Quantum Mechanics

Chapter 05 Mathematical Tools of Quantum Mechanics

Lecture 01 One-particle wave function space

Fuxiang Han

School of Physical Science and Technology

ShanghaiTech University

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What is a one-particle wave function?
Description of a state of a particle: By a function of ~r and t, denoted by ψ(~r , t)
and called the one-particle wave function (the wave function for short).
Born’s interpretation of a wave function: |ψ(~r , t)|2 d 3 r is proportional to the
probability of finding the particle at time t in a volume d 3 r = dxdydz about the
point ~r .
NormalizedZ wave function: A wave function that satisfies the normalization
condition d 3 r |ψ(~r , t)|2 = 1.
Physical meaning of the normalization condition: The total probability of finding
the particle somewhere in space is equal to 1.

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What is the one-particle wave function space?
Existence of the integral of |ψ(~r , t)|2 over all space: A wave function ∈ the set of
square-integrable functions.
L2 space: The space of square-integrable functions.
L2 space has the structure of a Hilbert space.
Wave function space F : The set of wave functions composed of sufficiently
regular functions of L2 .
Wave functions are everywhere defined, continuous, & infinitely differentiable.
F is a subspace of L2 .
Discontinuity of a wave function at a point in space has no physical meaning.
Structure of the wave function space F :
F is a vector space.
The inner product is defined in F .
Linear operators are defined in F .

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How do we prove that the wave function space F is a vector space?
F as a vector space: If ψ1 (~r ), ψ2 (~r ) ∈ F , then ψ(~r ) = λ1 ψ1 (~r ) + λ2 ψ2 (~r ) ∈ F .
λ1 , λ2 : Complex numbers.
Proving that ψ(~r ) = λ1 ψ1 (~r ) + λ2 ψ2 (~r ) is in the wave function space F :
Squrae of the norm of ψ(~r ):
|ψ(~r )|2 = |λ1 |2 |ψ1 (~r )|2 + |λ2 |2 |ψ2 (~r )|2 + λ∗1 λ2 ψ1∗ (~r )ψ2 (~r ) + λ1 λ∗2 ψ1 (~r )ψ2∗ (~r )
= |λ1 |2 |ψ1 (~r )|2 + |λ2 |2 |ψ2 (~r )|2 + 2 Re λ∗1 λ2 ψ1∗ (~r )ψ2 (~r ) .
 

2 Re λ∗1 λ2 ψ1∗ (~r )ψ2 (~r ) ≤ |λ1 |2 |ψ1 (~r )|2 + |λ2 |2 |ψ2 (~r )|2 :
 

|ψ(~r )|2 ≤ 2 |λ1 |2 |ψ1 (~r )|2 + |λ2 |2 |ψ2 (~r )|2 .
 

|ψ(~r )|2 ≤ 2 |λ1 |2 |ψ1 (~r )|2 + |λ2 |2 |ψ2 (~r )|2 : ψ(~r ) is square-integrable.
 

ψ(~r ) being square-integrable: ψ(~r ) = λ1 ψ1 (~r ) + λ2 ψ2 (~r ) ∈ F .

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What is the inner product in the wave function space F ?
Definition of the inner product: The inner product of ψ by ϕ is given by
Z
d 3 r ϕ∗ (~r )ψ(~r ).


ϕ, ψ =
Properties of the inner product:
∗

 (ϕ, ψ) = (ψ, ϕ) ,

(ϕ, λ1 ψ1 + λ2 ψ2 ) = λ1 (ϕ, ψ1 ) +λ2 (ϕ, ψ2 ) ,
(λ1 ϕ1 + λ2 ϕ2 , ψ) = λ∗1 (ϕ1 , ψ) +λ∗2 (ϕ2 , ψ) .



Orthogonality of ϕ and ψ: (ϕ, ψ) = 0.

Z
(ψ, ψ) = d 3 r |ψ(~r )|2 : Real and non-negative.
(ψ, ψ) = 0: ψ(~r ) ≡ 0.
p
Norm of ψ: (ψ, ψ).
p p
Schwarz inequality: | (ϕ, ψ) | ≤ (ϕ, ϕ) (ψ, ψ).

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What are the linear operators in the wave function space F ?
(
ψ 0 (~r ) = Âψ(~r ), ψ(~r ) ∈ F ,
Definition of a linear operator Â:  
 λ1 ψ1 (~r )+λ2 ψ2 (~r ) = λ1 Âψ1 (~r )+λ2 Âψ2 (~r ).
Nota bene: ψ 0 (~r ) is not necessarily square-integrable.
Examples of linear operators:
Parity operator Π̂: Π̂ψ(x , y , z ) = ψ(−x , −y , −z ).
x -component operator x̂ of the position operator: x̂ ψ(x , y , z ) = x ψ(x , y , z ).
∂ψ(x , y , z )
Partial differential operator ∂ˆx : ∂ˆx ψ(x , y , z ) = .
∂x

 
Product of two operators: ÂB̂ ψ(~r ) = Â B̂ψ(~r ) .
Commutator of two operators: [Â, B̂] = ÂB̂ − B̂ Â.

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What is the commutator between x̂ and ∂ˆx ?

 
ÂB̂ ψ(~r ) = Â B̂ψ(~r ) , [Â, B̂] = ÂB̂ − B̂ Â.
∂
Expression of the operator ∂ˆx : ∂ˆx = .
∂x
ψ(~r ): An arbitrary wave function in F .
Evaluating [x̂, ∂ˆx ]ψ(~r ):  
ˆ ∂ ∂
[x̂, ∂x ]ψ(~r ) = x − x ψ(~r )
∂x ∂x
∂ψ(~r ) ∂[xψ(~r )]
=x −
∂x ∂x
∂ψ(~r ) ∂ψ(~r )
=x − ψ(~r ) − x
∂x ∂x
= −ψ(~r ).
Arbitrariness of ψ(~r ): [x̂, ∂ˆx ] = −1.

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What have we learned in this lecture?
One-particle wave function.
One-particle wave function space.
Proof that the wave function space F is a vector space.
Inner product in the wave function space F .
Linear operators in the wave function space F .
Commutator between x̂ and ∂ˆx .

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