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15 views3 pages

QTsheet 4

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Quantum Theory

Sheet 4 — MT21
(Questions on sections 7–9 of the lecture notes)

1. A particle of mass m and charge e moving in a plane perpendicular to a magnetic field


B has Hamiltonian
1
(P1 + 12 eBX2 )2 + (P2 − 21 eBX1 )2 ,

H=
2m
where we suppose that eB 6= 0 is constant. Show that the energy levels have the form

|eB|~
E = En = (n + 21 ) ,
m
where n is a non-negative integer.
[Hint: Introduce new operators P and X, proportional to P1 + 21 eBX2 and P2 − 12 eBX1 ,
and show that the given Hamiltonian takes the same form as the harmonic oscillator
Hamiltonian for a suitable choice of angular frequency ω.]

2. The spin representation of angular momentum has j = 1/2, with angular momentum
matrices Ji = Si given by
! ! !
1 0 1 1 0 −i 1 1 0
S1 = ~ , S2 = ~ , S3 = ~ .
2 1 0 2 i 0 2 0 −1

Here J3 = S3 has eigenvalues ± 12 ~, with corresponding eigenstates ψ+ = (1, 0)T , ψ− =


(0, 1)T , which are called spin up and spin down states. Introducing the unit vector
n = (sin θ cos φ, sin θ sin φ, cos θ) in spherical polar coordinates, we define the operator
Sn ≡ 3i=1 ni Si , which is the component of spin angular momentum in the direction n.
P

(a) Show that !


~ cos θ sin θ e−iφ
Sn = .
2 sin θ eiφ
− cos θ
!
2 1 0
(b) Hence, or otherwise, show that (Sn )2 = ~4 , and deduce that Sn has eigen-
0 1
values ± ~2 . Verify that the corresponding normalized eigenstates of Sn are

ψn,+ = cos 2θ ψ+ + sin 2θ eiφ ψ− ,


ψn,− = sin 2θ ψ+ − cos 2θ eiφ ψ− .

(c) The spin angular momentum of S3 is measured for a quantum system, obtaining the
value 21 ~ (so that this is “spin up” along the z-axis). The spin angular momentum
of Sn is now measured. Find the probabilities for obtaining the values 12 ~ and − 12 ~.

Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford Page 1 of 3


James Sparks: [email protected]
Quantum Theory: Sheet 4— MT21

3. Recall that the orbital angular momentum operators Li are in spherical polar coordinates
given by  
±iφ ∂ ∂ ∂
L± = ±~e ± i cot θ , L3 = −i~ ,
∂θ ∂φ ∂φ
where L± = L1 ± iL2 are raising and lowering operators.
(a) Using the fact that L+ Y`,` (θ, φ) = 0, hence show that Y`,` (θ, φ) = a` (sin θ eiφ )` ,
where a` is a normalization constant.
(b) By applying the lowering operator L− appropriately, hence find Y`,m (θ, φ) for
(`, m) = (1, 1), (1, 0), (1, −1), (2, 2), (2, 1) and (2, 0), up to overall normalization
constants that you may ignore.

4. In a two-dimensional model of the hydrogen atom, the stationary state Schrödinger


equation takes the form

~2 1 ∂ 1 ∂ 2ψ e2
   
∂ψ
− r + 2 2 − ψ = Eψ ,
2m r ∂r ∂r r ∂φ 4π0 r

where (r, φ) are polar coordinates.


(a) By separating the equation via ψ(r, φ) = R(r)Φ(φ), show that Φ(φ) is a constant
linear combination of ei`φ and e−i`φ , where ` is a non-negative integer. [Hint: use
the fact that Φ(φ + 2π) = Φ(φ).]
√
(b) By further substituting R(r) = f (r)e−κr , where κ = −2mE/~, show that the
radial equation becomes
   2 
00 1 0 ` κ−β
f + − 2κ f − + f =0,
r r2 r

where β is a constant you should identify.


(c) By substituting a generalized power series expansion for f , of the form f (r) =
P∞ k+c
k=0 ak r , argue that c = ` for a non-singular wave function, and in this case
hence deduce the recurrence relation
2κ(k + `) − κ − β
ak = ak−1 .
(k + `)2 − `2

(d) Hence or otherwise show that the energy levels are of the form En = −ν/(2n + 1)2 ,
where ν is a positive constant and n is a non-negative integer. [Hint: appeal to
normalizability to make the series terminate.] What is the degeneracy of each
energy level?

Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford Page 2 of 3


James Sparks: [email protected]
Quantum Theory: Sheet 4— MT21

5. (a) (i) Making use of any results you need from the lecture notes, show that the
(N, `, m) = (2, 1, 0) state of the hydrogen atom has wave function

ψ(r, θ, φ) = B r e−r/2a cos θ ,

where a is the Bohr radius and B is a normalization constant.


q
1
(ii) By normalizing ψ = ψ(r, θ, φ), show that we may take B = 32πa 5.

(iii) Compute Eψ (r), the expected value of the distance of the electron from the
nucleus in this excited state.
(b) Recall that the normalized ground state wave function for an electron in a hydrogen-
like atom with Z protons and any number A neutrons in the nucleus is
r
Z 3 −Zr/a
ψ= e ,
πa3
where a is the Bohr radius and r is distance from the nucleus.
An electron is in the ground state of tritium (Z = 1, A = 2). A nuclear reaction
(β-decay) instantaneously changes the nucleus into a helium-3 ion 3 He+ (Z = 2,
A = 1). Show that the probability of measuring the electron to be in the ground
state of 3 He+ is 512
729
.
R∞
[In both parts you may use the integral 0
rn e−r/b dr = bn+1 n!, where b > 0 and n ∈ N.]

Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford Page 3 of 3


James Sparks: [email protected]

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