3-5 Commutation Relation of Angular Momentum

Commutation relation in angular momentum
Masatsugu Sei Suzuki

Department of Physics, SUNY at Binghamton
(Date: November 13, 2013)
Position and momentum operators for a given axis do not commute, whereas position and
momentum operators for different axes do commute,
xˆ , pˆ x   i1̂ , yˆ , pˆ   i1̂ ,

y zˆ, pˆ z   i1̂ ,
and
xˆ, pˆ   xˆ, pˆ   0 , yˆ , pˆ   yˆ , pˆ   0 , zˆ, pˆ   zˆ, pˆ   0 ,

y z x z x y
zˆ, xˆ   zˆ, yˆ   xˆ , yˆ  .

Using these commutators, we calculate the commutators of the component of the angular
momentum operator.
1. Definition of orbital angular momentum

The angular momentum is defined as
ex ey ez
Lˆ  rˆ  pˆ  xˆ yˆ zˆ ,
pˆ x pˆ y pˆ z
Lˆ x  yˆ pˆ z  zˆpˆ y ,
Lˆ y  zˆpˆ x  xˆpˆ z ,
Lˆ z  xˆpˆ y  yˆ pˆ x .
2. Commutation relations
[ Lˆ x , Lˆ y ]  iLˆ z ,
or
1
[ Lˆ x , Lˆ y ]  [ yˆ pˆ z  zˆpˆ y , zˆpˆ x  xˆpˆ z ]
 [ yˆ pˆ z , zˆpˆ x ]  [ zˆpˆ y , xˆpˆ z ]
 yˆ[ pˆ z , zˆ ] pˆ x  pˆ y [ zˆ, pˆ z ]xˆ

  ( yˆ pˆ x  xˆpˆ y )  iLˆ z
i
or
[ Lˆ x , Lˆ y ]  iLˆ z ,
Similarly,
[ Lˆ y , Lˆ z ]  iLˆ x , [ Lˆ z , Lˆ x ]  iLˆ y .
L̂2 is defined by
Lˆ2  Lˆ x  Lˆ y  Lˆ z .
2 2 2
We have
[ Lˆ2 , Lˆ z ]  [ Lˆ x  Lˆ y  Lˆ z , Lˆ z ]  [ Lˆ x , Lˆ z ]  [ Lˆ y , Lˆ z ]
2 2 2 2 2
 [ Lˆ z , Lˆ x ]  [ Lˆ z , Lˆ y ]  0̂
2 2
using the relations
[ Lˆ z , Lˆ x ]  [ Lˆ z , Lˆ x ]Lˆ x  Lˆ x [ Lˆ z , Lˆ x ]  i ( Lˆ y Lˆ x  Lˆ x Lˆ y ) ,
2
[ Lˆ z , Lˆ y ]  [ Lˆ z , Lˆ y ]Lˆ y  Lˆ y [ Lˆ z , Lˆ y ]  i ( Lˆ y Lˆ x  Lˆ x Lˆ y ) .
2
Similarly
[ Lˆ2 , Lˆ x ]  0̂ , [ Lˆ2 , Lˆ y ]  0̂ [ Lˆ2 , Lˆ z ]  0̂ .
In general, the same relations hold for the general angular momentum J.
[ Jˆ 2 , Jˆ x ]  0̂ , [ Jˆ 2 , Jˆ y ]  0̂ [ Jˆ 2 , Jˆ z ]  0̂ ,
with
Jˆ 2  Jˆ x  Jˆ y  Jˆ z ,
2 2 2
2
[ Jˆ x , Jˆ y ]  iJˆ z , [ Jˆ y , Jˆ z ]  iJˆ x , [ Jˆ z , Jˆ x ]  iJˆ y .
We define new operators by
Jˆ   Jˆ x  iJˆ y ,
[ Jˆ z , Jˆ  ]  Jˆ  ,
[ Jˆ z , Jˆ  ]  Jˆ  ,
[ Jˆ  , Jˆ  ]  2Jˆ z ,
Jˆ 2  Jˆ z  Jˆ z  Jˆ  Jˆ   0̂ ,
2
Jˆ 2  Jˆ z  Jˆ z  Jˆ  Jˆ   0̂ ,
2
1
Jˆ 2  Jˆ z  ( Jˆ  Jˆ   Jˆ  Jˆ  ) .
2
2. Mathematica
Using Mathematica, we give the proof for various kinds of commutation relations for the angular
momentum. We note the following.
r Lˆ x   r yˆ pˆ z  zˆpˆ y 
  
