Quantizing Harmonic Oscillator

December 13, 2023

1 Schrödinger’s way
We deal with the wave function withV = 12 mω 2 x2

ℏ2 ′′ 1
− ψ (x) + mω 2 x2 ψ(x) = Eψ(x)
2m 2
For math convinience, we want all coefficients to be dimensionless. Notice that due to ψ ′′ (x) has dimension
[L]−2 , dimension of −ℏ
2

2m is different from that of energy. We change the coordinate by multiplying x with a

dimensional constant (made up with m, ω, ℏ) to retain the dimension.
√
ℏ mω ′′
x= ξ, ψ ′′ (x) = ψ (ξ)
mω ℏ
ℏω 1
− ψ ′′ (ξ) + ℏωξ 2 ψ(ξ) = Eξ
2 2
′′ 2E
ψ (ξ) + (λ − ξ 2 )ψ = 0 (λ := )
hω
The next thing to do is solving the equation. We want solution to be bounded, so when ξ ⇝ ∞, ψ(ξ) remain
finite. To see this [ ][ ]
d d
−ξ + ξ ψ + (λ − 1)ψ = 0
dξ dξ
When ξ is suffiently big, the second term can be neglected. So that
[ ][ ]
d d
−ξ +ξ ψ =0
dξ dξ
[ ]
d
Since ξ can vary, dξ + ξ ψ can’t be constant, so
[ ]
d
+ ξ ψ = 0 ⇝ ψ = e−ξ /2 → 0
2

dξ

So the solution is bounded. We use an ansatz (from the asymptotic condition analysis)

ψ(ξ) = u(ξ)e−ξ
2
/2

Then the equation transforms to a Hermite equation

d2 u du
− 2ξ + (λ − 1)u = 0
dξ 2 dξ
The solution has a power series form
∞
∑
u(ξ) = ck ξ k
k=0

1
Since (set λ = 2n + 1)
n(n − 1) · · · (n − 2k + 4)(n − 2k + 2)
c2k = (−2)k c0
(2k)!
(n − 1)(n − 3) · · · (n − 2k + 3)(n − 2k + 1)
c2k+1 = (−2)k c1
(2k)!
we have two indepent solution u1 (generated by c0 ),u2 (generated by c1 ). Then we consider the solution under
the limit of infinity. ck+2 /ck → 2/k, so
∑ ξ 2m 2 2
lim u1 (ξ) = ∼ eξ , lim u2 (ξ) = ξeξ
ξ→∞ m! ξ→∞

which don’t satisfies the bound condition. But when n being nonnegative integer, the series will terminate
at a certain term, and the total formular will remain finite. So we know that
2E 1
λ= = 2n + 1, E = ( + n)ℏω (n ∈ N)
ℏω 2

2 Dirac’s way
Dirac will consider the operator
1 2 1
Ĥ = p̂ + mω 2 x̂2 , [x̂, p̂] = iℏ
2m 2
and split Ĥ into two dimensionless operators (do the same thing as section 1, the reason we do this is we
hope these operators to change the quantity of energy)
[ ]
ℏω 1 2 mω 2
Ĥ = p̂ + x̂
2 mℏω ℏ
[ √ ][ √ ]
ℏω 1 mω 1 mω ℏω i
= √ p̂ + i x̂ √ p̂ − i x̂ − [x̂, p̂]
2 mℏω ℏ mℏω ℏ 2 ℏ
ℏω
= ℏω↠â +
2 √
[ ]
† 1 1 mω
â = √ √ p̂ + i x̂
2 mℏω ℏ
[ √ ]
1 1 mω
â = √ √ p̂ − i x̂
2 mℏω ℏ

The most important thing is the commutation relation of â and ↠, where we get our insight from [x̂, p̂]
i
[â, ↠] = − [x̂, p̂] = Iˆ
ℏ
The eigenstates of Ĥ are eigenstates of ↠â := N̂ , we denote them as |n⟩. We can easily get commutation
relation of â and N̂
[N̂ , â] = [↠, â]â = −â, [N̂ , ↠] = ↠[â, ↠] = â†
For |n⟩, we have

N̂ ↠|n⟩ = ↠|n⟩ + ↠N̂ |n⟩

= (n + 1)↠|n⟩
N̂ â |n⟩ = â |n⟩ + âN̂ |n⟩
= (n − 1)â |n⟩

2
So ↠|n⟩ and â |n⟩ are also eigenstates of N̂ . So the intuition for there operators can be seen as raising and
lowering the energy. We call them creation and anihilation operator.

But still we don’t know what energy eigenstates an oscillator can have. Even though we have good tools of
creation/anihilation operators, we can’t decide if the energy state can be fractions. From physical perspective,
the oscillator has a ground state (we can’t imagine negative energy), so the action of anihilation operator
must terminate at a certain state. To see this, we should know what state creation/anihilation operator gets.
Assumpt that
â |n⟩ = f (n) |n − 1⟩ , ↠|n⟩ = h(n) |n + 1⟩
We will use normalizing condition of eigenstates to get f (n).
1 1
⟨n| ↠â |n⟩ = ⟨n| N̂ |n⟩ = 1
f (n)∗ f (n) |f (n)|2
1 1
∗
⟨n| â↠|n⟩ = ⟨n| N̂ + Iˆ |n⟩ = 1
h(n) h(n) |h(n)|2

Then we get √ √
â |n⟩ = n |n − 1⟩ , ↠= n + 1 |n + 1⟩
√
The only way to terminate the action of anihilation operator is coefficient( n) vanishing. So we must have
state |n⟩. Can n be fraction? No, if such, we will get |− 2 ⟩ sort of thing. So we get that eigenstates of N̂ are
1

|n⟩ , n ∈ N.