A2.13 B2.21

Foundations of Quantum Mechanics
Part II, 2001

(i) Hermitian operators x^,p^\hat{x}, \hat{p}, satisfy [x^,p^]=i[\hat{x}, \hat{p}]=i \hbar. The eigenvectors p|p\rangle, satisfy p^p=pp\hat{p}|p\rangle=p|p\rangle and pp=δ(pp)\left\langle p^{\prime} \mid p\right\rangle=\delta\left(p^{\prime}-p\right). By differentiating with respect to bb verify that

eibx^/p^eibx^/=p^+be^{-i b \hat{x} / \hbar} \hat{p} e^{i b \hat{x} / \hbar}=\hat{p}+b

and hence show that

eibx^/p=p+be^{i b \hat{x} / \hbar}|p\rangle=|p+b\rangle

Show that

px^ψ=ippψ\langle p|\hat{x}| \psi\rangle=i \hbar \frac{\partial}{\partial p}\langle p \mid \psi\rangle

and

pp^ψ=ppψ.\langle p|\hat{p}| \psi\rangle=p\langle p \mid \psi\rangle .

(ii) A quantum system has Hamiltonian H=H0+H1H=H_{0}+H_{1}, where H1H_{1} is a small perturbation. The eigenvalues of H0H_{0} are ϵn\epsilon_{n}. Give (without derivation) the formulae for the first order and second order perturbations in the energy level of a non-degenerate state. Suppose that the rr th energy level of H0H_{0} has jj degenerate states. Explain how to determine the eigenvalues of HH corresponding to these states to first order in H1H_{1}.

In a particular quantum system an orthonormal basis of states is given by n1,n2\left|n_{1}, n_{2}\right\rangle, where nin_{i} are integers. The Hamiltonian is given by

H=n1,n2(n12+n22)n1,n2n1,n2+n1,n2,n1,n2λn1n1,n2n2n1,n2n1,n2,H=\sum_{n_{1}, n_{2}}\left(n_{1}^{2}+n_{2}^{2}\right)\left|n_{1}, n_{2}\right\rangle\left\langle n_{1}, n_{2}\left|+\sum_{n_{1}, n_{2}, n_{1}^{\prime}, n_{2}^{\prime}} \lambda_{\left|n_{1}-n_{1}^{\prime}\right|,\left|n_{2}-n_{2}^{\prime}\right|}\right| n_{1}, n_{2}\right\rangle\left\langle n_{1}^{\prime}, n_{2}^{\prime}\right|,

where λr,s=λs,r,λ0,0=0\lambda_{r, s}=\lambda_{s, r}, \lambda_{0,0}=0 and λr,s=0\lambda_{r, s}=0 unless rr and ss are both even.

Obtain an expression for the ground state energy to second order in the perturbation, λr,s\lambda_{r, s}. Find the energy eigenvalues of the first excited state to first order in the perturbation. Determine a matrix (which depends on two independent parameters) whose eigenvalues give the first order energy shift of the second excited state.