4.II.32D

Principles of Quantum Mechanics
Part II, 2005

The Hamiltonian for a quantum system in the Schrödinger picture is

H0+λV(t),H_{0}+\lambda V(t),

where H0H_{0} is independent of time and the parameter λ\lambda is small. Define the interaction picture corresponding to this Hamiltonian and derive a time evolution equation for interaction picture states.

Let a|a\rangle and b|b\rangle be eigenstates of H0H_{0} with distinct eigenvalues EaE_{a} and EbE_{b} respectively. Show that if the system is initially in state a|a\rangle then the probability of measuring it to be in state b|b\rangle after a time tt is

λ220tdtbV(t)aei(EbEa)t/2+O(λ3)\frac{\lambda^{2}}{\hbar^{2}}\left|\int_{0}^{t} d t^{\prime}\left\langle b\left|V\left(t^{\prime}\right)\right| a\right\rangle e^{i\left(E_{b}-E_{a}\right) t^{\prime} / \hbar}\right|^{2}+O\left(\lambda^{3}\right)

Deduce that if V(t)=eμt/WV(t)=e^{-\mu t / \hbar} W, where WW is a time-independent operator and μ\mu is a positive constant, then the probability for such a transition to have occurred after a very long time is approximately

λ2μ2+(EbEa)2bWa2\frac{\lambda^{2}}{\mu^{2}+\left(E_{b}-E_{a}\right)^{2}}|\langle b|W| a\rangle|^{2}