number operator

PHY1520H Graduate Quantum Mechanics. Lecture 14: Angular momentum (cont.). Taught by Prof. Arun Paramekanti

November 11, 2015 phy1520 , , , ,

[Click here for a PDF of this post with nicer formatting]

Disclaimer

Peeter’s lecture notes from class. These may be incoherent and rough.

These are notes for the UofT course PHY1520, Graduate Quantum Mechanics, taught by Prof. Paramekanti, covering [1] chap. 3 content.

Review: Angular momentum

Given eigenket \( \ket{a, b} \), where

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:20}
\begin{aligned}
\hat{\BL}^2 \ket{a, b} &= \Hbar^2 a \ket{a,b} \\
\hat{L}_z \ket{a, b} &= \Hbar b \ket{a,b}
\end{aligned}
\end{equation}

We were looking for

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:40}
\hat{L}_{x,y} \ket{a,b} = \sum_{b’} \mathcal{A}^{x,y}_{a; b, b’} \ket{a,b’},
\end{equation}

by applying

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:60}
\hat{L}_{\pm} = \hat{L}_x \pm i \hat{L}_y.
\end{equation}

We found

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:80}
\hat{L}_{\pm} \propto \ket{a, b \pm 1}.
\end{equation}

Let

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:100}
\ket{\phi_\pm} = \hat{L}_{\pm} \ket{a, b}.
\end{equation}

We want

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:120}
\braket{\phi_\pm}{\phi_\pm} \ge 0,
\end{equation}

or
\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:140}
\begin{aligned}
\bra{a,b} \hat{L}_{+} \hat{L}_{-} \ket{a, b} &\ge 0 \\
\bra{a,b} \hat{L}_{-} \hat{L}_{+} \ket{a, b} &\ge 0
\end{aligned}
\end{equation}

We found

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:160}
\begin{aligned}
\hat{L}_{+} \hat{L}_{-} =
\lr{ \hat{L}_x + i \hat{L}_y } \lr{ \hat{L}_x – i \hat{L}_y }
&= \lr{ \hat{\BL}^2 – \hat{L}_z^2 } -i \antisymmetric{\hat{L}_x}{\hat{L}_y} \\
&= \lr{ \hat{\BL}^2 – \hat{L}_z^2 } -i \lr{ i \Hbar \hat{L}_z } \\
&= \lr{ \hat{\BL}^2 – \hat{L}_z^2 } + \Hbar \hat{L}_z,
\end{aligned}
\end{equation}

so

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:180}
\bra{a,b} \hat{L}_{+} \hat{L}_{-} \ket{a, b}
=
\expectation{ \hat{\BL}^2 – \hat{L}_z^2 + \Hbar \hat{L}_z }.
\end{equation}

Similarly
\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:200}
\bra{a,b} \hat{L}_{-} \hat{L}_{+} \ket{a, b}
=
\expectation{ \hat{\BL}^2 – \hat{L}_z^2 – \Hbar \hat{L}_z }.
\end{equation}

Constraints

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:220}
\begin{aligned}
a – b^2 + b &\ge 0 \\
a – b^2 – b &\ge 0
\end{aligned}
\end{equation}

If these are satisfied at the equality extreme we have

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:240}
\begin{aligned}
b_{\textrm{max}} \lr{ b_{\textrm{max}} + 1 } &= a \\
b_{\textrm{min}} \lr{ b_{\textrm{min}} – 1 } &= a.
\end{aligned}
\end{equation}

Rearranging this to solve, we can rewrite the equality as

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:680}
\lr{ b_{\textrm{max}} + \inv{2} }^2 – \inv{4} = \lr{ b_{\textrm{min}} – \inv{2} }^2 – \inv{4},
\end{equation}

which has solutions at

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:700}
b_{\textrm{max}} + \inv{2} = \pm \lr{ b_{\textrm{min}} – \inv{2} }.
\end{equation}

One of the solutions is

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:260}
-b_{\textrm{min}} = b_{\textrm{max}}.
\end{equation}

The other solution is \( b_{\textrm{max}} = b_{\textrm{min}} – 1 \), which we discard.

