FYST630 - Many-Body Theory, solution set # 1

Niko Säkkinen
May 16, 2012

1 Warmup - simple harmonic oscillator

Consider a simple, one-dimensional harmonic oscillator described with a Hamiltonian operator whose position representation
is given by

d2
 
1
hx|ĥosc. |x′ i = − 2 + x2 hx|x′ i . (1)
2 dx

(a) The annihilation â and creation ↠operators are defined by their position representations which can be written as
 !  !
′ 1 d ′ † ′ 1 d
hx|â|x i = √ + x hx|x i , hx|â |x i = √ − + x hx|x′ i . (2)
2 dx 2 dx

We acertain that these operators are indeed adjoint. Consider the adjoint operator of â which is defined as

hx|Â|x′ i = hx′ |â|xi∗

 !
1 d
=√ + x′ hx′ |xi∗
2 dx′
 !
1 d
=√ ′
+ x hx|x′ i , (3)
2 dx′

where, to avoid dubious notation, Â denotes the adjoint. However, as the position kets form an orthonormal set, we
find that
 !
′ 1 d
hx|Â|x i = √ − + x hx|x′ i
2 dx
= hx|↠|x′ i , (4)

and therefore ↠really is the adjoint of â ( ≡ ↠). Next we evaluate the commutator â, ↠, for which purpose we
 

1
calculate
Z∞
† ′
hx|ââ |x i = dy hx|â|yihy|↠|x′ i
−∞
 ! Z∞
1 d
=√ +x dy hx|yihy|↠|x′ i
2 dx
−∞
 !
1 d
=√ + x hx|↠|x′ i
2 dx
 ! !
1 d d
= +x − + x hx|x′ i
2 dx dx
!
d2

1
= − 2 + x2 + 1 hx|x′ i , (5a)
2 dx
Z∞
† ′
hx|â â|x i = dy hx|↠|yihy|â|x′ i
−∞
 ! Z∞
1 d
=√ − +x dy hx|yihy|â|x′ i
2 dx
−∞
 !
1 d
=√ − + x hx|â|x′ i
2 dx
 ! !
1 d d
= − +x + x hx|x′ i
2 dx dx
!
d2

1
= − 2 + x − 1 hx|x′ i ,
2
(5b)
2 dx

Subtracting these two equations then gives the commutator

h i
hx| â, ↠|x′ i = hx|x′ i , (6)

which shows that the annihilation and creation operators commute. We can now rewrite the Hamiltonian in terms of
these operators. This process is given below.

d2
 
′ 1
hx|ĥosc. |x i = − 2 + x hx|x′ i
2
2 dx
  
1 d d 1
= − +x + x hx|x′ i + hx|x′ i
2 dx dx 2
 
1 d 1
=√ − + x hx|â|x′ i + hx|x′ i
2 dx 2
Z∞  
1 d 1
= dy √ − + x hx|yihy|â|x′ i + hx|x′ i
2 dx 2
−∞
Z∞
1
= dy hx|↠|yihy|â|x′ i + hx|x′ i
2
−∞
1
= hx|↠â + |x′ i , (7)
2
and as this must be true for any postions kets, which form a complete set, then we must have
1
ĥosc. = ↠â + . (8)
2

2
We have now the neccesary tools to investigate how do these operators work. Consider an eigenstate |Ei with energy E
of the harmonic oscillator, then also the states â|Ei and ↠|Ei are eigenstates. This is easily verified
  1
ĥosc. â|Ei = â ↠â − 1 |Ei + â|Ei
  2
1
= â ↠â + |Ei − â|Ei
2


= E − 1 â|Ei , (9)
  1
ĥosc. ↠|Ei = ↠↠â + 1 |Ei + â|Ei
  2
† † 1
= â â â + |Ei + â|Ei
2


= E + 1 â|Ei , (10)

which shows that the corresponding energies are E ± 1. Moreover, the spectrum of the harmonic oscillator is bound
from below since

hφ|ĥosc. |φi
E[|φi] =
||φi|2
|â|φi|2 1
= +
||φi|2 2
1
≥ . (11)
2
where |φi is an arbitrary state. This observation, and the fact that the annihilation operator lowers the energy,
motivates us to define the ground state of the harmonic oscillator as

â|gsi = |∅i . (12)

The fact that this state is an eigenstate of the Hamiltonian is easily verified
1
ĥosc. |gsi = |gsi . (13)
2
which means that it is indeed the state of lowest energy. We can now show that the rest of the eigenstates of the
harmonic oscillator can be built using the commutation relations, and by demanding that the eigenstates are
orthonormal. We define the states

|φn i ≡ â†n |gsi (14)

then, as we have shown previously, these states are eigenstates of the harmonic oscillator. As they are non-degenerate
eigenstates of a self-adjoint operator they are autamatically orthogonal, and the only task is now to normalize them. In
order to accomplish this, we will first see how the annihilation operator acts on these states. This is a straightforward
calculation given by

â|φn i = ââ†n |gsi

 
= â†n−1 + ↠ââ†n−1 |gsi
 
= 2â†n−1 + â†2 ââ†n−2 |gsi
= ...
= nâ†n−1 |gsi
= n|φn−1 i . (15)

