eigenvalues En and eigenfunctions ψn (φ) of H (0) , with ψn (φ) a nor-
(0)
malized L̂z eigenstate of eigenvalue ~n, with phase convention that makes ψn (0) real
(0)
and positive. Associate the states |n(0) i with the wavefunctions ψn .
Which of the energy levels are degenerate?
b) Now assume that the particle has a charge q and that it is placed in a uniform electric
field of magnitude ε in the x-direction. We must therefore add to the Hamiltonian the
perturbation
δH = −qεa cos φ.
Calculate the corrected ground state |0i to first order in ε.
Use this state to evaluate the induced electric dipole moment d = h0|qx̂|0i in the x-
direction. Determine the polarizability constant α relating the dipole moment and the
applied field as in d = αε.
c) Now turn off the electric field of part (b) and consider the methanol molecule CH3 OH.
We will consider the rotation of the hydroxyl (OH) hydrogen about the straight line
joining the oxygen and carbon atoms, as sketched in Figure 1.
To zeroth approximation this rotation is free and the Hamiltonian H (0) describes the
rotational kinetic energy (the constant ma2 must be replaced by some effective moment
of inertia; however, for simplicity, we will just keep calling it ma2 ).
We now take the electrostatic interaction energy between the CH3 group and the OH
group into account as a perturbation. To implement the threefold symmetry of the
CH3 group, we add to H (0) a term of the form
(0)
δH = η E1 cos 3φ,
(0)
where E1 > 0 is the first nonzero energy eigenvalue and η > 0 is a real unit-free
constant. Here φ = 0 corresponds to the OH aligned with some CH vector. Calcu-
late the energy E0 (η) of the new ground state to second order in η and the position
representation ψ0 (φ) of this wavefunction of this state to first order in η.
Give a physical interpretation of the result. In particular, what are the values of φ for
which the hydrogen in the OH group is more likely to be found?
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Quantum Mechanics III (8.06x) — (Online) Problem Set 1
Figure 1: Left: A ball-and-stick model of the methanol model. Right: The same molecule,
seen end-on. The angle φ indicates the position of the hydrogen attached to the oxygen
relative to a hydrogen atom in the stationary CH3 group.
Problem 5. Energy Shift Due to Finite Nuclear Size
The Coulomb potential of the proton does not really hold all the way to the origin. The
proton’s charge is smeared out over a sphere of roughly 10−13 cm in radius. This has a small
effect on the energy levels of the hydrogen atom. Let’s find out how small.
Model the electric charge distribution of the proton as a uniformly charged sphere of
radius R. You may ignore the fine structure, Lamb shift, and hyperfine splittings of hydrogen
for this problem.
a) Find the electrostatic potential energy V (r) of the electron for all r > 0. Your V (r)
must be continuous and become V (r) = −e2 /r for r > R. [Hint: Use Gauss’s law
∇ · E = 4πρ to find the electric field everywhere and then integrate the electric field
to find the potential and the potential energy.]
b) Use lowest order perturbation theory to calculate the shift δE in the energy of the
ground state of hydrogen due to this modification of the potential. Assume that R is
sufficiently small that the unperturbed wave function varies very little over 0 < r < R
and can thus be replaced by the value at r = 0.
(1)
Use R and a0 to express your answer for E1,0,0 as a fraction of the binding energy of
the ground state, 1 Ry (= 13.6 eV).
c) Why is this effect most important for states with orbital angular momentum zero?
Without doing any calculation, make an estimate of the factor by which this effect is
smaller for an ` = 1 state as compared to an ` = 0 state.
d) Experimentally, the most precise measurement of the proton radius comes from the
PSI experiment:
R = 0.84184(67) × 10−13 cm.
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Quantum Mechanics III (8.06x) — (Online) Problem Set 1
[R. Pohl et al., “The size of the proton,” Nature 466, 213 (2010).] This measurement is
controversial, since it differs by 4% from the CODATA world average (R = 0.8768(69)×
10−13 cm). Putting the controversy aside, explain why the PSI experiment could get
such impressive accuracy using muonic hydrogen (a muon-proton bound state) instead
of ordinary hydrogen (an electron-proton bound state). [Hint: The muon is 206.8 times
heavier than the electron.]
