Homework Set 3 — Symmetries 2

Due April 13, 2020

1. (a) The plane wave is

p·x
−ωt)
ψ(x, t) = ei( ~ (1)

Reversing the direction of momentum p → −p gives

p·x
−ωt)
ψ(x, t) → ei(− ~ (2)
p·x
= e−i( ~
+ωt)
(3)
= ψ ∗ (x, −t) (4)

(b) From Sakurai (3.2.52):

!
cos β2 e−iα/2
χ(n̂) = , (5)
sin β2 eiα/2

Note that this is defined so that

σ · n̂χ = χ. (6)

It has spin in the direction of n̂. (E.g., the usual spin up state for n̂ = ẑ).
We then have
!
∗ cos β2 eiα/2
χ (n̂) = , (7)
sin β2 e−iα/2
! !
∗ 0 −i cos β2 eiα/2
−iσ2 χ (n̂) = −i , (8)
i 0 sin β2 e−iα/2
!
β −iα/2
− sin 2 e
= (9)
cos β2 eiα/2

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 But this has opposite eigenvalue:
! !
nz nx − iny − sin β2 e−iα/2
σ · n̂[−iσ2 χ∗ (n̂)] = (10)
nx + iny −nz cos β2 eiα/2
! !
cos β sin β cos α − i sin β sin α − sin β2 e−iα/2
=
sin β cos α + i sin β sin α − cos β cos β2 eiα/2
(11)
!
− sin β2 e−iα/2
=− (12)
cos β2 eiα/2
= −[−iσ2 χ∗ (n̂)] (13)

=⇒ it is the two-component eigenspinor with spin direction reversed. (E.g., spin down
for n̂ = ẑ, or spin up for n̂ = −ẑ)

2. (a) Time reversal commutes with the rotation operator:

ΘDΘ−1 = Θe−iJ·n̂θ/~ Θ−1 (14)

−1 )·n̂θ/~
= e−(ΘiJΘ (15)
−(ΘiΘ−1 ΘJΘ−1 )·n̂θ/~
=e (16)
= e−iJ·n̂θ/~ = D (17)

since ΘiΘ−1 = −1 and ΘJΘ−1 = -J.

=⇒ ΘD = DΘ
So we have

ΘD(R)|j, mi = D(R)Θ|j, mi (18)

= i2m D(R)|j, −mi (19)

(b) Consider

hj, −m0 |ΘD(R)|j, −mi = i−2m hj, −m0 |D(R)|j, −mi (20)
(j)
= i−2m D−m0 −m (R) (21)

(see part 2a).

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 But we also have
X h i
hj, −m0 |ΘD(R)|j, −mi = hj, −m0 |Θ |j, m00 ihj, m00 |D(R)|j, mi , (22)
m00
Xh i
= hj, −m |Θ|j, m i hj, m00 |D(R)|j, mi∗ ,
0 00
(23)
m00
00
X
= i2m hj, −m0 |j, −m00 ihj, m00 |D(R)|j, mi∗ (24)
m00
00
X
= i2m δm0 ,m00 hj, m00 |D(R)|j, mi∗ (25)
m00
00
= i2m hj, m0 |D(R)|j, mi∗ (26)
2m00 (j)∗
=i Dm0 m (R) (27)

(Note that Θ acts on everything to the right, and hence the complex conjugation in the
second line.)
Comparing the two results, we have:

(j)∗ 0 (j)
Dm0 m (R) = i−2(m +m) D−m0 −m (R), (28)

3. Since both p2 and x are invariant under time reversal, so is H: [H, Θ] = 0. If there is no
degeneracy, any energy eigenstate |αi must also be an eigenstate of Θ:

Θ|αi = |α̃i = e−δ |αi (29)

The expectation hLi is real, since L is Hermitian:

hLi = hL† i∗ (30)

= hLi∗ (31)

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If we define |βi ≡ L|αi, then by the antiunitarity of time reversal:

hα|L|αi = hα|βi (32)

= hα̃|β̃i∗ (33)
= hα̃|β̃i (34)
= hα̃|ΘL|αi (35)
= hα̃|ΘLΘ−1 Θ|αi (36)
= −hα̃|LΘ|αi (37)
= −hα̃|L|α̃i (38)
= −e−iδ hα|L|αieiδ (39)
= −hα|L|αi (40)
=⇒ hLi = 0 (41)

If we expand the wavefunction in spherical harmonics:

ψα (x) ≡ hx|αi (42)

X
= hx|l, mihl, m|αi (43)
l,m
X
= Fl,m (r)Ylm (θ, φ), (44)
l,m

then

hx|α̃i = hx|Θ|αi (45)

= eiδ hx|αi (46)
=⇒ hx|αi = e−iδ hx|α̃i (47)
= e−iδ ψα∗ (x) (48)
X
= e−iδ ∗
Fl,m (r)[Ylm (θ, φ)]∗ (49)
l,m
X
= e−iδ ∗
Fl,m (r)(−1)m Yl−m (θ, φ) (50)
l,m
X
= e−iδ ∗
Fl,−m (r)(−1)−m Ylm (θ, φ) (51)
l,m

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 Comparing the coefficients to Ylm :

Fl,m = (−1)−m e−iδ Fl,−m

∗
(r) (52)

4. The Hamiltonian for a spin 1 system is given by

H = ASz2 + B(Sx2 − Sy2 ). (53)

Solve this problem exactly to find the normalized energy eigenstates and eigenvalues. (A spin-
dependent Hamiltonian of this kind actually appears in crystal physics). Is this Hamiltonian
invariant under time reversal? How do the normalized eigenstates you obtained transform
under time reversal?
For a spin 1 system the spin operators have the form
 
0 1 0
~ 
Sx = √ 1 0 1 (54)

2
0 1 0
 
0 −i 0
~ 
Sy = √  i 0 −i (55)

2
0 i 0
 
1 0 0
Sz = ~ 0 0 0 (56)
 

0 0 −1

And so the Hamiltonian is:

H = ASz2 + B(Sx2 − Sy2 ) (57)

 
A 0 B
= 0 0 0 (58)
 

B 0 A
√ √
The eigenvalues are 0, A ± B, with eigenvectors (0,1,0), (1,0,1)/ 2, (1,0,-1)/ 2, respectively.

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Or, in terms of |s, sz i: 


 |1, 0i 0

√1 (|1, 1i + |1, −1i) A+B (59)
 2

 √1 (|1, 1i − |1, −1i)

A−B
2

Assume A and B are real (otherwise H is not Hermitian). Then:

ΘHΘ−1 = AΘSz Θ−1 ΘSz Θ−1 + B(ΘSx Θ−1 ΘSx Θ−1 − ΘSy Θ−1 ΘSy Θ−1 ) (60)
= A(−Sz )2 + B[(−Sx )2 − (−Sy )2 ] (61)
=H (62)

The Hamiltonian is invariant under time reversal.

We know that Θ|lmi = (−1)m |l, −mi, so the first and third eigenstates (eigenvalues 0 and
A − B) are invariant under time reversal, while the other (eigenvalue A + B) is odd under
time reversal



Θ|1, 0i = |1, 0i

Θ √12 (|1, 1i + |1, −1i) = − √12 (|1, 1i + |1, −1i) (63)


Θ √1 (|1, 1i − |1, −1i) = √1 (|1, 1i − |1, −1i)

2 2