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Therefore the norm of such states is given by

||φ1 i|2 = hgs|â↠|gsi

= hgs|gsi + hgs|↠â|gsi
= 1, (16a)
2 †
||φ2 i| = hφ1 |ââ |φ1 i
= hφ1 |φ1 i + hφ1 |↠â|φ1 i
= hφ1 |φ1 i + hφ1 |φ1 i
= 2hφ1 |φ1 i
= 2, (16b)
2 †
||φ3 i| = hφ2 |ââ |φ2 i
= hφ2 |φ2 i + hφ2 |↠â|φ2 i
= hφ2 |φ2 i + 2hφ2 |φ2 i
= 3hφ2 |φ2 i
= 6, (16c)
..
.
||φn i|2 = nhφn−1 |φn−1 i
= n(n − 1)hφn−2 |φn−2 i
= ...
= n! , (16d)

which can be easily proved by means of induction. Now, we can introduce the correctly normalized eigenstates of the
harmonic oscillator as

|gsi , (17a)
1
|ni ≡ √ |gsi n ∈ Z+ . (17b)
n!
These do form a complete set, albeit we will not preve it here. We can determine the eigenfunctions (wavefunctions)
using the operator formalism by starting with the ground state and using the position representation of the
annihilation and creation operators. The equation for the ground state wavefunction is given by

0 = hx|â|gsi
Z∞
= dy hx|yihy|â|gsi
−∞
Z∞  
1 d
=√ dy hx|yi + y hy|gsi
2 dy
−∞
 
1 d
=√ + x hx|gsi . (18)
2 dx
The solution to this linear ordinary differential equation is simply given by
2
/2
hx|gsi = Ce−x , (19)

where the normalization constant C can be fixed by

1 = |hx|gsi|2
Z∞
2
= |C|2
dx e−x
−∞
√
= |C|2 π , (20)

4
 where we evaluated the Gaussian integral in a standard way using polar coordinates. We therefore have that the
correctly normalized ground state wavefunction is given by
2
/2
φ0 (x) ≡ hx|gsi = π −1/4 e−x , (21)

The excited state wavefunctions can be then obtained by using the postion representation of the creation operators.
The equations for these wavefunctions are given by

φn (x) ≡ hx|ni
1
= √ hx|â†n |gsi
n!
Z∞
1
=√ dy hx|↠|yihy|â†n−1 |gsi
n!
−∞
 
1 d
=√ − + x hx|â†n−1 |gsi
2n! dx
= ...
 n
1 d
=√ − + x hx|gsi , (22)
2n n! dx
where on the right hand side we have a differential operator operating on the ground state wavefunction. We now
summarize these results with
2
/2
φ0 (x) ≡ hx|gsi = π −1/4 e−x , (23a)
 n
1 d
φn (x) = √ − + x φ0 (x), , (23b)
2n n! dx

(b) We generalize the simple harmonic oscillator to many particles in a harmonic potential by introducing the second
quantized, position representation
Z∞
d2
 
1
Ĥosc. = dx Ψ̂† (x) − 2 + x2 Ψ̂(x) (24)
2 dx
−∞

of the Hamiltonian operator. Now we define a new set of annihilation operators

Z∞ Z∞
b̂n = dx φ∗n (x)Ψ̂(x) , b̂†n = dx φn (x)Ψ̂† (x) , (25)
−∞ −∞

which are isomorphic to the original field operators. We can therefore introduce an inverse transformation by using the
completeness of the eigenfunctions of the harmonic oscillator. The inverse transformation is given by
∞
X Z∞ ∞
X
′
φn (x )b̂n = dx φn (x′ )φ∗n (x)Ψ̂(x)
n=0 −∞ n=0

Z∞
= dx δ(x′ − x)Ψ̂(x)
−∞

= Ψ̂(x′ ) , (26)
∞
X Z∞ ∞
X
∗ ′ †
φn (x )b̂n = dx φ∗n (x′ )φn (x)Ψ̂† (x)
n=0 −∞ n=0

Z∞
= dx δ(x′ − x)Ψ̂† (x)
−∞

= Ψ̂† (x′ ) . (27)

5
We can now insert these expansion to the many-body Hamiltonian of equation (24) which results into

∞ Z∞
d2
 
X 1
Ĥosc. = dx φ∗n (x) − 2 + x φm (x)b̂†n b̂m
2

n,m=0−∞
2 dx

X∞
= hnm b̂†n b̂m , (28)
n,m=0

where we defined the matrix elements

Z∞
d2
 
1
hnm = dx φ∗n (x) 2
− 2 + x φm (x) . (29)
2 dx
−∞

However since φn (x) are orthonormal eigenfunctions of the harmonic oscillator we obtain a diagonal matrix given by
  Z∞
1
hnm = m+ dx φ∗n (x)φm (x)
2
−∞
 
1
= δnm n + . (30)
2

The Hamiltonian therefore reduces to

∞  
X 1 †
Ĥosc. = n+ b̂ b̂n . (31)
n=0
2 n

Finally, we will show that eigenstates of this hamiltonian are of the form

|n1 . . . nN i = b̂†nN . . . b̂†n1 , (32)

and that the energy corresponding to such a state is given by

N
X N
E(n1 . . . nN ) = ni + . (33)
i=1
2

We can prove this by brutely checking how the Hamiltonian operates on these states. This calculation is shown below.
∞  
X 1 †
Ĥosc. |n1 . . . nN i = n+ b̂ b̂n |n1 . . . nN i
n=0
2 n
∞   N
X 1 †X
= n+ b̂n (±)N −i δnni |n1 . . . ni−1 ni+1 . . . nN i
n=0
2 i=1
∞   N
X 1 X
= n+ (±)N −i δnni |n1 . . . ni−1 ni+1 . . . nN ni
n=0
2 i=1
N X ∞  
X 1
= n+ δnnki |n1 . . . ni−1 nni+1 . . . nN i
i=1 n=0
2
N  
X 1
= nk + |n1 . . . ni−1 ni ni+1 . . . nN i
i=1
2
N  
X 1
= nk + |n1 . . . nN i (34)
i=1
2