Advanced Quantum Mechanics: Problem Sheet 2

1. a) Show that if A and B are two non-commuting operators then, to second order
in ε,
1 2 [A,B]
eεA eεB = eεA+εB+ 2 ε

b) Show that if H is a self-adjoint operator then U = eiH is a unitary operator

meaning that, for any two states |ψ1 〉, |ψ2 〉

〈ψ1 |U † U |ψ2 〉 = 〈ψ1 |ψ2 〉

Answer

a) To second order in ε we have

1
eεA = 1 + εA + ε2 A2 + . . .
2
1
eεB = 1 + εB + ε2 B 2 + . . .
2
1 1 1
eA+B = 1 + εA + εB + ε2 A2 + ε2 B 2 + ε2 (AB + BA) + . . .
2 2 2
Next replace B → B + 12 ε[A, B] to find
1 2 [A,B] 1 1 1 1
eεA+εB− 2 ε = 1 + εA + εB + ε2 [A, B] + ε2 A2 + ε2 B 2 + ε2 (AB + BA) + . . .
2 2 2 2
1 2 2 1 2 2
= 1 + εA + εB + ε A + ε B + ε2 AB . . .
2 2
On the other hand
1 1
eA eB = (1 + εA + ε2 A2 + . . .)(1 + εB + ε2 B 2 + . . .)
2 2
1 2 2 1 2 2
= 1 + εA + εB + ε A + ε B + ε2 AB . . .
2 2
which agrees.

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 b) First we expand
∞
!
iH (iH)k
e =
k=0
k!
!∞
(−iH † )k
(eiH )† =
k=0
k!
∞
! (−iH)k
=
k=0
k!
−iH
=e

It then follows that

U † U = eiH e−iH = e0 = I

Note that it is important here that H commutes with itself so eA eB = eA+B .

2. Some identities with commutators. Show that the following are true for any oper-
ators A, B, C

a) [AB, C] = [A, C]B + A[B, C]

b) [AB, CD] = [A, C]BD + A[B, C]D + C[A, D]B + CA[B, D]

Answer

a) [AB, C] = ABC − CAB = ABC − ACB + ACB − CAB = [A, C]B + A[B, C]
b) Using the above we have also [A, BC] = −[BC, A] = −B[C, A] − [B, A]C =
B[A, C] + [A, B]C. Now: [AB, CD] = C[AB, D] + [AB, C]D = CA[B, D] +
C[A, D]B + A[B, C]D + [A, C]AD.

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3. The angular momentum operator in quantum mechanics is defined as L #̂ = #̂r × p.
#̂
Using the commutation relations between r̂i and p̂j ([r̂i , p̂j ] = i!δij ) show that

a) #̂r × p#̂ = −p#̂ × #̂r

b) #̂r · p#̂ ∕= p#̂ · #̂r

Answer

a) In index notations, since [r̂i , p̂j ] = i!δij

" # " #
L̂i = %ijk r̂j p̂k = %ijk [r̂j , p̂k ]+ p̂k r̂j = i!%ijk δjk +%ijk p̂k r̂j = −%ikj p̂k r̂j = − p×
#̂ #̂r i

b)
#̂r · p#̂ − p#̂ · #̂r = r̂i p̂i − p̂i r̂i = [r̂i , p̂i ] = i!δii = 3i! .

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4. Let εijk be the totally anti-symmetric tensor in three dimensions, i.e.,
$
%
&1 if (ijk) = (123), (231), (312)
εijk = −1 if (ijk) = (213), (132), (321)
%
'
0 otherwise (i.e. if two of the indices have the same value).

Using the fact that εijk εklm = δil δjm − δim δjl , where on the l.h.s. summation over
k = 1, 2, 3 is understood (i.e. the Einstein summation convention is used), prove
that the commutation relations

[L̂j , L̂k ] = i! εjkl L̂l

of the angular momentum define a Lie algebra, i.e. verify anti-symmetry of the
bracket and the Jacobi identity

[[L̂j , L̂k ], L̂l ] + sum over cyclic permutations of (jkl) = 0.

Answer

Antisymmetry is obvious from the antisymmetry of %ijk :

[L̂j , L̂k ] = i!%jkl L̂l = −i!%kjl L̂l = −[L̂k , L̂j ]

The Jacobi identity is

[[L̂j , L̂k ], L̂l ] + [[L̂k , L̂l ], L̂j ] + [[L̂l , L̂j ], L̂k ]

= i!%jkm [L̂m , L̂l ] + i!%klm [L̂m , L̂j ] + i!%ljm [L̂m , L̂k ]
= −!2 %jkm %mln L̂n − !2 %klm %mjn L̂n − !2 %ljm %mkn L̂n .
= −!2 [δjl δkn − δkl δjn + δkj δln − δlj δkn + δlk δjn − δjk δln ] L̂n = 0 .

