PH 203 Quantum Mechanics I — Assignment 4

Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore

Instructor: Tanmoy Das
TAs: Subhadeep Dasgupta, and Priyanshi
Due Date: 18 Oct, 2021 by 23.59
Total points: To be decided
(Solve all four questions, and any two will be graded as always.)

Exercise 1 Virial theorem in Quantum Mechanics (25 Points)

For a one-dimensional problem described by

p̂2
Ĥ = + a|x̂|n
2m
(where a, n > 0), the virial theorem states that in any eigenstate of Ĥ, the expectation
values satisfy the relations

p̂2 n 2
< >= < Ĥ >, and < a|x̂|n >= < Ĥ >,
2m n+2 n+2

To prove this theorem, consider the Hermitian operator

x̂p̂ + p̂x̂
D̂ = .
2~

a) Calculate the commutator [D̂, Ĥ]. (We have written the potential as a|x̂|n instead
of ax̂n to avoid any difficulties if n is not an integer. But when you are calculating
[D̂, Ĥ], you may take a|x̂|n to be equivalent to ax̂n ). [5 pts]

b) Now calculate the expectation value of [D̂, Ĥ] in an eigenstate of Ĥ and use the
result to prove the virial theorem. [10 pts]

c) How does the unitary operator U = eiθD̂ transform x̂ and p̂, namely, what are
U x̂U −1 and U p̂U −1 equal to? Show that for θ = iπ, the operator U does the parity
transformation, x → −x and p → −p. [10 pts]
[D̂ is sometimes called the scaling operator].

1
Exercise 2 Linear Algebra (25 Points)

a) If O and A~ transform like a scalar and vector respectively, show that OA~ transforms
~ and B
like a vector. If A ~ transform like vectors, show that A ~·B~ transforms like a
scalar, and A~×B ~ transforms like a vector. (All this is true whether or not O, A ~
and B ~ commute with each other). Verify that ~r and p~ transform like vectors. [5
pts].

b) Find all the 2 × 2 Hermitian matrices A whose square is equal to the identity matrix
I. For all such matrices, calculate eiθA , where θ is a real number, and show that
the answer can be written in terms of the matrices I and A. Find the commutation
relation between Ai . [10 pts].

c) Consider the matrices

     
1 0 0 0 1 0 0 −i 0
1  1 
Tz =  0 0 0  , Tx = √  1 0 1  , Ty = √  i 0 −i 
   
2 2
0 0 −1 0 1 0 0 i 0

and
     
0 −i 0 0 0 0 0 0 i
Tz0 =  i 0 0  , Tx0 =  0 0 −i  , Ty0 =  0 0 0 
     
0 0 0 0 i 0 −i 0 0

Construct a unitary matrix U such that U Ti U −1 = Ti0 for i = x, y and z. [10 pts].
Hint: If xn are the three normalised eigenvectors of Tz with the eigenvalues λn ,
and x0n are the corresponding eigenvectors of Tz0 with the same eigenvalues, then
U = n x0n x†n satisfies U Tz U −1 = Tz0 . Note that the vectors xn and x0n have some
P

phase ambiguities; these ambiguities can be fixed by explicitly checking that the
same matrix U also satisfies U Tx U −1 = Tx0 and U Ty U −1 = Ty0 .

Exercise 3 Landau Levels (25 Points)

Consider a particle with charge q and mass m moving in two dimensions in the presence
of a vector potential given by Ax = 0 and Ay = Bx. [Ignore the z coordinate and the spin

2
of the electron in this problem. Also, assume that qB > 0 and define ωc = qB/(mc)] . Let
us define the four operators
r   
c qBx
a= px + i py −
2~qB c
r   
† c qBx
a = px − i py −
2~qB c
r   
c qBy
b= px − − ipy
2~qB c
r   
† c qBy
b = px − + ipy
2~qB c
a) Calculate all the possible commutators between these operators. [10 pts].
~ 2 is equal to ~ωc a† a + 1/2 . [5


b) Show that the Hamiltonian H = (1/2m)[~p − q A/c]
pts].

c) Use the result in (b) to find all the energy levels and show that each of these levels
has an infinite degeneracy. [10 pts].

