PHY/MSP-314 QUANTUM MECHANICS-I

Assignment 4

1. A particle of mass m, which moves freely inside an infinite potential well of length a, has the
following initial wave function at t = 0:

A  πx  r 3 
3πx

ψ(x, 0) = √ sin + sin
a a 5a a

(a) Find A so that ψ(x, 0) is normalized.

(b) Calculate the average energy.
(c) Find the wave function ψ(x, t) at any later time t.
(d) Determinepthe probability of finding the system at a time t in the state
ϕ(x, t) = 2/a sin(5πx/a)e−iE5 t/ℏ .

2. Consider a system whose wave function at t = 0 is;

3 4 1
ψ(x, 0) = √ ϕ0 (x) + √ ϕ1 (x) + √ ϕ4 (x),
30 30 6
where ϕn (x) is the wave function of the nth excited state of an infinite square well potential
2 π 2 ℏ2
of width a and whose energy is En = n(2ma 2) .

(a) Find the average energy of this system.

(b) Find the state ψ(x, t) at a later time t, and the average value of the energy.

3. Consider a particle of mass m moving in a one-dimensional infinite potential well with walls
at x = 0 and x = a which is initially (i.e., at t = 0) in the state;
1
ψ(x, 0) = √ [ϕ1 (x) + ϕ3 (x)] ,
2
where ϕ1 (x) and ϕ3 (x) are the ground and second excited states, respectively.

(a) Find ψ(x, t) for t > 0.

(b) Find the expectation values ⟨X̂⟩, ⟨P̂ ⟩, ⟨Xˆ2 ⟩, and ⟨Pˆ2 ⟩ with respect to |ψ⟩.
(c) Evaluate ∆x∆p and verify that it satisfies the uncertainty principle.

4. A particle of mass m is confined in a one-dimensional box of length ℓ with the potential:

(
0, for 0 < x < ℓ,
V (x) =
∞, for x ≤ 0 or x ≥ ℓ.

At a certain instant, say t = 0 the wave function of this particle is given by

r
30
ψ(x, 0) = x(ℓ − x), for 0 < x < ℓ.
ℓ5
Write down an expression for ψ(x, t) as a series. (Hint: Expand the wave function as a
superposition of the energy eigenstates)

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5. Consider a particle of mass m subjected to a delta potential V (x) = −V0 δ(x), where V0 > 0.
(a) Show that this particle has only one bound state in the case of negative energies. Find
the binding energy and the wave function.
(b) Calculate the probability of finding the particle in the interval −a ≤ x ≤ a.
(c) Find the probability that the particle remains bound when V0 is (i)halved suddenly, (ii)
quadrupled suddenly.
6. Consider the ground state wave function of a particle of mass m in a one-dimensional harmonic
oscillator of force constant k (i.e. V (x) = 21 kx2 ),
 α 1/4 2 /2
ψ0 (x) = e−αx
π
where α = mω ℏ
0
and ω0 = k/m. Find the probability of finding the particle outside the
classical region. (Classical region refers to the range of positions |x| < x0 , where x0 is the
point where E = V (x0 ).)
7. Imagine a bead of mass m that slides frictionlessly around a circular wire ring of circumference
L. (This is just like a free particle, except that ψ(x + L) = ψ(x).) Find the stationary states
(with appropriate normalization) and the corresponding allowed energies. Note that there
are (with one exception) two independent solutions for each energy En —corresponding to
clockwise and counter-clockwise circulation; call them ψn+ (x) and ψn− (x).
8. An electron is moving freely inside a one-dimensional infinite potential box with walls at
x = 0 and x = a. If the electron is initially in the ground state of the box and we suddenly
double the size of the box, calculate the probability of finding the electron in:
(a) The ground state of the new box.
(b) The first excited state of the new box.
9. Consider the step potential:

0
 x<0
V (x) = V0 0<x<a

0 x≥a


where V0 > 0.