The final constraint is therefore

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:280}
\boxed{
– b_{\textrm{max}} \le b \le b_{\textrm{max}},
}
\end{equation}

and

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:320}
\begin{aligned}
\hat{L}_{+} \ket{a, b_{\textrm{max}}} &= 0 \\
\hat{L}_{-} \ket{a, b_{\textrm{min}}} &= 0
\end{aligned}
\end{equation}

If we had the sequence, which must terminate at \( b_{\textrm{min}} \) or else it will go on forever

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:340}
\ket{a, b_{\textrm{max}}}
\overset{\hat{L}_{-}}{\rightarrow}
\ket{a, b_{\textrm{max}} – 1}
\overset{\hat{L}_{-}}{\rightarrow}
\ket{a, b_{\textrm{max}} – 2}
\cdots
\overset{\hat{L}_{-}}{\rightarrow}
\ket{a, b_{\textrm{min}}},
\end{equation}

then we know that \( b_{\textrm{max}} – b_{\textrm{min}} \in \mathbb{Z} \), or

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:360}
b_{\textrm{max}} – n = b_{\textrm{min}} = -b_{\textrm{max}}
\end{equation}

or

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:380}
b_{\textrm{max}} = \frac{n}{2},
\end{equation}

this is either an integer or a \( 1/2 \) odd integer, depending on whether \( n \) is even or odd. These are called “orbital” or “spin” respectively.

The convention is to write

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:400}
\begin{aligned}
b_{\textrm{max}} &= j \\
a &= j(j + 1).
\end{aligned}
\end{equation}

so for \( m \in -j, -j + 1, \cdots, +j \)

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:420}
\boxed{
\begin{aligned}
\hat{\BL}^2 \ket{j, m} &= \Hbar^2 j (j + 1) \ket{j, m} \\
L_z \ket{j, m} &= \Hbar m \ket{j, m}.
\end{aligned}
}
\end{equation}

Schwinger’s Harmonic oscillator representation of angular momentum operators.

In [2] a powerful method for describing angular momentum with harmonic oscillators was introduced, which will be outlined here. The question is whether we can construct a set of harmonic oscillators that allows a mapping from

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:460}
\hat{L}_{+} \leftrightarrow a^{+}?
\end{equation}

Picture two harmonic oscillators, one with states counted from one zero towards \( \infty \) and another with states counted from a different zero towards \( -\infty \), as pictured in fig. 1.

fig. 1. Overlapping SHO domains

fig. 1. Overlapping SHO domains

Is it possible that such an overlapping set of harmonic oscillators can provide the properties of the angular momentum operators? Let’s relabel the counting so that we have two sets of positive counted SHO systems, each counted in a positive direction as sketched in fig. 2.

fig. 2. Relabeling the counting for overlapping SHO systems

fig. 2. Relabeling the counting for overlapping SHO systems

It turns out that given a constraint there the number of ways to distribute particles between a pair of SHO systems, the process that can be viewed as reproducing the angular momentum action is a transfer of particles from one harmonic oscillator to the other. For \( \hat{L}_z = +j \)

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:480}
\begin{aligned}
n_1 &= n_{\textrm{max}} \\
n_2 &= 0,
\end{aligned}
\end{equation}

and for \( \hat{L}_z = -j \)

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:500}
\begin{aligned}
n_1 &= 0 \\
n_2 &= n_{\textrm{max}}.
\end{aligned}
\end{equation}

We can make the identifications

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:520}
\hat{L}_z = \lr{ n_1 – n_2 } \frac{\Hbar}{2},
\end{equation}

and
\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:540}
j = \inv{2} n_{\textrm{max}},
\end{equation}

or

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:560}
n_1 + n_2 = \text{fixed} = n_{\textrm{max}}
\end{equation}

Changes that keep \( n_1 + n_2 \) fixed are those that change \( n_1 \), \( n_2 \) by \( +1 \) or \( -1 \) respectively, as sketched in fig. 3.

fig. 3. Number conservation constraint.

fig. 3. Number conservation constraint.

