Equation sheet

∂
Momentum operator: p̂ = −i~ ∂x
Canonical commutation relation: [x̂, p̂] = i~.
Commutation relation for angular momentum operators: [L̂a , L̂b ] = i~abc L̂c .

1D Schrödinger Eq.  2 2 
~ ∂ ∂
Time-dependent 1D Schrödinger Eq.: − 2m 2 + V (x) Ψ(x, t) = i~ ∂t Ψ(x, t)
 2 2  ∂x
~ ∂
1D Hamiltonian: Ĥ = − 2m ∂x2 + V (x)
 2 2 
~ ∂
Time-independent 1D Schrödinger Eq.: − 2m ∂x2 + V (x) ψ(x) = Eψ(x)

3D Schrödinger Eq.
Time-independent 3D Schrödinger Eq.:  
~2
− 2m ∇2 + V (~r) ψ(~r) = Eψ(~r),

Radial Schrödinger Eq. in terms of R(r):    

~2 d ~2 `(`+1)
− 2mr 2 dr r2 dR(r)
dr + V (r) + 2m r 2 R(r) = ER(r)

Angular momentum operators, eigenstates, and eigenvalues:

L̂2 |`mi = ~2 `(` + 1)|`mi
L̂z |`mi = ~m|`mi
Spherical harmonics: hθ, φ|`mi = Y`m (θ, φ)

Generalized Ehrenfest’s theorem: d

dt hQ̂(t)i = ~i h[Ĥ, Q̂]i + h ∂ Q̂(t)
∂t )i.

Uncertainty Principles: q
Uncertainty for observables Q̂: σQ = hQ̂2 i − hQ̂i2
Uncertainty principle for x and p: σx σp ≥ ~2
 2
1
Uncertainty in general: σA σB ≥ 2i h[Â, B̂]i

1D infinite-square well: For a potential defined by

(
0 −L/2 < x < L/2 ,
V0 (x) = (1)
∞ otherwise .
q
 2 cos nx π , for odd n ,


(0) (0) L L
the solutions are hx|n i = ψn (x) = q
 2 sin nx π
, for even n ,
L L
(0) π~ 2 1 (0) 2

2
and the energies are En = L 2m n ≡ E1 n .

Harmonic Oscillator:
Raising and lowering operators in Harmonic Oscillator: a± = √ 1 (∓ip̂ + mωx)
2~mω
1
Harmonic oscillator Hamiltonian: ĤHO = + (mω) x̂ ) = ~ω(a+ a− + 21 ) = ~ω(a− a+ − 21 )
2m (p̂
2 2 2

1/4 − mω x2
Ground state to the Harmonic oscillator: hx|0i = ψ0 (x) = mω
π~ e 2~ .
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an
nth solution to the Harmonic oscilator: |ni = √+n! |0i.
commutation relations: [â− , â+ ] =√1 √
actions on states: â+ |ni = |n + 1i n + 1, â− |ni =
|n − 1i n.
Energy of the nth state Harmonic oscillator: En = ~ω n + 21 .

Coulomb Potential and Hydrogen-like atom solutions:

1 −Ze2
Coulomb Potential: V (r) = 4π0 r
 2
(0) (0) (0) me e2
Energies for Coulomb potential: En = Z 2 E1 /n2 , where E1 = − 2~ 2 4π0

−3/2 −Zr/a
Lowest radial solutions: R10 (r) = 2 Za e ,
a −3/2
1

Zr

−Zr/2a
R20 (r) = 2 Z
√ 1 − 2a e ,
1 a

−3/2 Zr
−Zr/2a
R21 (r) = 2√6 Z a e

     
0 1 0 −i 1 0
Pauli Matrices: σx = , σy = , σz = .
1 0 i 0 0 −1

T̂ (a) = exp − ia
 
Transformation operators: Translation h operator:
i ~ p̂ .
Time-translation operator: T̂ (t) = exp it
~ Ĥ .
h i
Rotations about the z-axis: R̂z (φ) = exp − iφ~ L̂z .
h i
Rotations about the z-axis for spin-1/2 particle : R̂z (φ) = exp − iφ 2 σ̂z .

Non-degenerate perturbation theory:

(1)
Leading order corrections to energies: En = hn(0) |Ĥ 0 |n(0) i
(0) 0 (0)
Leading order corrections to states: |n(1) i = k6=n |k (0) i hk (0)|Ĥ |n(0) i
P
En −Em
(0)
|Ĥ 0 |n(0) i|2
Second-order corrections to energies: En = k6=n |hk (0)
(2) P
(0)
En −Ek

ha|Ĥ 0 |ai ha|Ĥ 0 |bi

 
Two-fold degenerate perturbation theory: Let W =
hb|Ĥ 0 |ai hb|Ĥ 0 |bi
(1)
The leading order solutions satisfy the eigenvalue problem: W · ~v± = E± ~v±

 
∂En (λ) ∂ Ĥ
Feynman-Hellman theorem: ∂λ = ψn (0) ∂λ ψn (0)
λ=0

Time-dependent perturbation theory: The transition amplitude between states |ai and |mi at leading order
is given by:
ˆ
i t 0 0
(1)
cma (t) = − H (t0 )e−iωam t dt0 (2)
~ 0 ma
Ea −Em
where ωam = ~ is the transition frequency. The probability of transition is just Pma (t) = |cma (t)|2 .

Schrodinger Eq. in the presence of external scalar (ϕ) and vector (A) ~ potentials:
 2 
∂Ψ(~r, t) 1  ~ − qA
~ + qϕ , Ψ(~r, t)
i~ = −i~∇ (3)
∂t 2m
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Transition rate according to Fermi’s Golden rule:

2π 2
R(Ef ) = D(Ef ) |λHi→f | (4)
~
Density of states:
Y V d 3 pn
D(Ef ) = ξn , (5)
n
(2π~)3

where ξn is the multiplicity of such state.

Scattering quantities:  
ikr
Asymptotic wavefunction: Ψassy (~r) ∼ A eikz + f (θ) e r
dσ 2
Differential cross section: dΩ = |f (θ)|
m
´ 3 i(k0 −k)·r
Born approximation for the scattering amplitude: f (θ) = − 2π~ 2 d r0 e 0
V (r0 )

Mathematical identities: √
b2 −4ac
Quadratic formula: ´x = −b± 2a
∞ √
Gaussian integrals: −∞ dx exp(−x2 ) = π,
´∞ √
−∞
dx x2n exp(−x2 ) = π (2n)! 1
n! 22n .

Trigonmetric identities: sin(a ± b) = sin(a) cos(b) ± sin(b) cos(a)

cos(a ± b) = cos(a) cos(b) ∓ sin(a) sin(b)
´b b
Trigonmetric Integrals: a dx sin(x) = − cos(x) a
´b b
dx cos(x) = sin(x) a
´b
a
b
dx x sin(x) = (sin(x) − x cos(x)) a
´b
a
b
a
dx x cos(x) = (cos(x) + x sin(x)) a

´∞
δ-function integrals: −∞ δ(x) dx = 1
´∞
f (x)δ(x − x0 ) dx = f (x0 ), where f (x) is a differentiable function and x0 is a constant.
´−∞
∞
−∞
δ(cx) dx = 1/|c|, where c is a constant

Properties of commutators: [ÂB̂, Ĉ] = Â[B̂, Ĉ] + [Â, Ĉ]B̂