2663

SECOND PUBLIC EXAMINATION

Honour School of Physics Part A: 3 and 4 Year Courses

Honour School of Physics and Philosophy Part A

A3: QUANTUM PHYSICS

TRINITY TERM 2014

Friday, 20 June, 9.30 am – 12.30 pm

Answer all of Section A and three questions from Section B.

For Section A start the answer to each question on a fresh page.

For Section B start the answer to each question in a fresh book.

A list of physical constants and conversion factors accompanies this paper.

The numbers in the margin indicate the weight that the Examiners expect to
assign to each part of the question.

Do NOT turn over until told that you may do so.

1
 Section A

1. A system at time t = 0 has a state vector |ψ(0)i = N (|E1 i + i|E2 i), where
|E1 i and |E2 i are normalised energy eigenkets with different eigenvalues E1 and E2
(E2 > E1 ). Write down the state vector at time t, |ψ(t)i. What are the possible values
of N for this to be normalised? At what time T > 0 is the system first in the state
|ψ(T )i = N 0 [|E1 i + |E2 i]? (The constant N 0 may differ from N ). [5]

2. A two-state system has a Hamiltonian of the form

c − id
 
a+b
H=
c + id a−b

where a, b, c and d are real numbers. Show that H is Hermitian. Find the eigenvalues of
H. Hence show that the only Hamiltonians of this form with degeneracy are multiples
of the identity matrix. [5]

3. Operators  and B̂ commute: [Â, B̂] = 0. Operator  has a complete set of

eigenkets
Â|ni = An |ni
which are non-degenerate. Show that every eigenket of  is an eigenket of B̂. [3]
Suppose now there is a two-fold degeneracy such that A4 = A5 . Show that in this
case |4i is not necessarily an eigenket of B̂, but that

B̂|4i = α|4i + β|5i

for some constants α and β. [3]

4. A particle in a (one-dimensional) box can be modelled with a confining potential

V (x) which is zero for 0 ≤ x ≤ a, and infinite elsewhere. Write down the time-
independent Schrödinger equation for the eigenfunctions un (x), and state the boundary
conditions satisfied by un at x = 0 and x = a. [3]
Solve to find the eigenvalues En and normalised eigenfunctions un . Hence write
down the general solution to the time-dependent Schrödinger equation for a particle
confined to the box. [5]

5. The wavefunction q for the ground state of a hydrogen-like system with nuclear
Z 3 −Zr/a
charge Ze is ψ(r) = πa 3e where a is the Bohr radius and the reduced mass
correction has been neglected. Show that this wavefunction is normalised. An atom of
tritium (3 H) in its ground state decays to singly-ionised helium (3 He+ ) by beta decay,
in a process which can be considered instantaneous on the atomic timescale. Calculate
the probability that the helium ion is left in the ground state. [7]

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 6. The Hamiltonian for a hydrogen-like two-particle system is
!
p21 p2 Ze2
H= + 2 −
2m1 2m2 4π0 r

where p1 , p2 are the two momentum operators, r1 , r2 are the two position operators,
and r = r2 − r1 . The centre-of-mass operator is R = (m1 r1 + m2 r2 )/(m1 + m2 ).
Write down expressions for the momentum operators conjugate to r and R, p and P
respectively. Show that p1 = m1m+m
1
2
P − p. [4]
Separate H into two terms H = HCM + Hint , each containing only centre-of-mass
or internal variables respectively. Give a physical interpretation of the two terms. [5]

Section B

7. The Hamiltonian of a one-dimensional harmonic oscillator is

p2 1 1  
H= + mω 2 x2 = h̄ω a a† + a† a
2m 2 2
where all the symbols have their usual meanings, and a is the lowering operator
r
1 mω p

a= √ x + i√ .
2 h̄ h̄mω
√
The action of a on the energy eigenket |ni is a|ni = n|n − 1i for all n ≥ 0. Find
expressions for x and p in terms of a and a† . The oscillator is in the state
1  1 1

|ψ(t)i = √ |n − 1i e−i(n− 2 )ωt + |ni e−i(n+ 2 )ωt .
2
Calculate the expectation values of H, x and p for this state. [9]
Calculate the amplitude of oscillation of a classical oscillator of this frequency and
energy E = hψ(t)|H|ψ(t)i and show that it differs from your result for hψ(t)|x|ψ(t)i by
a factor independent of n. [4]
Find an expression for the expectation value of x2
in the state |ψ(t)i. Explain
briefly why this state has a time-independent value for hψ(t)|x2 |ψ(t)i, whereas a super-
position of more than two consecutive energy eigenstates would not. [7]

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 8. A three-dimensional harmonic oscillator with a spherically symmetric potential
has a three-fold degenerate first excited level. A possible basis for the degenerate states
is provided by the kets |1, ui, |1, vi and |1, wi with wavefunctions

h r| 1, ui = x f (r) h r| 1, vi = y f (r) h r| 1, wi = z f (r)

where the explicit form of f is irrelevant. Show that |1, wi is an eigenstate of Lz with
eigenvalue zero, so we can give it an alternative designation |1, wi = |1, 0i. Specify
corresponding eigenvalue conditions satisfied by |1, ui and |1, vi. Use the operators
Lx ± iLy to find the normalised eigenkets of Lz , |1, ±1i, with eigenvalue ±h̄, in terms
of |1, ui and |1, vi. Show that there are no states |1, ±2i. [9]
The oscillator is subject to a weak perturbation

V (r) = G(2z 2 − x2 − y 2 ).