Can we make an identification that takes

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:580}
\ket{n_1, n_2} \overset{\hat{L}_{-}}{\rightarrow} \ket{n_1 – 1, n_2 + 1}?
\end{equation}

What operator in the SHO problem has this effect? Let’s try

\boxedEquation{eqn:qmLecture14:620}{
\begin{aligned}
\hat{L}_{-} &= \Hbar a_2^\dagger a_1 \\
\hat{L}_{+} &= \Hbar a_1^\dagger a_2 \\
\hat{L}_z &= \frac{\Hbar}{2} \lr{ n_1 – n_2 }
\end{aligned}
}

Is this correct? Do we need to make any scalar adjustments? We want

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:640}
\antisymmetric{\hat{L}_z}{\hat{L}_{\pm}} = \pm \Hbar \hat{L}_{\pm}.
\end{equation}

First check this with the \( \hat{L}_{+} \) commutator

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:660}
\begin{aligned}
\antisymmetric{\hat{L}_z}{\hat{L}_{+}}
&=
\inv{2} \Hbar^2 \antisymmetric{ n_1 – n_2}{a_1^\dagger a_2 } \\
&=
\inv{2} \Hbar^2 \antisymmetric{ a_1^\dagger a_1 – a_2^\dagger a_2 }{a_1^\dagger a_2 } \\
&=
\inv{2} \Hbar^2
\lr{
\antisymmetric{ a_1^\dagger a_1 }{a_1^\dagger a_2 }
-\antisymmetric{ a_2^\dagger a_2 }{a_1^\dagger a_2 }
} \\
&=
\inv{2} \Hbar^2
\lr{
a_2 \antisymmetric{ a_1^\dagger a_1 }{a_1^\dagger }
-a_1^\dagger \antisymmetric{ a_2^\dagger a_2 }{a_2 }
}.
\end{aligned}
\end{equation}

But

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:720}
\begin{aligned}
\antisymmetric{ a^\dagger a }{a^\dagger }
&=
a^\dagger a
a^\dagger
–
a^\dagger
a^\dagger a \\
&=
a^\dagger \lr{ 1 +
a^\dagger a}
–
a^\dagger
a^\dagger a \\
&=
a^\dagger,
\end{aligned}
\end{equation}

and
\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:740}
\begin{aligned}
\antisymmetric{ a^\dagger a }{a}
&=
a^\dagger a a
-a a^\dagger a \\
&=
a^\dagger a a
-\lr{ 1 + a^\dagger a } a \\
&=
-a,
\end{aligned}
\end{equation}

so
\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:760}
\antisymmetric{\hat{L}_z}{\hat{L}_{+}} = \Hbar^2 a_2 a_1^\dagger = \Hbar \hat{L}_{+},
\end{equation}

as desired. Similarly

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:780}
\begin{aligned}
\antisymmetric{\hat{L}_z}{\hat{L}_{-}}
&=
\inv{2} \Hbar^2 \antisymmetric{ n_1 – n_2}{a_2^\dagger a_1 } \\
&=
\inv{2} \Hbar^2 \antisymmetric{ a_1^\dagger a_1 – a_2^\dagger a_2 }{a_2^\dagger a_1 } \\
&=
\inv{2} \Hbar^2 \lr{
a_2^\dagger \antisymmetric{ a_1^\dagger a_1 }{a_1 }
– a_1 \antisymmetric{ a_2^\dagger a_2 }{a_2^\dagger }
} \\
&=
\inv{2} \Hbar^2 \lr{
a_2^\dagger (-a_1)
– a_1 a_2^\dagger
} \\
&=
– \Hbar^2 a_2^\dagger a_1 \\
&=
– \Hbar \hat{L}_{-}.
\end{aligned}
\end{equation}

With

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:800}
\begin{aligned}
j &= \frac{n_1 + n_2}{2} \\
m &= \frac{n_1 – n_2}{2} \\
\end{aligned}
\end{equation}

We can make the identification

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:820}
\ket{n_1, n_2} = \ket{ j+ m , j – m}.
\end{equation}

Another way

With

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:840}
\hat{L}_{+} \ket{j, m} = d_{j,m}^{+} \ket{j, m+1}
\end{equation}

or

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:860}
\Hbar a_1^\dagger a_2 \ket{j + m, j-m} = d_{j,m}^{+} \ket{ j + m + 1, j- m-1},
\end{equation}

we can seek this factor \( d_{j,m}^{+} \) by operating with \( \hat{L}_{+} \)