(a) For a particle with E < V0 , find the transmission coefficient T .

(b) When E ≪ V0 , find the transmission coefficient T .
ex
(Hint: After solving part (a), use the approximation sinh(x) ≈ 2 when x ≫ 1).
(c) If the particle has energy E = 1 eV and V0 = 2 eV, find the width a of the barrier such
that the transmission probability is 10−3 .

10. At time t = 0, a particle in the potential V (x) = 21 mω 2 x2 is described by the wave function:

X 1
ψ(x, 0) = A ( √ )n ψn (x)
n 2

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where ψn (x) are eigenstates of the energy with eigenvalues En = n + 2 ℏω. You are also
given that (ψn , ψn′ ) = δnn′ .

(a) Find the normalization constant A.

(b) Write an expression for ψ(x, t) for t > 0.
(c) Show that |ψ(x, t)|2 is a periodic function of time and indicate the longest period T .
(d) Find the expectation value of the energy at t = 0.

11. (a) Derive the classical probability density function P (x) for a harmonic oscillator with total
energy E. The potential energy of the harmonic oscillator is given by:

1
V (x) = mω 2 x2
2
(b) Compare the classical probability density function of the harmonic oscillator with the
quantum mechanical probability density function for the ground state(n=1) of the quan-
tum harmonic oscillator.
• Discuss how the probability distribution differs in the classical and quantum cases.
• Specifically, explain why the quantum probability density does not vanish at the
classical turning points and how this reflects the wave nature of quantum particles.
• If we go from n=1 to n=5, what you will observe? Draw the probability density
functions for all the cases

12. (a) Consider a quantum harmonic oscillator with the potential:

1
V (x) = mω 2 x2
2
To find the energy eigenstates ψn (x) of the quantum harmonic oscillator, use the creation
↠and annihilation â operators, where the annihilation operator satisfies:

â|0⟩ = 0
Start by finding the ground state ψ0 (x) corresponding to n = 0, and then use the creation
operator ↠to construct higher energy states ψn (x).
Show that the energy eigenvalues are:
 
1
En = n + ℏω
2
and provide the normalized eigenstates ψn (x) in position space.
(b) The creation operator ↠and annihilation operator â are defined in terms of the position
x̂ and momentum p̂ operators as follows:

1
↠= √ (−ip̂ + mωx̂)
2ℏmω
1
â = √ (ip̂ + mωx̂)
2ℏmω

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Derive the matrix representation of ↠and â in the energy eigenbasis |n⟩, where |n⟩ are
the eigenstates of the number operator N̂ .
i. The number operator N̂ = ↠â counts the number of quanta in a given state. Derive
its matrix representation in the energy eigenbasis |n⟩.
ii. The Hamiltonian operator in terms of the creation and annihilation operators is
given by:
 
1
Ĥ = ℏω N̂ +
2
Derive the matrix representation of Ĥ in the energy eigenbasis |n⟩.

13. Consider two identical linear oscillators having a spring constant k. The interaction potential
is H = Ax1 x2 , where x1 and x2 are the coordinates of the oscillators. Obtain the energy
eigenvalues.

14. For a harmonic oscillator, the Hamiltonian in dimensionless units (m = ℏ = ω = 1) is given

by:

1
H = ↠â −
2
where the annihilation (â) and creation (↠) operators are defined by:

1
â = √ (x̂ + ip̂)
2
1
↠= √ (x̂ − ip̂)
2
The energy eigenfunction of a particular state is given by:

x2
 
3
ψn (x) = (2x − 3x) exp −
2

(a) What is the quantum state n corresponding to this eigenfunction?

(b) Find the eigenfunctions corresponding to the adjacent states ψn+1 (x) and ψn−1 (x).

15. For a one-dimensional harmonic oscillator, using creation and annihilation operators, show
that
∆x∆p ≥ (n + 1/2)ℏ/2