Test - Quantum mechanics

Exercise 1
A particle of mass m moves in an attractive central potential,
r
e− β
V (r) = −βV0 ,
r
where V0 and β are constants. We propose to determine an approximate value E of the energy of the ground state
using the variational method using the following test function (α is a variational parameter):
1/2
α3

α
ψ (r) = e− β r ,
πβ 3

Determine E knowing that: for n ∈ N and a > 0.

R +∞
0
xn e−ax dx = n!
an+1 ,

Exercise 2
A spinless particle, placed in a central potential, is in the ground state s (l = 0). At time t = 0, we apply a
perturbation given by the following interaction Hamiltonian:
H = H0 + H 0 , H 0 = −gE0 z sin (ωt) ,

where g , E0 and ω are constant and z is the coordinate of the particle in the referential (Oxyz). We want to
study the probability of occupation of states s (l = 0) and p (l = 1, m) after perturbation (hence the probability
of transition from state s to state p).
1. Show that the matrix elements of operator z satisfy the following proportionality relation
hnl1 m1 | z |nl2 m2 i ∝ δl1 ,l2 ±1 δm1 ,m2 ,

2. Deduce, for the four levels n, l = 0, m = 0 and n, l = 1, m, the matrix elements hnl1 m1 | H 0 |nl2 m2 i as a
function of λ = gE0 h00| z |10i. Choose the following order of the base vectors {|n00i , |n10i}.
3. Assuming that the levels |nlmi are degenerated and correspond to the same eigenvalue En of H0 , determine
the state of the particle at time t. WePwill choose En = 0 to simplify the calculations and we will express the
state in the following form: |ψ (t)i = l=0,1;m alm (t) |nlmi.
Given: Solution of the system of dierential equations corresponding to the initial condition x (0) = 1 and y (0) = 0:
( (
i~ dx(t)
C 
dt = −C sin (ωt) y (t) ,⇒
x (t) = cos ~ω (1 − cos (ωt))
i~ dy(t)
C 
dt = −C sin (ωt) x (t) y (t) = i sin ~ω (1 − cos (ωt))

Exercise 3
1. Recall the expression of the energies En and the wave functions ψ (x) of a particle of mass m placed in a
one-dimensional innite well given by
(
0 0<x<a
V (x) =
∞ x < 0 and x > a

2. We consider N identical bosons in this well. What will be the energy of the ground state of this system?

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 3. Reconsider the previous question for a system of N fermions of spin s = 12 . Consider the cases where N is
even then odd.
4. Determine the energy of the ground state of two electrons placed in this well as well as the total wave
function Ψ (x1 , x2 ) = ψ (x1 , x2 ) |SSz i, product of the spatial function ψ (x1 , x2 ) and spin state |SSz i, where
→
− →
− → −
Ŝ = sˆ1 + sˆ2 .

Given: n2 = 16 p (p + 1) (2p + 1).

Pp
n

2
Solution
Exercise 1
1) The expression of hHi as a function of α:
We have
hψ| H |ψi
hHi = = hψ| H |ψi
hψ| ψi
  1/2 
because ψ is normalized A = α3
πβ 3 , so hψ| H |ψi = hψ| T |ψi + hψ| V |ψi. Calculating hψ| V |ψi:

∞ ∞
α3
Z Z
2α+1
2
hψ| V |ψi = 4π |ψ| V (r) r2 dr = −4V0 re− β r
dr,
0 β2 0

but we have , so
R +∞
0
xn e−ax dx = n!
an+1

∞
β2
Z
2α+1
re− β r
dr = 2,
0 (2α + 1)
so
4V0 α3
hψ| V |ψi = − 2.
(2α + 1)
Calculating hψ| T |ψi, we have
~2
hψ| T |ψi = − hψ| ∆ |ψi ,
2m
where
2 ∂ψ ∂ 2 ψ
+∆ψ = ,
r ∂r ∂r2
so  2
∂ψ α ∂2ψ α
= − ψ, = ψ,
∂r β ∂r2 β
it comes
2α 1 α2
 
∆ψ = − + 2 ψ,
β r β
it yields
∞ ∞
~2 α3 4π 2α ~2 α3 4π α2
Z Z
2α 2α
hψ| T |ψi = re− β r dr − r 2 e− β r dr.
2m πβ 3 β 0 2m πβ 3 β 2 0

By using , we nd
R +∞
0
xn e−ax dx = n!
an+1

~2 α3 4π 2α β 2 ~2 α3 4π α2 β 3
hψ| T |ψi = −
2m πβ 3 β 4α2 2m πβ 3 β 2 4α3
2 2
~ α
= .
2m β 2
So
~2 α 2 4V0 α3
hHiα = − 2. (1)
2m β 2 (2α + 1)
2) The derivative of hHi is
∂ ~2 α 4V0 α2 (2α + 3)
hHi = 2
− 3 .
∂α mβ (2α + 1)
α0 obeys the equation ∂
∂α hHi = 0,so
~2 α0 4V0 α02 (2α0 + 3)
= 3 . (2)
m β2 (2α0 + 1)

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3) The expression of hHimin as function of α0 is given by using the equation (1)
~2 α02 4V0 α03
hHimin = hHiα0 = 2
− 2.
2m β (2α0 + 1)