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:880}
\begin{aligned}
\hat{L}_{+} \ket{j, m}
&=
\Hbar a_1^\dagger a_2 \ket{n_1, n_2} \\
&=
\Hbar a_1^\dagger a_2 \ket{j+m,j-m} \\
&=
\Hbar \sqrt{ n + 1 } \sqrt{n_2} \ket{j+m +1,j-m-1} \\
&=
\Hbar \sqrt{ \lr{ j+ m + 1}\lr{ j – m } } \ket{j+m +1,j-m-1}
\end{aligned}
\end{equation}

That gives
\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture14:900}
\begin{aligned}
d_{j,m}^{+} &= \Hbar \sqrt{\lr{ j – m } \lr{ j+ m + 1} } \\
d_{j,m}^{-} &= \Hbar \sqrt{\lr{ j + m } \lr{ j- m + 1} }.
\end{aligned}
\end{equation}

This equivalence can be used to model spin interaction in crystals as harmonic oscillators. This equivalence of lattice vibrations and spin oscillations is called “spin waves”.

References

[1] Jun John Sakurai and Jim J Napolitano. Modern quantum mechanics. Pearson Higher Ed, 2014.

[2] J Schwinger. Quantum theory of angular momentum. biedenharn l., van dam h., editors, 1955. URL http://www.ifi.unicamp.br/ cabrera/teaching/paper_schwinger.pdf.

PHY1520H Graduate Quantum Mechanics. Lecture 4: Quantum Harmonic oscillator and coherent states. Taught by Prof. Arun Paramekanti

September 29, 2015 phy1520 , , , ,

[Click here for a PDF of this post with nicer formatting]

Disclaimer

Peeter’s lecture notes from class. These may be incoherent and rough. This lecture reviewed a lot of quantum harmonic oscillator theory, and wouldn’t make sense without having seen raising and lowering operators (ladder operators), number operators, and the like.

These are notes for the UofT course PHY1520, Graduate Quantum Mechanics, taught by Prof. Paramekanti, covering [1] chap. 2 content.

Classical Harmonic Oscillator

Recall the classical Harmonic oscillator equations in their Hamiltonian form

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:40}
\ddt{x} = \frac{p}{m}
\end{equation}
\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:60}
\ddt{p} = -k x.
\end{equation}

With

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:140}
\begin{aligned}
x(t = 0) &= x_0 \\
p(t = 0) &= p_0 \\
k &= m \omega^2,
\end{aligned}
\end{equation}

the solutions are ellipses in phase space

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:100}
x(t) = x_0 \cos(\omega t) + \frac{p_0}{m \omega} \sin(\omega t)
\end{equation}
\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:120}
p(t) = p_0 \cos(\omega t) – m \omega x_0 \sin(\omega t).
\end{equation}

After a suitable scaling of the variables, these elliptical orbits can be transformed into circular trajectories.

Quantum Harmonic Oscillator

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:160}
\hat{H} = \frac{\hat{p}^2}{2 m} + \inv{2} k \hat{x}^2
\end{equation}

Set

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:200}
\hat{X} = \sqrt{\frac{m \omega}{\Hbar}} \hat{x}
\end{equation}
\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:220}
\hat{P} = \sqrt{\inv{m \omega \Hbar}} \hat{p}
\end{equation}

The commutators after this change of variables goes from

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:240}
\antisymmetric{ \hat{x}}{\hat{p}} = i \Hbar,
\end{equation}

to
\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:260}
\antisymmetric{ \hat{X}}{\hat{P}} = i.
\end{equation}

The Hamiltonian takes the form

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:280}
\begin{aligned}
\hat{H}
&= \frac{\Hbar \omega}{2} \lr{ \hat{X}^2 + \hat{P}^2 } \\
&= \Hbar \omega \lr{ \lr{ \frac{\hat{X} -i \hat{P}}{\sqrt{2}} } \lr{ \frac{\hat{X} +i \hat{P}}{\sqrt{2}}} + \inv{2} }.
\end{aligned}
\end{equation}

Define ladder operators (raising and lowering operators respectively)

