Advanced Quantum Mechanics: Problem Sheet 3

1. A particle has a wavefunction given by

2 2 2
ψ(x1 , x2 , x3 ) = A x3 e−b (x1 +x2 +x3 ) ,

where A and b are constants. Show that this function is an eigenfunction of L̂2
and L̂3 and find the eigenvalues.
Hint: you may find the expressions of L̂2 and L̂3 in spherical coordinates useful
! " # $
2 2 1 ∂ ∂ 1 ∂2
L̂ = −! sin θ +
sin θ ∂θ ∂θ sin2 θ ∂φ2
∂
L̂3 = −i!
∂φ

Answer

In spherical coordinates
2
ψ(r, θ, φ) = Ar cos θ e−br .

Clearly ψ does not depend on φ, so L̂3 ψ = 0. For L̂2 we need to consider only the
θ derivative
" &#
2 1 ∂ ∂ % −br2 2 1 ∂ ' (
2
L̂ ψ = −! sin θ Ar cos θ e = −!2 A e−br − sin2 θ
sin θ ∂θ ∂θ sin θ ∂θ
2
= 2!2 A cos θ e−br = 2!2 ψ

1
2. Using the definition L̂i = %ijk x̂j p̂k with pj = −i!∂j find the expression for L̂± =
L̂1 ± iL̂2 in spherical coordinates. You should find
" #
±iφ ∂ ∂
L̂± = ± ! e ± i cot θ .
∂θ ∂φ
Recall that
x1 = r sin θ cos φ , x2 = r sin θ sin φ , x3 = r cos θ

Answer

We use
) *
x21 + x22 x2
r= x21 + x22 + x23 , θ = arctan , φ = arctan
x3 x1
so
*
∂r ∂θ ∂φ x3 x21 + x22 sin θ
∂3 = ∂r + ∂θ + ∂φ = ∂r − 2 +x2 ∂θ = cos θ ∂r − ∂θ
∂x3 ∂x3 ∂x3 r x
x23 (1 + 1x2 2 ) r
3

∂r ∂θ ∂φ
∂1 = ∂r + ∂θ + ∂φ
∂x1 ∂x1 ∂x1
x1 x1 x2
= ∂r + * 2 2 ∂ θ − x22
∂φ
r x +x
x3 x21 + x22 (1 + 1x2 2 ) x21 (1 + )
3 x21
cos θ cos φ sin φ
= sin θ cos φ ∂r + ∂θ − ∂φ
r r sin θ
∂r ∂θ ∂φ
∂2 = ∂r + ∂θ + ∂φ
∂x2 ∂x2 ∂x2
x2 x2 1
= ∂r + * 2 +x2 ∂θ + x22
∂φ
r x
x3 x21 + x22 (1 + 1x2 2 ) x1 (1 + 2 )
3 x1
cos θ sin φ cos φ
= sin θ sin φ ∂r + ∂θ + ∂φ
r r sin θ
This gives
L̂± = L̂1 ± iL̂2 = −i!(x2 ∂3 − x3 ∂2 ± ix3 ∂1 ∓ ix1 ∂3 )
= −i!((x2 ∓ ix1 )∂3 − x3 (∂2 ∓ i∂1 )) = ∓!((x1 ± ix2 )∂3 − x3 (∂1 ± i∂2 ))
! " #
±iφ sin θ
= ∓! r sin θe cos θ ∂r − ∂θ
r
" #$
±iφ cos θe±iφ e±iφ
− r cos θ sin θe ∂r + ∂θ ± i ∂φ
r r sin θ
= ±!e±iφ (∂θ ± i cot θ∂φ )

2
3. Prove the following operator equation by showing that both sides of the equation
satisfy the same differential equation (which you can get by differentiating w.r.t θ)
with the same initial conditions

e−iL̂2 θ/! L̂3 e+iL̂2 θ/! = L̂3 cos θ + L̂1 sin θ.

Using this relation show that the state

|ψ〉 = e−iπL̂2 /2! |l, m〉

is an eigenstate of L̂1 and find its eigenvalue.