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5. Consider the three matrices
( ) ( ) ( )
! 0 1 ! 0 −i ! 1 0
s1 = , s2 = , s3 = ,
2 1 0 2 i 0 2 0 −1
a) Evaluate the commutation relations [si , sj ] for i, j = 1, 2, 3.
b) Evaluate the matrix s2 = s21 + s22 + s23 .
c) Optional: Can you find 3 × 3 matrices li that have the same commutation
relations? what is li2 ?

Answer

a) Clearly if i = j the commutator is zero. Otherwise

( )
!2 i 0
[s1 , s2 ] = = i!s3 ,
2 0 −i
( )
!2 0 i
[s2 , s3 ] = = i!s1 ,
2 i 0
( )
!2 0 1
[s3 , s1 ] = = i!s2 .
2 −1 0
the others are determined by antisymmetry of the commutator, so together we
find [sj , sk ] = i!%jkl sl .
b) ( ) ( )
!2 3 0 3 2 1 0
2
s = s21 + s22 + s23 = ,= ! ,
4 0 3 4 0 1
c) You can verify that
* , *
, * ,
0 1 0 0 −i 0 1 0 0
! !
l 1 = √ +1 0 1 - , l2 = √ + i 0 −i- , l 3 = ! +0 0 0 - .
2 0 1 0 2 0 i 0 0 0 −1
Satisfies the algebra.
.* , * , * ,0 * ,
1 0 1 1 0 −1 2 0 0 1 0 0
! /+
2
l12 +l22 +l32 = 0 2 0- , + + 0 2 0 - , + +0 0 0 -1 = 2!2 +0 1 0-
2
1 0 1 −1 − 1 0 0 −2 0 0 1
6. Practice with spherical polar coordinates.
We will use the convention
x = r cos φ sin θ , y = r sin φ sin θ , z = r cos θ .
Show that

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a) 2
2 2 2 2 y x2 + y 2
r = x + y + z , tan φ = , tan θ =
x z
b)

∂ x ∂ y ∂ z ∂
= + +
∂r r ∂x r ∂y r ∂z
∂ ∂ ∂
= −x tan φ + y cot φ
∂φ ∂x ∂y
∂ ∂ ∂ ∂
= x cot θ + y cot θ − z tan θ
∂θ ∂x ∂y ∂z

c)

∂ x ∂ x ∂ y ∂
= + 2 cot θ − 2 2
∂x r ∂r r ∂θ x + y ∂φ
∂ y ∂ y ∂ x ∂
= + 2 cot θ + 2
∂y r ∂y r ∂θ x + y 2 ∂φ
∂ z ∂ z ∂
= − 2 tan θ
∂z r ∂z r ∂θ

d)

∂ ∂ cos φ cos θ ∂ sin φ ∂

= cos φ sin θ + −
∂x ∂r r ∂θ r sin θ ∂φ
∂ ∂ sin φ cos θ ∂ cos φ ∂
= sin φ sin θ + +
∂y ∂r r ∂θ r sin θ ∂φ
∂ ∂ sin θ ∂
= cos θ −
∂z ∂r r ∂θ

e)
1 ∂2 3 4 1 ∂3 ∂ 4 1 ∂2
∇2 Ψ = rΨ + sin θ Ψ + Ψ
r ∂r2 r2 sin θ ∂θ ∂θ r2 sin2 θ ∂φ2

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Answer

The question is its own answer all that remains is to expand, for an arbitrary
function Ψ,

∂ 2Ψ ∂ 2Ψ ∂ 2Ψ
+ +
∂x2 ∂y 2 ∂z 2
( )( )
∂ cos φ cos θ ∂ sin φ ∂ ∂ cos φ cos θ ∂ sin φ ∂
= cos φ sin θ + − cos φ sin θ + − Ψ
∂r r ∂θ r sin θ ∂φ ∂r r ∂θ r sin θ ∂φ
( )( )
∂ sin φ cos θ ∂ cos φ ∂ ∂ sin φ cos θ ∂ cos φ ∂
+ sin φ sin θ + + sin φ sin θ + + Ψ
∂r r ∂θ r sin θ ∂φ ∂r r ∂θ r sin θ ∂φ
( )( )
∂ sin θ ∂ ∂ sin θ ∂
+ cos θ − cos θ − Ψ
∂r r ∂θ ∂r r ∂θ
∂ 2 Ψ 2 ∂Ψ 1 ∂ 2Ψ 1 ∂Ψ 1 ∂ 2Ψ
= + + + cot θ +
∂r2 r ∂r r2 ∂θ2 r2 ∂θ r2 sin2 θ ∂φ2
1 ∂2 3 4 1 ∂3 ∂ 4 1 ∂2
= rΨ + sin θ Ψ + Ψ
r ∂r2 r2 sin θ ∂θ ∂θ r2 sin2 θ ∂φ2