3.II.16B

Quantum Mechanics
Part IB, 2007

A quantum system has a complete set of orthonormal eigenstates, ψn(x)\psi_{n}(x), with nondegenerate energy eigenvalues, EnE_{n}, where n=1,2,3n=1,2,3 \ldots Write down the wave-function, Ψ(x,t),t0\Psi(x, t), t \geqslant 0 in terms of the eigenstates.

A linear operator acts on the system such that

Aψ1=2ψ1ψ2Aψ2=2ψ2ψ1Aψn=0,n3\begin{aligned} &A \psi_{1}=2 \psi_{1}-\psi_{2} \\ &A \psi_{2}=2 \psi_{2}-\psi_{1} \\ &A \psi_{n}=0, n \geqslant 3 \end{aligned}

Find the eigenvalues of AA and obtain a complete set of normalised eigenfunctions, ϕn\phi_{n}, of AA in terms of the ψn\psi_{n}.

At time t=0t=0 a measurement is made and it is found that the observable corresponding to AA has value 3. After time t,At, A is measured again. What is the probability that the value is found to be 1 ?