 (y  z ) r 
i z y
  
 ( y  z ) ( r )
i z y
r Lˆ y   r zˆpˆ x  xˆpˆ z 
  
 ( z  x ) ( r )
i x z
r Lˆ z   r xˆpˆ y  ypˆ x 
  
 ( x  y ) ( r )
i y x
3
   
2

r Lˆ x Lˆ y     ( y  z )( z  x ) (r ) ,
i z y x z
 
2

r Lˆ x Lˆ x     ( y  z ) 2 (r ) ,
i z y
Lˆ2  Lˆ x  Lˆ y  Lˆ z , Lˆ   Lˆ x  iLˆ y .
2 2 2
_______________________________________________________________________
Eq1: [ Lˆ x , Lˆ y ]  iLˆ z ,
Eq.2: [ Lˆ y , Lˆ z ]  iLˆ x ,
Eq.3: [ Lˆ z , Lˆ x ]  iLˆ y
[ Lˆ z , Lˆ x ]  i( Lˆ y Lˆ x  Lˆ x Lˆ y )
2
Eq.4:
[ Lˆ z , Lˆ y ]  i( Lˆ y Lˆ x  Lˆ x Lˆ y )
2
Eq.5:
[ Lˆ z , Lˆ z ]  0
2
Eq.6
Eq.7 [ Lˆ2 , Lˆ z ]  0̂ ,
Eq.8 [ Lˆ z , Lˆ  ]  0̂
Eq.9 [ Lˆ z , Lˆ  ]  0̂
Lˆ2  Lˆ z  Lˆ z  Lˆ  Lˆ  0̂

2
Eq.10
Lˆ2  Lˆ z  Lˆ z  Lˆ  Lˆ   0̂
2
Eq.11
1
Lˆ2  Lˆ z  ( Lˆ  Lˆ   Lˆ  Lˆ  )
2
Eq.12
2
Eq.13 Expression of r L̂2 
((Mathematica))
4
Clear"Global`";
x D , y  y D , x &;

—
Lz :

y D , z  z D , y &;
—
Lx :

z D , x  x D , z &;
—
Ly :
LLx : NestLx,  , 2 &; LLy : NestLy,  , 2 &;


LLz : NestLz,  , 2 &;

LL : LLx   LLy   LLz  &;
Lp : Lx    Ly  &;
Lm : Lx    Ly  &;
eq1 
LxLy x, y, z  LyLx x, y, z 
 — Lz x, y, z  Simplify
0
eq2 
LyLz x, y, z  LzLy x, y, z 
 — Lx x, y, z  Simplify
0
eq3 
LzLx x, y, z  LxLz x, y, z 
 — Ly x, y, z  Simplify
0
5
eq41 
LzLLx x, y, z  LLxLz x, y, z 
FullSimplify;
eq42 
 — LxLy x, y, z  LyLx x, y, z 
Simplify; eq41  eq42  Simplify
0
eq51 
LzLLy x, y, z  LLyLz x, y, z 
FullSimplify;
eq52 
 —
LxLy x, y, z  LyLx x, y, z 
Simplify; eq51  eq52  Simplify
0
eq6 
LzLLz x, y, z  LLzLz x, y, z 
FullSimplify
0
eq7  LLLz x, y, z  LzLL x, y, z 

Simplify
0
eq8 
LzLp x, y, z  LpLz x, y, z 
— Lp x, y, z  Simplify
0
eq9 
LzLm  x, y, z  Lm Lz x, y, z 
— Lm  x, y, z  Simplify
0
6
eq10 
LL x, y, z  LzLz x, y, z 
— Lz x, y, z  LpLm  x, y, z 
Simplify
0
eq11 
LL x, y, z  LzLz x, y, z 
— Lz x, y, z  Lm Lp x, y, z 
Simplify
0
eq12 
LL x, y, z  LzLz x, y, z 
LpLm  x, y, z Lm Lp x, y, z
 
2 2
Simplify
eq13  LL x, y, z  FullSimplify

0
 2 z 0,0,1 x, y, z  x2  y2  0,0,2 x, y, z 

 —2
2 y 0,1,0 x, y, z  2 y z 0,1,1 x, y, z 

x2 0,2,0x, y, z  z2 0,2,0 x, y, z 
2 x 1,0,0 x, y, z  2 x z 1,0,1 x, y, z 
2 x y 1,1,0x, y, z 
y2  z2  2,0,0 x, y, z

3-5 Commutation Relation of Angular Momentum

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Commutation relation in angular momentum

Masatsugu Sei Suzuki

xˆ , pˆ x   i1̂ , yˆ , pˆ   i1̂ ,

xˆ, pˆ   xˆ, pˆ   0 , yˆ , pˆ   yˆ , pˆ   0 , zˆ, pˆ   zˆ, pˆ   0 ,

zˆ, xˆ   zˆ, yˆ   xˆ , yˆ  .

1. Definition of orbital angular momentum

using the relations

[ Lˆ2 , Lˆ x ]  0̂ , [ Lˆ2 , Lˆ y ]  0̂ [ Lˆ2 , Lˆ z ]  0̂ .

We define new operators by

Lˆ2  Lˆ z  Lˆ z  Lˆ  Lˆ  0̂

Eq.13 Expression of r L̂2 

x D , y  y D , x &;

LLx : NestLx,  , 2 &; LLy : NestLy,  , 2 &;

LLz : NestLz,  , 2 &;

eq7  LLLz x, y, z  LzLL x, y, z 

eq13  LL x, y, z  FullSimplify

 2 z 0,0,1 x, y, z  x2  y2  0,0,2 x, y, z 

2 y 0,1,0 x, y, z  2 y z 0,1,1 x, y, z 

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