Answer

Differentiating the lhs with respect to θ gives two terms. Acting on the first
exponent is the same as multiplying it from the left by −iL̂2 /! and acting on the
second exponent multiplies it by +iL̂2 /! from the right (note that L̂2 commutes
with the exponentials of L̂2 . So the two terms give a commutator
d + −iL̂2 θ/! , i+ ,
e L̂3 e+iL̂2 θ/! = − L̂2 , e−iL̂2 θ/! L̂3 e+iL̂2 θ/!
dθ !
i + ,
= − e−iL̂2 θ L̂2 , L̂3 e+iL̂2 θ
!
−iL̂2 θ
=e L̂1 e+iL̂2 θ

Now differentiate again to get

d2 + −iL̂2 θ/! +iL̂2 θ/!

, i −iL̂2 θ + ,
+iL̂2 θ
e L̂ 1 e = − e L̂ 2 , L̂ 1 e
dθ2 !
= −e−iL̂2 θ L̂3 e+iL̂2 θ

So the second derivative changes the sign of the LHS. The same is true for the
RHS, as both cos θ and sin θ solve x′′ = −x.
As for the boundary conditions, for θ = 0 both left and right hand side are equal
to L̂3 . The first derivative of the LHS is
d + −iL̂2 θ/! , -
+iL̂2 θ/! −iL̂2 θ +iL̂2 θ -
e L̂3 e =e L̂1 e - = L̂1 .
dθ θ=0 θ=0

For the RHS we have

d + , + ,
L̂3 cos θ + L̂1 sin θ −L̂3 sin θ + L̂1 cos θ = L̂1
dθ θ=0 θ=0

3
which proves the identity.
Now for θ = π/2 we have that

e−iπL̂2 /2! L̂3 e+iπL̂2 /2! = L̂1 ,

so we can act on the state in the quation

L̂1 |ψ〉 = L̂1 e−iπL̂2 /2! |l, m〉 = e−iπL̂2 /2! L̂3 e+iπL̂2 /2! e−iπL̂2 /2! |l, m〉
= e−iπL̂2 /2! L̂3 |l, m〉 = m e−iπL̂2 /2! |l, m〉 = m |ψ〉

4
4. a) Write out the exponential exp(iaJ3 ) as a power series.
b) Show that
d
(exp(iaJ3 )) = i exp(iaJ3 )J3 .
da
c) Show that
d
(exp(−iaJ3 )) = −iJ3 exp(−iaJ3 ) .
da
d) Consider the functions a(φ), b(φ), c(φ), d(φ), e(φ), f (φ), g(φ), defined by
e−iφJ3 J1 eiφJ3 = a(φ)J1 + b(φ)J2 + c(φ)J3 ,
e−iφJ3 J2 eiφJ3 = e(φ)J1 + f (φ)J2 + g(φ)J3
Show that
a′ = e , b ′ = f , c ′ = g , e′ = −a , f ′ = −b , g ′ = −c
Hence, by solving these differential equations and using the intial conditions at
φ = 0, show that
. 0 . 0. 0
J1 cos(φ) − sin(φ) 0 J1
−iφJ3 / 1 iφJ3 / 1 /
e J2 e = sin(φ) cos(φ) 0 J2 1
J3 0 0 1 J3

Answer
a)
∞
2 (iaJ3 )n
exp(iaJ3 ) =
n=0
n!
1
= 1 + iaJ3 − a2 J32 + . . .
2
b) We expand
∞
d d 2 (iaJ3 )n
exp(iaJ3 ) =
da da n=0 n!
∞
2 (iaJ3 )n−1
= iJ3
n=1
(n − 1)!
3∞ 4
2 (iaJ3 )n
=i J3
n=0
n!
= iexp(iaJ3 )J3
Note that we could just as well as written this as iJ3 exp(iaJ3 ).