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:320}
\hat{a}^\dagger = \frac{\hat{X} -i \hat{P}}{\sqrt{2}}
\end{equation}
\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:340}
\hat{a} = \frac{\hat{X} +i \hat{P}}{\sqrt{2}}
\end{equation}

so

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:360}
\hat{H} = \Hbar \omega \lr{ \hat{a}^\dagger \hat{a} + \inv{2} }.
\end{equation}

We can show

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:380}
\antisymmetric{\hat{a}}{\hat{a}^\dagger} = 1,
\end{equation}

and

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:400}
N \ket{n} \equiv \hat{a}^\dagger a = n \ket{n},
\end{equation}

where \( n \ge 0 \) is an integer. Recall that

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:420}
\hat{a} \ket{0} = 0,
\end{equation}

and

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:440}
\bra{X} X + i P \ket{0} = 0.
\end{equation}

With

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:460}
\braket{x}{0} = \Psi_0(x),
\end{equation}

we can show

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:480}
\inv{\sqrt{2}} \lr{ X + \PD{X}{} } \Psi_0(X) = 0.
\end{equation}

Also recall that

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:520}
\hat{a} \ket{n} = \sqrt{n} \ket{n-1}
\end{equation}
\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:540}
\hat{a}^\dagger \ket{n} = \sqrt{n + 1} \ket{n+1}
\end{equation}

Coherent states

Coherent states for the quantum harmonic oscillator are the eigenkets for the creation and annihilation operators

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:580}
\hat{a} \ket{z} = z \ket{z}
\end{equation}
\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:600}
\hat{a}^\dagger \ket{\tilde{z}} = \tilde{z} \ket{\tilde{z}} ,
\end{equation}

where

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:620}
\ket{z} = \sum_{n = 0}^\infty c_n \ket{n},
\end{equation}

and \( z \) is allowed to be a complex number.

Looking for such a state, we compute

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:640}
\begin{aligned}
\hat{a} \ket{z}
&= \sum_{n=1}^\infty c_n \hat{a} \ket{n} \\
&= \sum_{n=1}^\infty c_n \sqrt{n} \ket{n-1}
\end{aligned}
\end{equation}

compare this to

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:660}
\begin{aligned}
z \ket{z}
&=
z \sum_{n=0}^\infty c_n \ket{n} \\
&=
\sum_{n=1}^\infty c_n \sqrt{n} \ket{n-1} \\
&=
\sum_{n=0}^\infty c_{n+1} \sqrt{n+1} \ket{n},
\end{aligned}
\end{equation}

so

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:680}
c_{n+1} \sqrt{n+1} = z c_n
\end{equation}

This gives

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:700}
c_{n+1} = \frac{z c_n}{\sqrt{n+1}}
\end{equation}

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:720}
\begin{aligned}
c_1 &= c_0 z \\
c_2 &= \frac{z c_1}{\sqrt{2}} = \frac{z^2 c_0}{\sqrt{2}} \\
\vdots &
\end{aligned}
\end{equation}

or

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:740}
c_n = \frac{z^n}{\sqrt{n!}}.
\end{equation}

So the desired state is

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:760}
\ket{z} = c_0 \sum_{n=0}^\infty \frac{z^n}{\sqrt{n!}} \ket{n}.
\end{equation}

Also recall that

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:780}
\ket{n} = \frac{\lr{ \hat{a}^\dagger }^n}{\sqrt{n!}} \ket{0},
\end{equation}

which gives

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:800}
\begin{aligned}
\ket{z}
&= c_0 \sum_{n=0}^\infty \frac{\lr{z \hat{a}^\dagger}^n }{n!} \ket{0} \\
&= c_0 e^{z \hat{a}^\dagger} \ket{0}.
\end{aligned}
\end{equation}

The normalization is

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:820}
c_0 = e^{-\Abs{z}^2/2}.
\end{equation}

While we have \( \braket{n_1}{n_2} = \delta_{n_1, n_2} \), these \( \ket{z} \) states are not orthonormal. Figuring out that this overlap

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:840}
\braket{z_1}{z_2} \ne 0,
\end{equation}

will be left for homework.

Dynamics

We don’t know much about these coherent states. For example does a coherent state at time zero evolve to a coherent state?

