The one dimensional quantum harmonic oscillator has Hamiltonian
H^=2m1p^2+21mω2x^2,
where m and ω are real positive constants and x^ and p^ are the standard position and momentum operators satisfying the commutation relation [x^,p^]=iℏ. Consider the operators
A^=p^−imωx^ and B^=p^+imωx^.
(a) Show that
B^A^=2m(H^−21ℏω) and A^B^=2m(H^+21ℏω).
(b) Suppose that ϕ is an eigenfunction of H^ with eigenvalue E. Show that A^ϕ is then also an eigenfunction of H^ and that its corresponding eigenvalue is E−ℏω.
(c) Show that for any normalisable wavefunctions χ and ψ,
∫−∞∞χ∗(A^ψ)dx=∫−∞∞(B^χ)∗ψdx
[You may assume that the operators x^ and p^ are Hermitian.]
(d) With ϕ as in (b), obtain an expression for the norm of A^ϕ in terms of E and the norm of ϕ. [The squared norm of any wavefunction ψ is ∫−∞∞∣ψ∣2dx.]
(e) Show that all eigenvalues of H^ are non-negative.
(f) Using the above results, deduce that each eigenvalue E of H^ must be of the form E=(n+21)ℏω for some non-negative integer n.