PHY512, Spring 2019, Homework 2 – solutions

Problem 1.

Under the conditions set in the problem, the frequencies of the harmonic
oscillator and the vector potential can be defined as
1 1
ωx = ωy = ω, ωz = ω(1 + ϵ), Az = yB, Ay = − zB .
2 2
Since the problem does not mention spin of the particle, one can assume
that the magnetic field is coupled to the particle only through the orbital
angular momentum. The Hamiltonian then is:
1 ( )2 1 1
H= p − eA + M 2 ω 2 (x2 + y 2 ) + M 2 ω 2 (1 + ϵ)2 z 2 ,
2M 2 2
1 ( )2 1 2 e e2 2
p − eA = p − Ap + A .
2M 2M M 2M
Note that since the gradient of A vanishes, the order of momentum operator
and the vector potential in the last equation is not important. Therefore

1 ( )2 1 2 eB e2 B 2 2
p − eA = p − Lx + (y + z 2 ) ,
2M 2M 2M 8M
where Lx is the x component of the angular momentum of the particle.
Note the standard classical gyromagnetic ratio e/2M for coupling between
the orbital angular momentum and the magnetic field.
We are asked to use the first-order perturbation theory in the regime,
when the Zeeman effect is of the same order as the effect of the anisotropy:
~eB
ϵ~ω ∼ .
2M
This means that the terms proportional to ϵ2 and B 2 can be neglected in
the Hamiltonian, i.e.
1 2 1 2 2 2 e
H≈ p + M ω r + ϵM 2 ω 2 z 2 − Lx B .
2M 2 2M c
Now we shall apply the perturbation theory. To make the matrix of
the angular momentum simpler, it is convenient to do a 90◦ rotation in the

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x−z plane (turning x-axis into z, z-axis into -x) after which the Hamiltonian
becomes:

H = H0 + H1 + HB ;
1 2 1 2 2 2
H0 = p + M ω r ;
2M 2
H1 = ϵM 2 ω 2 x2 ;
eB
HB = − Lz .
2M
The unperturbed energy of the degenerate first excited level is 25 ~ω,
i.e., it has one extra quantum ~ω, and the corresponding three degenerate
states can be conveniently denoted by giving the location of this quantum
of energy:
|100⟩, |010⟩, |001⟩ ,
In terms of the raising/lowering operator ax , a†x , the operator x2 is:
~ ( 2 )
x2 = ax + a†x ax + ax a†x + (a†x )2 .
2M ω
From this expression, we see that only the diagonal matrix elements of this
operator are nonvanishing in the basis of the relevant degenerate states of
the harmonic oscillator:
3~ ~
⟨100|x2 |100⟩ = , ⟨010|x2 |010⟩ = ⟨001|x2 |001⟩ = .
2M ω 2M ω
Next, we need to determine the matrix of Lz . As was shown in Problem
2 of the HW assignment 10 last semester, the angular momentum operator
can be expressed through the raising/lowering operators of the 3D harmonic
oscillator. In particular, we found in that problem that

Lz = i~(ax a†y − ay a†x ) .

From this representation of Lz , we see that there are only two non-vanishing
matrix elements of Lz in the basis of the relevant degenerate states of the
harmonic oscillator:

⟨100|Lz |010⟩ = −i~, ⟨010|Lz |100⟩ = i~ ,

and matrix of the perturbation H1 + HB has the following form:

3 
2 ϵ~ω i ~eB
2M 0
H1 + HB = −i ~eB2M
1
2 ϵ~ω 0 .
1
0 0 2 ϵ~ω

2
The first-order corrections to energy of the degenerate states of the harmonic
oscillator are given by the eigenvalues of the perturbation matrix H1 + HB .
They are found directly from teh form of this matrix as:
√
1 ~ ( eB )2
∆0 = ϵ~ω, ∆± = ϵ~ω ± + ϵ2 ω 2 .
2 2 M
In the limit of ϵ → 0, this expression reduces to the one describing the
normal Zeeman effect. For B → 0, there is still a 2-fold degeneracy that
remains unlifted by the anisotropy.

Problem 2.

Without the potential U (x), the eigenstates are the plane waves, and the
eigenenergies are given by the kinetic energy of the particle:

(0) 1 (0) ~2 k 2
ψk (x) = √ eikx , Ek = ,
L 2m
where L is some large normalization length. The action of the potential on
these states is found directly:

U[ π π ]
Û |k⟩ = − |k + ⟩ + |k − ⟩ .
2 a a
Using this equations, and the usual formulas of the non-degenerate per-
turbation theory, we see that the first-order correction to energy vanishes:
(1)
Ek = ⟨k|Û |k⟩ = 0 ,

while the second-order correction is:

(2)
∑ |⟨k|Û |k ′ ⟩|2 U2 ∑ 1
Ek = (0) (0)
= .
Ek − Ek′ 4 pm E − E (0)
(0)
k′ k k±π/a

Evaluating this expression for k = 3π/a (or k = −3π/a, which yields the
same result) we have
U 2 [ 9 1 −1 9 25 ] U2
( − ) + ( − )−1 =
(2)
E3π/a = .
4E0 4 4 4 4 16E0
If one attempts to calculate the next, third-order correction to energy
using the non-degenerate perturbation theory, one sees that it diverges be-
cause of the degeneracy of the k = 3π/a and k = −3π/a states. This means

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that to find this correction, one needs to use the degenerate perturbation
theory in the subspace formed by these two degenerate states, k = 3π/a
and k = −3π/a. According to Eq. (5.2.7) in Sakurai, the effective potential
V ′ induced in the degenerate subspace by the perturbation is given by the
following expression:
1
V ′ = λ 2 P0 V P 1 P1 V P 0 ,
E − H0 − λV
since the perturbation does not couple the degenerate states directly. (The
notations in this expression are explained in Sec. 5.2 of the Sakurai.) We are
interested in the third-order term (∝ λ3 ) which couples the two degenerate
states. Expanding the fraction in V ′ , we get in the third order:
1 1
V ′ = P0 V P 1 P1 V P 1 P1 V P 0 ,
E − H0 E − H0
where we put λ = 1 in the final expression, after it served its order-counting
purpose. Calculating the matrix of V ′ in the basis of the two degenerate
states k = 3π/a and k = −3π/a, we see that is has the following simple
structure: ( )
′ 0 δ
V = ,
δ 0
where
δ = ⟨k = −3π/a|V ′ |k = 3π/a⟩ = ⟨k = 3π/a|V ′ |k = −3π/a⟩
U3 1 1 U3
=− = − .
8 E (0) − E (0) E (0) − E (0) 32E02
3π/a π/a 3π/a −π/a

The eigenvalues of the matrix of V ′ are ±δ. As one can see from the structure
of this matrix, the eigenstates of V ′ correspond to the standing waves formed
out of the two degenerate states with the opposite momenta, k = 3π/a
and k = −3π/a. Since δ is negative, the lower energy state represents
the symmetric superposition of these states, ψ ∝ cos(3π/a), and the higher
energy state - the antisymmetric superposition, ψ ∝ sin(3π/a). As discussed
in class, the energies of these states correspond to the edges E± of the
energy gap in the spectrum of the particle, which exists at k = ±3π/a.
Collecting the expressions derived above, we obtain these energies with with
the required accuracy up to the terms of the third order in U :
U2 U3
E± = ± .
16E0 32E02