HARMONIC OSCILLATOR IN

QUANTUM MECHANICS
(SIMPLE APPLICATIONS OF SCHRODINGER EQUATION )
 OUTLINE OF THE COURSE
THE HARMONIC OSCILLATOR IN QUANTUM MECANICS

1. MOTIVATION: WAY IS SO IMPORTANT HO MODEL?

- from pedagogical point of view; wide applications in various branches of
physics; from a historical perspective.

2.THE RISING AND LOWERING OPERATORS; DIRAC METHOD

- CANONICAL TRANSFORMATION; THE RISING (CREATION) AND
LOWERING (ANIHILATION) OPERATORS; THE NUMBER OF QUANTA
OPERATOR AND THE HAMILTONIAN
- ENERGY EIGENVALUES; ENERGY EIGENSTATES AND THE
ASSOCIATED WAVE FUNCTIONS

3.THE POLYNOMIAL METHOD

- THE SCHRODINGER EQUATION FOR WAVE FUNCTION;
- THE CUTTING CONDITION AND ENERGY QUANTIZATION;
- THE WAVE FUNCTION AND HERMITE POLYNOMIALS
 ONE-DIMENSIONAL SCHRODINGER EQUATION
We are interested in the solutions of defined energies, i.e. stationary states:
i i
   tE   tE 
 E ( r , t )  r E (t )  e  r E  e   E ( r )
The time-independent part verifies the Schroedinger equation :

2 2    
   E ( r )  V ( r ) E ( r )  E E ( r )
2m
In one-dimensional case it becomes:

2 d 2
  ( x )  V ( x ) E ( x )  E E ( x )
2 E
2m dx
1 2
V ( x )  kx ; k  m02
2
2
0   2
T
 RISING AND LOWERING OPERATORS
LET US CONSIDER THE QUANTUM DYNAMICS OF A PARTICLE IN A
HO POTENTIAL:

Px2 m 2 2
H  Qx ; [Qx , Px ]  i
2m 2
Define the operators:
m iPx
a (Qx  )
2 m
 m iPx
a  (Qx  )
2 m
The commutation relation:
[a , a  ]  I
Proof :
m iP iP iP iP
[a, a  ]  aa   a  a  ((Qx  x )(Qx  x )  (Qx  x )(Qx  x )) 
2 m m m m
i
 (Qx Px  PxQx )  I q.e.d .

 THE NUMBER OPERATOR AND THE HAMILTONIAN
Introduce the following Hermitian operator:

N  a  a  Then number operator

1
Then : H   ( N  )
2
Proof :
 m iPx iPx 1 Px2 m 2 2 
N a a (Qx  )(Qx  ) (  Qx  )
2 m m  2 m 2 2

In conclusion, the Hamiltonian is just proportional to the operator N. Then these

two operators admit a common system of eigenvectors:

N   
1 1
H    ( N  )    (  )   E 
2 2
1
E   (  )
2
 THE EIGENVALUES OF THE OPERATOR
NUMBER OF PARTICLES

THE EIGENVALUES OF THE OPERATOR N ARE POSITIVE INTEGER NUMBERS:

N n nn
The energy eigenvalue s are then given by :
1
E    ( n  )
2
 AN OUTLINE OF THE PROOF:
Proof : Step 1
[ N , a ]  [a  a, a ]  a  [a, a ]  [a  , a ]a  [a, a  ]a   a
[ N , a  ]  [a  a, a  ]  a  [a, a  ]  [a  , a  ]a  a 
Step 2 : observe that
Na    ( Na   a  N  a  N )   (a   a  N )   a    a  N  
 (  1)a    a      1
Na   ( Na  aN  aN )   ( a  aN )    a   aN  
 (  1)a   a     1
Step 3 : prove that  is a non - negative integer
a   c   1 ;    1;   1   1  1
 N      

   0
2
 c
 N    a a   c c   1   1 
 *

Take c    a      1  a 2   a (a  )   (  1)   2
 a k    (  1)....((  k  1)   k
 CONCLUSION

IF THE LOWERING OPERATOR IS APPLIED FOR k TIMES WITH k GREATER THEN

THE EIGENVALUE OF THE NUMBER OPERATOR IT IS ARRIVED AT A STATE WHICH
CAN HAVE A NEGATIVE EIGENVALUE OF N:

N   k  (  k )   k
FOR CONSISTENCY WE SHOULD ASSUME THE FOR A GIVEN INTEGER m:

a   m  0    m  0   is a non - negative integer

IT IS ALSO OBSERVED THAT:

a     1  a n  n n 1
THE GROUND STATE OF HARMONIC OSCILLATOR

The state 0 with the property

a0 0
The ground state 0 has the lowest energy :
1
E 0  
2
 THE EXCITED STATES OF HO
We start from the observation:

a n  n 1 n 1
Applying successively the creation operator can be constructed other states of the
system, eigenvectors of the number operator:

a 0  1
 a (a  )2
a 1  22  2  1  0
2 2
 a ( a  )3
a 2  33  3  2  0
3 1 2  3
Mathematical induction :
(a  )n
n  0
n!
The corresponding energies are :
1
En  ( n  )
2
 THE MATRIX ELEMENTS OF VARIOUS
OPERATORS
IN THE BASIS CONSTRUCTED FROM THE EIGENVECTORS OF NUMBER
OPERATOR THE HAMILTONIAN IS DIAGONAL. WE HAVE:

 0 0 0........ 
 
 0 1 0........ 
 0 0 2........ 
N    
 .......... .......... ....... 
 0.......... ......... n.... 
 
 .......... ......... 
 
 THE POSITION REPRESENTATION OF THE HO ENERGY
EIGENSTATES: GROUND STATE
WE START FROM THE DEFINITION OF GROUND STATE:

a 0 0 x a 0 0
but
m iP m m i
xa0  x (Qx  x ) 0  x Qx 0  x Px 0 
2 m 2 2  m
m m i  d m m  d
 x x0  x0  x 0 ( x )   0 ( x)
2 2 m i dx 2 2 m dx
i.e. the ground state wave function  0 ( x ) satisfy the equation :
d 
x02  0 ( x )  x 0 ( x )  0 ; x02   define the characteristic
dx m
length scale for HO
x m
Introduce the dimensionless variable    x
x0 
 THE GROUND-STATE WAVE FUNCTION
WITH THIS CHANGE OF VARIABLES IT IS ARRIVED AT THE FOLLOWING EQ.:
2
d 
 0 ( )   0 ( )  0   0 ( )  Ce 2
d
d 0 1 2 0 2
Proof :  d  d ln 0   d  ln 
0 2 C 2
The constant C is obtained from the normalization condition :

1  0 0   dx 0 x x 0   0 ( x) 0 ( x) 
dx *


 
1
 
 
1 C  x0 C   x0 C  C 
2 2 2 2 2
d x e d e 1
 
 4
x0
We arrive at the final expression :
x 2
1 ( )
 0 ( x)  1
e x0

 4
x0
 THE FIRST EXCITED STATE

LET US INVESTIGATE NOW THE MOTION OF A PARTICLE IN THE FIRST EXCITED

STATE OF THE HARMONIC OSCILLATOR:

m iPx
 1 ( x)  x 1  x a 0  x

(Qx  )0 
2 m
m m i 1  d
 x Qx 0  x Px 0  ( x Qx 0  x0)
2 2 m 2
2 x0 m dx
1 d 1 2 d
 ( x 0 ( x)  x
2
0  0 ( x))  ( x  x0 ) 0 ( x)
2
2 x0 dx 2 x0 dx

x m
or in terms of the dimensionless variable    x
x0 
2 1 x
 ( )2
1 d 1 ( ) 1 x
 1 ( )  (  ) 0 ( )  2e 2
 2 e 2 x0

2 d 1 1
x0
2 4
x0 2 4
x0
 A RECCURENCE FORMULA

LET US OBSERVE THAT:

m iPx m m i
xa   x

(Qx  )  x Qx   x Px 
2 m 2 2 m
1  d 1 2 d
 ( x Qx   x  ) ( x ( x)  x0  ( x)) 
2
2 x0 m dx 2
2 x0 dx
1 2 d
 ( x  x0 ) ( x)
2 x0 dx
Then :
(a  ) n 1 1 1 d
 n ( x)  x 0  x a n 1  ( x  x02 ) n 1 ( x) 
n! n n 2 x0 dx
1 1 2 d (a  ) n 1 1 1 2 d
( x  x0 ) x 0  ( x  x0 ) x a  n  2
n 2 x0 dx (n  1)! n(n  1) 2 x0 dx
 CONTINUATION

THIS PROCEDURE, ITERATION BY ITERATION ,LEADS US TO:

1 1 2 2 d 2
 ( ) ( x  x0 )  n 2 ( x )  .......... .......... .......... . 
n(n  1) 2 x0 dx
1 x
1 1 n  ( ) 2
2 d n 1 1 1 n 2 d n
 ( ) ( x  x0 )  0 ( x )  1
( ) ( x  x0 ) e 2 x0
n! 2 x0 dx n! 2 x0 dx
 4
x0
x m
or in terms of the dimensionless variable    x
x0 
2
1 1 1 d 
 n ( )  (  ) e n 2
1
n! 2n d
 4
x0
 THE SECOND EXCITED STATE

FOR n=2 IS OBTAINED:

 2 n 2
1 1 1 d n 
 n ( )  (  ) e 2

1
n! 2 n d
 4
x0
2 2 2
1 1 1 d  1 1 d  
 2 ( )  (  )2 e 2
 (  )(e 2
 e 2
)
1
2! 22 d 1
2 2! d
 4
x0  4
x0
2 2 2 2
1 1    1 1 
 1
( 2 e 2 2
 2e 2
 2 (  )e 2
) 1
( 4 2  2)e 2
2 2! 2 2!
 4
x0  4
x0
 THE POLYNOMIAL METHOD
LET US CONSIDER NOW THE TIME-INDEPENDENT SCHRODINGER EQUATION
FOR THE MOTION OF A PARTICLE IN A HARMONIC OSCILLATOR POTENTIAL:

1 2
V ( x )  kx ; k  m 2
2 d 2 2
  ( x )  V ( x ) E ( x )  E E ( x )
2 E 2 
2m dx   2 ; x0 
2

T m
x m
  x
x0 
2 d 2 m 2
 2
 ( x)   ( x )  E ( x ) 
2m dx 2
d  2E
2
 (   2
)  0
d 2

 DISCUSSION
d 2 E
 ( 2   2
)  0 
d 2

Asymptotic behavior : in the limit    neglect the term 2 ( ) 
2
d2

  2
  0     j
e 2
d 2
The behavior around origin : in the limit   0 neglect the term  2 ( ) 
d 2
 2  0    A cos    B sin  
d 2

and since we dropped the term quadratic in  the consistency requires to

perform the same approximat ion for sin and cos functions i.e. : 
0
 a  c
ξ2
-
So can be inferred that  has the form : ( )  v ( )e 2
 THE ODD AND EVEN WAVE FUNCTIONS
ξ2
-
WITH THE ANSATZ  ( )  v ( )e 2

d 2 v(  ) d v(  )
 2  (2  1) v( )  0 2  1  2
d 2
d
OBS 1: ODD AND EVEN WAVES FUNCTIONS
Since the harmonic oscillator potential is an even function V(x)=V(-x), as well as
the second order derivation operation, then:
if  ( x ) is solution (- x ) is also solution
of the same equation, i.e. the Schrodinger equation is invariant under reflection.
Since any linear combination of solutions is also a solution we can construct
solutions with definite transformation properties at reflection:

1
 even ( x )  ( ( x )   (- x ))
2
1
 odd ( x )  ( ( x )   (- x ))
2
 THE POWER SERIES EXPANSION
WE DISTINGUISH THE TWO LINEAR INDEPENDENT SOLUTIONS OF THE SECOND
ORDER DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION BY THE BEHAVIOR AT REFLECTIONS.
WE CHOOSE:

v1  even function : v1 (0)  1; v1' (0)  0 


v 1 ( )  1  a2  a4  ....   a2 k 2 k
2 4

k 0

v 2  odd function : v 2 (0)  0; v '2 (0)  1 


v 2 ( )  a1  a3 3  ....   a2 k 1 2 k 1
k 0
 THE EVEN FUNCTION CASE: RECURRENCE RELATIONS
LET US OBSERVE THAT WITH OUR CHOICE FOR THE EVEN FUNCTION WE HAVE:
 
dv 1 d
d d
  2k
a
k 0
 2k
  2k
2 ka  2 k 1

k 0

d 2 v1 d dv 1

d 2 d d
( )  
k 0
2 k ( 2 k  1) a 2k  2 k 2

INSERTING THESE EXPANSIONS INTO THE EQUATION:

d 2 v(  ) d v(  )
 2  2v( )  0
d 2
d
  

 2
k 0
k ( 2 k  1) a 2k  2 k 2
- 2
k 0
  2k
2 ka  2 k 1
 2   2k  0
a 
k 0
2k

k  k  1 in the first term

  

 (2k  1)(2k  2)a2k 2

k 0
2k
- 2  2ka2 k
k 0
2k
 2  a 2 k  2 k  0
k 0

The coefficients of each power should be identically zero :

 THE EVEN FUNCTION

FINALLY IS OBTAINED:

2(   2 k )
a2 k  2   a2 k
( 2k  1)(2k  2)
By induction :
2 k
 (  2)(  4)....(   2( k  1))
a2 k  ( 1) k
a0
( 2k )!
2 2 22  (  2) 4 23  (  2)(  4) 6
v1  1        ...
2! 4! 6!
 THE ODD FUNCTION

2(  ( 2k  1))
a2 k  3   a2 k 1
( 2k  2)(2k  3)
By induction :
2k (  1)(  3)....(   ( 2k  1))
a2 k 1  ( 1)
k
a1
( 2k  1)!
2(  1) 3 2 2 (  1)(  3) 5 2 k (  1)..(  ( 2k  1)) 2 k 1
v2        ..  
3! 5! ( 2k  1)!
 THE ASYMPTOTIC BEHAVIOR
LET US INVESTIGATE THE BEHAVIOR OF THE FUNCTIONS v1 AND v2 FOR LARGE
VALUES OF THE ARGUMENT. WE SHALL SEE THAT UNLESS THE VALUE OF THE
λ IS AN INTEGER BOTH SERIES ARE DIVERGING TO + AR – INFINITY.
INDEED LET US FIRST REMARK THAT FOR A FIXED λ ALL COEFFICIENTS
FROM A CERTAIN ORDER ON UP HAVE THE SAME SIGN:

2( 2 k   ) 2((2k  1)   )
a2 k  2  a2 k ; a2 k  3  a2 k 1
( 2k  1)(2k  2) ( 2k  2)(2k  3)
Let us observe that :
a2 k 2( 2( k  1)   ) 2( 2k  2   ) 1
  
a2 k  2 (2k  1)2k 2k ( 2k  1) k
and also:

1 2 k  bk 1
e   ( )   bk 
2 2k

k  0 k! k 0 bk 1 k
SUMMARIZING WE OBTAIN:
2
v1  even function : v1 ( )  e for   
2
v 2  odd function : v 2 ( )  e for   
The general solution of the Schrodinger equation :
2

 ( )  (Av 1 ( )  Bv 2 ( ))e 2

AND THERE IS NO CONCEIVABLE CHOICE OF THE COEFFICIENTS A AND B

WHICH WOULD PREVENT THE WAVE FUNCTION FROM DIVERGING AS AN
EXPONENTIAL FUNCTION EITHER FOR POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE LARGE VALUES
OF THE ARGUMENT, OR EVEN FOR BOTH.THEREFORE THE ONLY WAY TO AVOID
THIS BEHAVIOUR IS TO CONSIDER FOR LAMBDA ONLY INTEGER POSITIVE
VALUES n. IN THIS CASE ONE OF THE TWO SERIES TERMINATES AND BECOMES
A POLYNOMIAL OF DEGREE n. IN THE SAME TIME THE COEFFICIENT OF THE
OTHER FUNCTION IS SET EQUAL TO ZERO AND AS A CONSEQUENCE IS
OBTAINED A PHYSICALLY MEANINGFULL SOLUTION FOR A QUANTUM STATE
WITH THE ENERGY:
2E 
2n   1  En  n 
 2
 THE HERMITE POLYNOMIALS
LET US OBSERVE THAT FOR AN INTEGER VALUE OF λ THE EQUATION
FOR v(ξ) BECOMES:
d 2 v(  ) d v(  )
 2  2nv( )  0
d 2
d
THE FINITE POLYNOMIAL SOLUTION WHICH IS CONSTRUCTED IS KNOWN
AS HERMITE POLINOMIAL OF DEGREE n AND THEN THE EIGENFUCTIONS
FOR THE WAVE FUNCTION ARE: 2

 n ( )  C n H n ( )e 2

n
n!
For n even : H n ( )  ( 1) 2
v1 ( )
( n / 2)!
n 1
2( n! )
For n odd : H n ( )  ( 1) 2
v 2 ( )
((n  1) / 2)!
H 0  1 ; H1  2 ; H 2 ( )  4 2  2 ; H 3 ( )  8 3  12
H 4 ( )  16 4  48 2  12 ; H 5 ( )  32 5  160 3  120
 THE HARMONIC OSCILLATOR WAVE
FUNCTION

THE CONSTANT Cn IS DETERMINED FROM THE NORMALIZATION CONDITION:


x m
  x and we employ  (H n ( )) e d  2n n!  .
2  2

x0  -

Then :

1
- n ( x) dx  1  | Cn |  2n n!  and so :
2 2

1 x
1 1 1 x  ( )2
 n ( x)  1
H n ( )e 2 x0

n! 2 n x0
 4
x0
n  10