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:860}
\ket{z} \stackrel{?}{\rightarrow} \ket{z(t)}
\end{equation}

It turns out that these questions are best tackled in the Heisenberg picture, considering

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:880}
e^{-i \hat{H} t/\Hbar } \ket{z}.
\end{equation}

For example, what is the average of the position operator

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:900}
\bra{z} e^{i \hat{H} t/\Hbar } \hat{x} e^{-i \hat{H} t/\Hbar } \ket{z}
=
\sum_{n, n’ = 0}^\infty
\bra{n} c_n^\conj e^{i E_n t/\Hbar}
\lr{ a + a^\dagger} \sqrt{ \frac{\Hbar}{m \omega} }
c_{n’} e^{i E_{n’} t/\Hbar}
\ket{n}.
\end{equation}

This is very messy to attempt. Instead if we know how the operator evolves we can calculate

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:920}
\bra{z} \hat{x}_{\textrm{H}}(t) \ket{z},
\end{equation}

that is

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:940}
\expectation{\hat{x}}(t) = \bra{z} \hat{x}_{\textrm{H}}(t) \ket{z},
\end{equation}

and for momentum

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:960}
\expectation{\hat{p}}(t) = \bra{z} \hat{p}_{\textrm{H}}(t) \ket{z}.
\end{equation}

The question to ask is what are the expansions of

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:1000}
\hat{a}_{\textrm{H}}(t) = e^{i \hat{H} t/\Hbar} \hat{a} e^{-i \hat{H} t/\Hbar}.
\end{equation}
\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:1020}
\hat{a}^\dagger_{\textrm{H}}(t) = e^{i \hat{H} t/\Hbar} \hat{a}^\dagger e^{-i \hat{H} t/\Hbar}.
\end{equation}

The question to ask is how do these operators ask on the basis states

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:1040}
\begin{aligned}
\hat{a}_{\textrm{H}}(t) \ket{n}
&= e^{i \hat{H} t/\Hbar} \hat{a} e^{-i \hat{H} t/\Hbar} \ket{n} \\
&= e^{i \hat{H} t/\Hbar} \hat{a} e^{-i t \omega (n + 1/2)} \ket{n} \\
&=
e^{-i t \omega (n + 1/2)}
e^{i \hat{H} t/\Hbar}
\sqrt{n} \ket{n-1} \\
&=
\sqrt{n}
e^{-i t \omega (n + 1/2)}
e^{i t \omega (n – 1/2)}
\ket{n-1} \\
&=
\sqrt{n} e^{-i \omega t} \ket{n-1} \\
&=
e^{-i \omega t} \ket{n}.
\end{aligned}
\end{equation}

So we have found

\begin{equation}\label{eqn:qmLecture4:1060}
\begin{aligned}
\hat{a}_{\textrm{H}}(t) &= a e^{-i\omega t} \\
\hat{a}^\dagger_{\textrm{H}}(t) &= a^\dagger e^{i\omega t}
\end{aligned}
\end{equation}

References

[1] Jun John Sakurai and Jim J Napolitano. Modern quantum mechanics. Pearson Higher Ed, 2014.

Update to old phy356 (Quantum Mechanics I) notes.

February 12, 2015 math and physics play , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

It’s been a long time since I took QM I. My notes from that class were pretty rough, but I’ve cleaned them up a bit.

The main value to these notes is that I worked a number of introductory Quantum Mechanics problems.

These were my personal lecture notes for the Fall 2010, University of Toronto Quantum mechanics I course (PHY356H1F), taught by Prof. Vatche Deyirmenjian.

The official description of this course was:

The general structure of wave mechanics; eigenfunctions and eigenvalues; operators; orbital angular momentum; spherical harmonics; central potential; separation of variables, hydrogen atom; Dirac notation; operator methods; harmonic oscillator and spin.

This document contains a few things

• My lecture notes.
Typos, if any, are probably mine(Peeter), and no claim nor attempt of spelling or grammar correctness will be made. The first four lectures had chosen not to take notes for since they followed the text very closely.
• Notes from reading of the text. This includes observations, notes on what seem like errors, and some solved problems. None of these problems have been graded. Note that my informal errata sheet for the text has been separated out from this document.
• Some assigned problems. I have corrected some the errors after receiving grading feedback, and where I have not done so I at least recorded some of the grading comments as a reference.
• Some worked problems associated with exam preparation.