Exercise 4 Squeezed States (25 Points)

Recall that for the simple harmonic oscillator, the uncertainties ∆x and ∆p of the ground
p
state wave function (and all coherent states) are equal to the ’natural’ values ~/2mω
p
and ~mω/2 respectively.

a) Now consider an eigenstate of the operator Q = µa + νa† with eigenvalue α, where

µ, ν and α are three complex numbers satisfying |µ|2 − |ν|2 = 1. For this state,
calculate the uncertainties ∆x and ∆p as functions of µ, ν and α. Is ∆x∆p ≥ ~/2?
This is called a squeezed state if either ∆x or ∆p is less than its ’natural’ value
given above. [10 pts]

b) Now let this state evolve in time according to the Schrödinger equation. Show that
it continues to be an eigenstate of the operator Q(t) = µ(t)a + ν(t)a† with the same
eigenvalue α, where µ(t) and ν(t) are appropriately chosen functions of time. [5
pts]

c) From this, find ∆x and ∆p as functions of time, and show that they periodically
get squeezed and ’unsqueezed’. What is the time period of maximum squeezing of
∆x? Sketch ∆x, ∆p and ∆x∆p as functions of time. [10 pts]

3
Extra

Exercise A Coherent States ( Points)

a) For the simple harmonic oscillator with the time-independent wave functions ψn (x)
satisfying  
1
Hψn (x) = ~ω n + ψn (x)
2
consider the superposition
∞
X
ψ(x, 0) = cn ψn (x)
n=0

at time t = 0. How should the coefficients cn be chosen so that ψ(x, 0) is an eigenstate

of the lowering operator a, namely, aψ(x, 0) = αψ(x, 0), where the eigenvalue α is
some given complex number?
Eigenstates of a are called coherent states.

b) Using the expression for a, find the explicit form of the wave function ψ(x, 0). Make
sure that ψ(x, 0) is correctly normalised.

c) Now let ψ evolve in time according to the Schrödinger equation i~∂ψ(x, t)/∂t =
Hψ(x, t). Show that ψ(x, t) remains a coherent state at all times, except that the
eigenvalue of a changes with time; how does it change?

d) The mean position < x > and uncertainty ∆x of the wave function ψ(x, t) are
defined as
Z∞
<x>= dxx|ψ|2
−∞

Z∞
(∆x)2 = dx(x− < x >)2 |ψ|2
−∞

assuming that ψ(x, t) is normalised. Show that < x > varies with time according
to the classical equation of motion, while ∆x does not change at all.

e) Calculate the mean momentum < p > and uncertainty ∆p, and show that they have
similar properties as < x > and ∆x in part (iv). How much is ∆x∆p equal to?
All these are important properties of coherent states.

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Exercise B Higher Moments of Harmonic Oscillator ( Points)
Consider the eigenstates ψn (x) of the one-dimensional simple harmonic oscillator
 Hamilto-
R∞ ?
nian. (We assume these are normalised so that −∞ dx ψn (x)ψn (x) = 1 . Use the raising
and lowering operators to find the expectation values

Z∞
3
< x >n = dx ψn? (x) x3 ψn (x)
−∞

Z∞
4
and < x >n = dx ψn? (x) x4 ψn (x)
−∞

as functions of n.

Exercise C Triatomic Molecule ( Points)

A triatomic molecule is moving in one dimension with the Hamiltonian

p21 + p22 + p23 1

+ mω 2 (x2 − x1 )2 + (x2 − x3 )2
 
H=
2m 2
where xn denotes the displacement of the nth particle from its equilibrium position. Find
all the energy levels and write down the corresponding wave functions.

Exercise D Linear Algebra

a) For a Hermitian operator O, show that the expectation values < O > and < O2 >
in any normalised state | ψ > satisfy < O2 > ≥ < O >2 . Prove that equality
holds if and only if | ψ > is an eigenstate of O.

b) Let A, B and D be three Hermitian operators such that [A, B] = iD. If | ψ > is a
normalised eigenstate of D with eigenvalue d, show that the uncertainties ∆A and
∆B in the state | ψ > must satisfy ∆A∆B ≥ |d|/2.
[We define ∆A as the square root of the expectation value of (A− < A >)2 in the
state | ψ >, where < A > is the expectation value of A in | ψ > .∆B is defined in
a similar way].