By replacing the term ~2

mβ 2 in hHimin by taking into account the equation (2), we get

2V0 α03 (2α0 − 1)

hHimin = hHiα0 = − 3 .
(2α0 + 1)

Exercise 2
q
1) z = r cos θ = r 4π 0
3 Y1 (θ, φ) ,
r Z Z
4π
hnl1 m1 | z |nl2 m2 i = 3
r drRnl1 (r) Rnl2 (r) × dΩYl∗m1
(θ, φ) Y10 (θ, φ) Ylm 2
(θ, φ) ,
3 1 2

Z
dΩYl∗m
1
1
(θ, φ) Y10 (θ, φ) Ylm
2
2
(θ, φ) = δl1 ,l2 ±1 δm1 ,m2 ,
r Z
4π
hnl1 m1 | z |nl2 m2 i = r3 drRnl1 (r) Rnl2 (r) δl1 ,l2 ±1 δm1 ,m2 .
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2) Matrix elements
hn00| H 0 |n00i = 0, hn00| H 0 |n10i = −λ sin (ωt) , hn00| H 0 |n11i = 0, hn00| H 0 |n1 − 1i = 0,

hn11| H 0 |n00i = 0, hn11| H 0 |n10i = 0, hn11| H 0 |n11i = 0, hn11| H 0 |n1 − 1i = 0,

hn10| H 0 |n00i = −λ sin (ωt) , hn10| H 0 |n10i = 0, hn10| H 0 |n11i = 0, hn10| H 0 |n1 − 1i = 0,
hn1 − 1| H 0 |n00i = 0, hn10| H 0 |n10i = 0, hn10| H 0 |n11i = 0, hn10| H 0 |n1 − 1i = 0.
3) The Schrodinger equation
d |ψ (t)i
= H |ψ (t)i
i~
dt
X dalm (t) X X X
i~ |nlmi = alm (t) H0 |nlmi + alm (t) H 0 |nlmi = alm (t) H 0 |nlmi ,
dt
lm lm lm lm
X dal
1 m1 (t)
X
i~ |nlmi = alm (t) hnl1 m1 | H 0 |nlmi .
dt
lm lm

Explicitly, at time t, we have

|ψ (t)i = a00 (t) |n00i + a10 (t) |n10i + a11 (t) |n11i + a1−1 (t) |n1 − 1i .
The matrix Schrodinger equation is written
   
a00 0 −λ sin (ωt) 0 0
dan (t)  a10   −λ sin (ωt) 0 0 0 
i~ = H 0 an (t) with an = 
 a11  ,
 and H 0 =  ,
dt  0 0 0 0 
a1−1 0 0 0 0

we get
da00 (t) da10 (t) da11 (t) da1−1 (t)
i~ = −λ sin (ωt) a10 (t) , i~ = −λ sin (ωt) a00 (t) , i~ = 0, i~ = 0.
dt dt dt dt
By into account the initial condition |ψ (0)i = |n00i, i.e. a00 (0) = 1 and a1m (0) = 0, the solutions are:
   
C C
a00 (t) = cos (1 − cos (ωt)) , a10 (t) = i sin (1 − cos (ωt)) , a11 (t) = a11 (0) = 0, a1−1 (t) = a1−1 (0) = 0.
~ω ~ω

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Exercise 3
1) r
π 2 ~2 n 2 2  nπ 
En = with n = 1, 2, 3..., ψn (x) = sin x .
2ma2 a a
2) The ground state of the system is obtained when the N bosons all occupy the same ground state of the well
(n = 1). So
π 2 ~2
E0 = N .
2ma2
3) Each state n of the well can only be occupied by two fermions (sz = ± 21 ). Therefore, the ground state of the
system is obtained when 2 fermions occupy the ground state of the well (n = 1), the following two occupy the rst
excited state of the well (n = 2), etc ...
If N is even, by choosing p = N2 , we will have
p
π 2 ~2 n2 π 2 ~2 1 N N π 2 ~2
X  
E0 = 2 2
= 2
+ 1 (N + 1) = N (N + 1) (N + 2) .
n=1
2ma ma 6 2 2 24ma2

If N is odd, by choosing p = N −1
2 , we will have
p 2
X π 2 ~2 n 2 π 2 ~2 (p + 1) π 2 ~2 π 2 ~2 N 2 π 2 ~2
(N + 1) N 2 + 2N + 3 .


E0 = 2 2
+ 2
= 2
(N − 1) N (N + 1) + 2
= 2
n=1
2ma 2ma 24ma 8ma 24ma

4) The ground state corresponds to N = 2, where each electron is in the ground state of the well (n1 = n2 = 1).
The energy is E0 = πma~2 .
2 2

The corresponding total spin states |SSz i are:

- Singlet state:
1
|00i = √ (|+−i − |−+i) ,
2
- Triplet state
1
|11i = |++i , |10i = √ (|+−i + |−+i) , |1 − 1i = |−−i .
2
The spatial wave function must be symmetrical for the singlet state and anti-symmetric for the triplet states.
As the two electrons are in the same ground state of the well, the space wave function cannot be anti-symmetrized.
There is only one possibility left:
2 π  π 
Ψ (x1 , x2 ) = sin x1 sin x2 |00i .
a a a