PHN-007: Modern Physics

Assignment - 01

−i
1. Consider the states |ψi = 9 i |φ1 i + 2 |φ2 i and |χi = √ 2
|φ1 i + √12 |φ2 i , where the two
vectors |φ1 i and |φ2 i form a complete and orthonormal basis.
(a) Calculate the operators |ψi hχ| and |χi hψ| . Are they equal?
(b) Find the Hermitian conjugates of |ψi , |χi , |ψi hχ| , and |χi hψ| .
(c) Calculate the traces: T r(|ψi hχ| ) and T r(|χi hψ| ). Are they equal?
(d) Calculate |ψi hψ| and |χi hχ| and T r(|ψi hψ| ) and T r(|χi hχ| ). Are they projection
operators?
   
7 0 0 1 0 3
2. Consider the matrices A = 0 1 −i , and B = 0 2i 0 .
   

0 i −1 i 0 −5i
(a) Are A and B Hermitian? Calculate AB and BA and verify that T r(AB) = T r(BA);
then calculate [A, B] and verify that T r([A, B]) = 0.
 
2 i 0
3. Consider a particle whose Hamiltonian matrix is, H = −i 1 1.
 

0 1 0
 
i
(a) Is |λi =  7i  an eigenstate of H? Is H Hermitian?
 

−2
(b) Find the energy eigenvalues, a1 , a2 , a3 and the normalized energy eigenvectors |a1 i,
|a2 i, and |a3 i, of H. Note: You need to solve a secular equation H − λI = 0 to get
the eigenvalues and solve H |an i = an |an i with |an i, having unknown components,
with n = 1, 2, 3.
   
1 0 0 0 −i 3i
4. Consider the matrices: A = 0 7 −3i and B = −i 0 i .
   

0 3i 5 3i i 0
(a) Check the hermiticity of A and B.
(b) Find the eigenvalues of A and B; Explain why the eigenvalues of A are real and those
of B are imaginary.
(c) Calculate the T r(A) and det(A).

5. Consider a state which is given in terms of the orthonormal vectors |φ1 i , |φ2 i , and |φ3 i as
follows: |ψi = √115 |φ1 i + √13 |φ2 i + √15 |φ3 i , where |φn i are the eigenstates of an
operator B̂ such that: B̂ |φn i = (3n2 − 1) |φn i, with n = 1, 2, 3.
 (a) Find the norm of the state |ψi .
(b) Find the expectation value of B̂ for the state |ψi .
(c) Find the expectation value of B̂ 2 for the state |ψi .

6. Consider the wavefunctions: ψ(x, y) = sin (2 x) cos (5 x), φ(x, y) = exp [−2 (x2 + y 2 )],
χ(x, y) = exp [−i (x + y)].
∂ ∂
(a) Verify if any of the wavefunctions is an eigenfunction of  = ∂x
+ ∂y
.
∂2 ∂2
(b) Verify if any of the wavefunctions is an eigenfunction of B̂ = ∂x2
+ ∂y 2
+ 1.
(c) Calculate the actions of AB and BA on each of the wavefunctions and infer [A, B].

7. Which of the following functions represent physically acceptable wavefunctions: f (x) =

8. Consider a system whose state is given in terms of an orthonormal set of three vectors:
√
|φ1 i , |φ2 i , and |φ3 i as, |ψi = √13 |φ1 i + 23 |φ2 i + 32 |φ3 i . Verify that |ψi is normalized.
Then, calculate the probability of finding the system in any one of the states |φ1 i , |φ2 i ,
and |φ3 i . Verify that the total probability is equal to one.

9. Consider a system whose state is given in terms of a complete and orthonormal set of five
vectors |φ1 i , |φ2 i , |φ3 i , |φq
4 i , and |φ5 i
qas follows:q
|ψi = √1 |φ1 i + √219 |φ2 i + 2
|φ3 i + 3
|φ4 i + 5
|φ5 i ,
19 19 19 19
where |φn i are the eigenstates of the system’s Hamiltonian, Ĥ |φn i = nε0 |φn i with n =
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and ε0 has the dimensions of energy.
(a) If the energy is measured on a large number of idential systems that are initially in
the same state |ψi , what values would one obtain and with what probabilities.
(b) Find the average energy of such a system.

10. Consider a 
system
 whose   |ψ(t = 0)i and Hamiltonian Ĥ are given by:
initial state
3 3 0 0
1 
|ψ(0)i = 5  0 , Ĥ = 0 0 5.
 

4, 0 5 0
(a) If a measurement of energy is carried out, what values would one obtain and with
what probabilities?
(b) Expand |ψ(0)i in terms of the eigenvectors of Ĥ and Find the state of a system at a
later time t.
(c) Find the total energy of the system at time t = 0 and any later time t; are these
values different?