Indian Institute of Technology Bombay

PHY-403 Quantum Mechanics-I 21.10.2023

Assignment 8

Notes:

1. Some problems will be discussed on 26.10.2023 (Thursday).

2. Please make sure that you do the assignment by yourself. You can con-
sult your classmates and seniors and ensure you understand the concept.
However, do not copy assignments from others.

3. During the tutorial session, TA will randomly ask a student to come to the
board to solve tutorial problems.

1. A coherent state |αi is defined as an eigenstate of ladder operator â (called

destruction or annihilation operator) with eigenvalue α whose explicit form
is
2 †
|αi = e−|α| /2 eαâ |0i.

(a) Evaluate expectation value of x̂, x̂2 , p̂, p̂2 in the coherent state |αi and
determine the uncertainty product ∆x∆p. What can we infer from
this result?
(b) Determine hN̂ i ≡ hα|N̂ |αi where N̂ is the number operator. Show
that the probability of finding the particle in the coherent state |αi to
have energy En = (n + 1/2)h̄ω will have a Poisson distribution.
(c) Show that
† ∗ â 2 /2 † −α∗ a)
eαâ e−α = e|α| e(αâ .
[For any two operators Â, B̂ that satisfy the commutation relation
[Â, B̂] = const., they satisfy the following Baker-Campbell-Hausdorff
formula: e eB̂ = eB̂ e e[Â,B̂] = eÂ+B̂ e[Â,B̂]/2 .]
(d) Using the above, we can rewrite the coherent state |αi as

|αi = D̂(α)|0i,
† −α∗ a)
where D̂(α) = e(αâ is called the displacement operator.
(e) Show that the displacement operator is unitary.
(f) Obtain the ground state position space wavefunction by taking α = b
where b is real. This will explain why we call D̂(α = b) a displacement
operator.

1
 (g) Show that two coherent states |αi and |βi are not orthogonal.
(h) Using the above Baker-Campbell-Hausdorff formula, determine D̂† (α)âD̂(α).

2. As discussed in the class, a relationship exists between the algebra of an-

gular momentum and that of two uncoupled oscillators. Define creation
and annihilation operators for the two oscillators (denoted by + and −) by
a†+ , a†− , a+ and a− , which satisfy the commutation relations

[aα , aβ ] = [a†α , a†β ] = 0; [aα , a†β ] = δα,β

where α and β are indices which take values + and −. The number opera-
tors for the oscillators are defined the usual way, nα = a†α aα . Define,

h̄
J + = h̄(a†+ a− ); J − = h̄(a†− a+ ); Jz = (n+ − n− )
2
(a) Verify that J’s defined above satisfy angular momentum commutation
rules.
(b) Show that
n n 
J 2 = h̄2 +1
2 2
where n = n+ + n− .
(c) Show that in this model, the states with definite j and m are states
with definite n+ and n− .

3. In the class we obtained the angular momentum operators L̂x , L̂y , L̂z . De-
rive the following commutation relations:

[L̂x , L̂y ], [L̂y , L̂z ], [L̂z , L̂x ], [r̂i , L̂j ], [p̂i , L̂j ], [r̂.r̂, Li ]

4. Show that dhL̂dti (t)i = 0 for a system described by Ĥ = p̂2 /2m + a(x2 + y 2 +
z 2 ) where a is a constant using Heisenberg’s picture of operator evolution.
Write the position space wavefunction(s) for the second excited state and
indicate the degree of degeneracy.

5. Obtain expressions for Lx , Ly and Lz and L2 in spherical polar coordinates

starting from the expressions in Cartesian coordinates.

6. In the class we derived the solution of 2-D circular well. The radial part
satisfies the following differential equation
 2
n2
 
d 1 d 2
+ − + k − 2 ϕn (ρ) = 0. (1)
dρ2 ρ dρ ρ

2
 where
h̄2 k 2
ρ = kr; E = (2)
2m
Solution to the differential equation is

ϕn (ρ) = c1 Jn (ρ) + c2 Yn (ρ) (3)

where for ρ → 0, Jn (ρ) → finite while Yn (ρ) → ∞. Since, Yn (ρ) diverges,

they do not correspond to physical solutions and can be discarded. Thus,
we have:
ϕn (S) = Jn (S)
Use Mathematica/MAPLE/MATLAB/Python for the problem

(a) Determine energies using the condition:

φn (a, 0) = 0 ⇒ ϕn (a) = 0 ⇒ Jn (ka) = 0 or Jn (xnj ) = 0

(b) Are these energy eigenvalues degenerate?

(c) Plot the Bessel function for n = 0 & j large.
(d) Plot the Bessel function n  1 and j = 0.
(e) In which limit you get Coral shape as seen in the STM image?

7. Harmonic Oscillator in 2 and 3-dimensions

Consider Harmonic Oscillator in 2- and 3-dimensions:
P~ 2 1
H= + mω 2 |~x|2 (4)
2m 2
(a) Write down eigenvalues and eigenfunctions.
(b) What is the degeneracy for a given n?
(c) Obtain H from here (i) for 2-D Oscillator in polar coordinates and (ii)
for 3-D Oscillator in Spherical polar coordinates.

8. Consider the Lagrangian

1 1
L = m1 |~ṙ1 |2 + m2 |~ṙ2 |2 − V (r1 − r2 ) (5)
2 2
for two particles of mass m1 and m2 with individual positions ~r1 and ~r2 . In
~ an relative coordinate ~r, show that the above
terms of the center of mass R
Lagrangian take the form:
(m1 + m2 ) ~ 2 1 m1 m2 ~ 2
L= |Ṙ| + |ṙ| − V (r) (6)
2 2 m1 + m2