Use degenerate perturbation theory in the {u, v, w} basis to show that the first-order
corrections to the energy are ∆E = 2G(K − H) and G(H − K) where
Z Z
H= x2 y 2 f 2 (r) d3 r and K= x4 f 2 (r) d3 r.

(You may assume that

Z Z Z
2 2 2 3 2 2 2 3
H= x y f (r) d r = y z f (r) d r = z 2 x2 f 2 (r) d3 r

and similarly
Z Z Z
K= x4 f 2 (r) d3 r = y 4 f 2 (r) d3 r = z 4 f 2 (r) d3 r

by symmetry.) Assign zeroth-order eigenkets to the two eigenvalues, stating which is

still degenerate. [11]

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 9. A hydrogen atom in the ground state |1si is immersed in a radiation field with a
weak electric field E = Eẑ cos ωt where ω is close to the resonant frequency for transitions
to the first excited level n = 2. This perturbs the hydrogen atom, with interaction
Hamiltonian V (t) = eEz cos(ωt). Show that V commutes with the z-component of
orbital angular momentum, [V, Lz ] = 0, and anticommutes with the parity operator
{V, P} = 0. Hence show that h1s|V |1si = 0, and that the only n = 2 excited state with
a well-defined value for Lz having non-zero matrix element with |1si is |2p, 0i, with zero
eigenvalue of Lz . (Neglect electron spin throughout.) [6]
At t = 0 the atom is in the state |1si, and we write the state at t > 0 as

|ψ(t)i = c1 e−iω1 t |1si + c2 e−iω2 t |2p, 0i.

(The constants ωi = Ei /h̄, where Ei are the energy eigenvalues for hydrogen.) Show
that the equations of motion for the coefficients ci are
dc1
ih̄ = eEh1s|z|2p, 0i cos(ωt)ei(ω1 −ω2 )t c2
dt
dc2
ih̄ = eEh2p, 0|z|1si cos(ωt)ei(ω2 −ω1 )t c1 .
dt

Explain briefly why dc

dt is first-order in E but
2 dc1
dt is second-order. Hence give first-order
equations of motion for ci . [7]
Separate the cosine into two complex exponentials, and explain briefly why one of
the two terms in dcdt oscillates many times faster than the other. Neglect the fast term
2

and find a first-order approximation for c2 (t). Show that

e2 E 2 |h2p, 0|z|1si|2 ∆t
 
|c2 (t)|2 = sin2
h̄2 ∆2 2

where ∆ = ω2 − ω1 − ω. Show that in this approximation |c1 |2 + |c2 |2 ≥ 1 for all t > 0.
Explain why |c1 |2 + |c2 |2 is expected to remain constant, and hence find a condition on
E and ∆ for the first-order approximation to be valid. [7]

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 10. The Hamiltonian for helium, neglecting small spin-dependent terms and treating
the nucleus as fixed, is

1  2 e2 1 1 1
    
H= p1 + p22 + −2 + +
2m 4π0 r1 r2 |r1 − r2 |

where the subscripts 1 and 2 identify the two electrons and the distance between the
two electrons is:
q
|r1 − r2 | = r12 + r22 + 2r1 r2 (cos θ1 cos θ2 + sin θ1 sin θ2 cos(φ1 − φ2 )).

Show that [Lz , |r1 − r2 |2 ] = 0 where Lz is the z-component of the total orbital angular
momentum L:
∂ ∂
 
Lz = −ih̄ + .
∂φ1 ∂φ2
Hence show that [H, Lz ] = 0 and, assuming that [H, Lx ] = [H, Ly ] = 0, show that
[H, L2 ] = 0. [6]
In the position representation h a, b| ψi denotes the amplitude for finding particle
1 at a and particle 2 at b. Q12 is a spatial symmetry operator defined by:

ha, b|Q12 |ψi = h b, a| ψi .

Show that [Q12 , H] = 0. Explain why H has spatial eigenstates of the form |E, L, ML , qi
where the eigenvalues of H, L2 , Lz and Q12 are E, h̄2 L(L + 1), h̄ML and q = ±1
respectively. The complete ket for the electrons in helium must also include a spin part.
Write down possible spin kets which satisfy the symmetry requirements, in terms of
the single-electron kets |±i1 and |±i2 which are eigenstates of the single electron spin
operators s1z and s2z . [8]
The lowest five eigenvalues of H are given in the following table together with
their conventional labels, and quantum numbers for L and q.

E/ e2 /4π0 a0


Label L q
1s2 −2.904 0 +1
1s2s −2.175 0 −1
1s2s −2.145 0 +1
1s2p −2.133 1 −1
1s2p −2.124 1 +1
Explain why the assignment of spin parts to these spatial states is constrained by the
fact that electrons are fermions. Assign spin parts and hence give degeneracies for these
5 eigenvalues of H. [6]

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