5
c) Similarly
∞
d d 2 (−iaJ3 )n
exp(−iaJ3 ) =
da da n=0 n!
∞
2 (iaJ3 )n−1
= −iJ3
n=1
(n − 1)!
3 ∞
4
2 (iaJ3 )n
= −iJ3
n=0
n!
= −iJ3 exp(iaJ3 )
d) We differentiate the first line and then use the second:
−iJ3 e−iφJ3 J1 eiφJ3 + ie−iφJ3 J1 eiφJ3 J3 = a′ J1 + b′ J2 + c′ J3
−ie−iφJ3 [J3 , J1 ]eiφJ3 = a′ J1 + b′ J2 + c′ J3
e−iφJ3 J2 eiφJ3 = a′ J1 + b′ J2 + c′ J3
eJ1 + f J2 + gJ3 = a′ J1 + b′ J2 + c′ J3
This tells us a′ = e, b′ = f, c′ = g. Next we differentiate the second line and use
the first:
−iJ3 e−iφJ3 J2 eiφJ3 + ie−iφJ3 J2 eiφJ3 J3 = e′ J1 + f ′ J2 + g ′ J3
−ie−iφJ3 [J3 , J2 ]eiφJ3 = e′ J1 + f ′ J2 + g ′ J3
−e−iφJ3 J1 eiφJ3 = e′ J1 + f ′ J2 + g ′ J3
−aJ1 − bJ2 − cJ3 = e′ J1 + f ′ J2 + g ′ J3
which tells us e′ = −a, f ′ = −b, g ′ = −c.
e) These equations tell us that a′′ = −a and similarly for b and c (as well as e, f
and g). So we know that
a = a1 cos φ + a2 sin φ = cos φ + a2 sin φ
b = b1 cos φ + b2 sin φ = b2 sin φ
c = c1 cos φ + c2 sin φ = c2 sin φ
where we have imposed the boundary condition a(0) = 1, b(0) = c(0) = 0.
From the previous part we know that
e = −a′ = sin φ − a2 cos φ
f = −b′ = −b2 cos φ
g = −c′ = −c2 cos φ
The boundary condition e(0) = g(0) = 0, f (0) = 1 then fixes a2 = c2 = 0 and
b2 = −1. This gives us the answer.

6
5. Show that if a state |ψ〉 is a simultaneous eigenstate of J1 , J2 and J3 , i.e. Ji |ψ〉 =
λi |ψ〉 for three complex numbers λi , then

Ji |ψ〉 = 0 for all i

Answer

We use J1 = −i[J2 , J3 ]. Acting on the state:

J1 |ψ〉 = −i[J2 , J3 ]|ψ〉 = −iJ2 J3 |ψ〉 + iJ3 J2 |ψ〉

= −iJ2 λ3 |ψ〉 + iJ3 λ2 |ψ〉 = −iλ2 λ3 |ψ〉 + iλ3 λ2 |ψ〉 = 0

Likewise for the other two.

7
6. Show that 〈l, m|L̂1 |l, m〉 = 0 and compute the uncertainty (∆L̂1 )2 in the state |l, m〉.
Recall that |l, m〉 is an eigenstate of L̂2 and L̂3 with

L̂2 |l, m〉 = !2 l(l + 1) |l, m〉 and L̂3 |l, m〉 = !m |l, m〉.

The uncertainty of an operator  in a state |ψ〉 is defined as

(∆Â)2 ≡ 〈ψ|Â2 |ψ〉 − 〈ψ|Â|ψ〉2 .

Answer

We know that L̂1 = (L̂+ + L̂− )/2, so L̂1 |l, m〉 is a linear combination of |l, m − 1〉
and |l, m + 1〉, which are orthogonal to |l, m〉, so 〈l, m|L̂1 |l, m〉 = 0.
To calculate 〈l, m|L̂21 |l, m〉 we can write it again as L̂21 = (L̂+ + L̂− )2 /2 and extract
the L̂+ L̂− and L̂− L̂+ and evaluate them. A shortcut is not note that we’d expect
(∆L̂1 )2 = (∆L̂2 )2 , so let us evaluate their sum

(∆L̂1 )2 + (∆L̂2 )2 = 〈l, m|(L̂21 + L̂22 )|l, m〉 = 〈l, m|(L̂2 − L̂23 )|l, m〉 = l(l + 1) − m2

Therefore
l(l + 1) − m2
(∆L̂1 )2 =
2