Quantum Mechanics - Homework Assignment 7

Alejandro Gomez Espinosa

November 14, 2012

1) Show that the potential V (x, y) = + for |x| > L/2 and V (x, y) =
1
2
m
2
y
2
for |x| < L/2 (harmonic
oscillator in a strip) is separable, and write the ground state wavefunction (x, y). What relation
between L and must hold if the rst two excited states are to be degenerate?
This potential can be separable in the x y components, like this:
V
1
(x) =
_
0 |x| <
L
2
|x| >
L
2
V
2
(y) =
1
2
m
2
y
2
where the total product V (x, y) = V
1
(x)V
2
(x) is the potential for an harmonic oscillator in a strip.
From this potential we can see that we split this problem in two: in x we have a particle in a innite
square potential and, in y we have the usual harmonic oscillator, where the general solutions are:

n
(x) =
_
2
L
_
cos
_
nx
L
_
+ sin
_
nx
L
__

n
(y) =
1

2
n
n!
_
mw

_
1/4
e

mwy
2
2
H
n
__
mw

y
_
where the general state wavefunction is the product
nm
(x, y) =
n
(x)
m
(y). Therefore, the ground
state is given by:

10
(x, y) =
_
2
L
cos
_
x
L
__
mw

_
1/4
e

mwy
2
2
In addition, the total energy for the system is the sum of the energy in each case described above:
E
nk
=

2

2
n
2
2mL
2
+
_
k +
1
2
_
w
The rst two excited degenerate states are when n = 2 k = 0 and, n = 1 k = 1. Replacing this
values in the energy and match them:
4
2

2
2mL
2
+
1
2
w =

2

2
2mL
2
+
3
2
w
4
2

2
+ wmL
2
=
2

2
+ 3wmL
2
w =
3
2
2mL
2

gomez@physics.rutgers.edu
1
2) a) Show that if operators C
(2)
and D
(2)
commute in space V
2
, then
[A
(1)
C
(2)
, B
(1)
D
(2)
] = [A
(1)
, B
(1)
]
_
C
(2)
D
(2)
_
[A
(1)
C
(2)
, B
(1)
D
(2)
] =
_
A
(1)
C
(2)
__
B
(1)
D
(2)
_

_
B
(1)
D
(2)
__
A
(1)
C
(2)
_
= A
(1)
B
(1)
C
(2)
D
(2)
B
(1)
A
(1)
D
(2)
C
(2)
=
_
A
(1)
B
(1)
B
(1)
A
(1)
_
C
(2)
D
(2)
C
(2)
, D
(2)
commute
= [A
(1)
, B
(1)
]
_
C
(2)
D
(2)
_
b) Let |s and |t be arbitrary vectors in V
1
, and |x and |y be arbitrary vectors in V
2
. (Lets use
the notation developed in class that the basis vectors of V
1
are |i and those of V
2
are |, so
that |s =

i
c
i
|i, etc. Show that (s| x|) (|t |y) = s|tx|y.
Lets dene the vectors in V
1
:
|s =

i
a
i
|i |t =

i
b
i
|i
and in V
2
:
|x =

j
c
j
|j |y =

j
d
j
|j
Then:
(s| x|) (|t |y) =
_
_

ij
a

i
c

j
i|j|
_
_
_
_

ij
b
i
d
j
|i|j
_
_
=

ij
a

i
c

j
b
i
d
j
(1)
s|tx|y =
_

i
a

i
b
i
i|i
_
_
_

j
c

j
d
j
j|j
_
_
=

ij
a

i
b
i
c

j
d
j
(2)
Since (1) is equal to (2), the theorem is proved.
Shankar Ex. 10.1.2 Imagine a ctitious world in which the single-particle Hilbert space is two-dimensional.
Let us denote the basis vectors by |+ and |. Let

(1)
1
=
_
a b
c d
_
and
(2)
2
=
_
e f
g h
_
be operator in V
1
and V
2
, respectively (the signs label the basis vectors. Thus b = +|
(1)
1
| etc.)
The space V
1
V
2
is spanned by four vectors |+ |+, |+ |, | |+, | |. Show (using
the method of images or otherwise) that:
(1)

(1)(2)
1
=
(1)
1
I
(2)
=
_

_
a 0 b 0
0 a 0 b
c 0 d 0
0 c 0 d
_

_
2
(Recall that | | is the bra corresponding to | |.)

(1)(2)
1
=
(1)
1
I
(2)
=
_
_
_
_
+ +|
1
I| + + + +|
1
I| + + +|
1
I| + + +|
1
I|
+|
1
I| + + +|
1
I| + +|
1
I| + +|
1
I|
+|
1
I| + + +|
1
I| + +|
1
I| + +|
1
I|
|
1
I| + + |
1
I| + |
1
I| + |
1
I|
_
_
_
_
=
_
_
_
_
+|
1
|++|I|+ +|
1
|++|I| +|
1
|+|I|+ +|
1
|+|I|
+|
1
|+|I|+ +|
1
|+|I| +|
1
||I|+ +|
1
||I|
|
1
|++|I|+ |
1
|++|I| |
1
|+|I|+ |
1
|+|I|
|
1
|+|I|+ |
1
|+|I| |
1
||I|+ |
1
||I|
_
_
_
_
=
_
_
_
_
a
_
1 0
0 1
_
b
_
1 0
0 1
_
c
_
1 0
0 1
_
d
_
1 0
0 1
_
_
_
_
_
=
_
_
_
_
a 0 b 0
0 a 0 b
c 0 d 0
0 c 0 d
_
_
_
_
(2)

(1)(2)
2
=
_

_
e f 0 0
g h 0 0
0 0 e f
0 0 g h
_

_
Following the results of part (a):

(1)(2)
2
= I
(1)

(2)
2
=
_
_
_
_
+ +|I
2
| + + + +|I
2
| + + +|I
2
| + + +|I
2
|
+|I
2
| + + +|I
2
| + +|I
2
| + +|I
2
|
+|I
2
| + + +|I
2
| + +|I
2
| + +|I
2
|
|I
2
| + + |I
2
| + |I
2
| + |I
2
|
_
_
_
_
=
_
_
_
_
+|I|++|
2
|+ +|I|++|
2
| +|I|+|
2
|+ +|I|+|
2
|
+|I|+|
2
|+ +|I|+|
2
| +|I||
2
|+ +|I||
2
|
|I|++|
2
|+ |I|++|
2
| |I|+|
2
|+ |I|+|
2
|
|I|+|
2
|+ |I|+|
2
| |I||
2
|+ |I||
2
|
_
_
_
_
=
_
_
_
_
1
_
e f
g h
_
0
_
e f
g h
_
0
_
e f
g h
_
1
_
e f
g h
_
_
_
_
_
=
_
_
_
_
e f 0 0
g h 0 0
0 0 e f
0 0 g h
_
_
_
_
3
(3)
(
1

2
)
(1)(2)
=
(1)
1

(2)
2
=
_

_
ae af be bf
ag ah bg bh
ce cf de df
cg ch dg dh
_

_
Do part (3) in two ways, by taking the matrix product of
(1)(2)
1
and
(1)(2)
2
and by directly
computing the matrix elements
(1)
1

(2)
2
.

2
= (
1

2
)
(1)(2)
=
(1)
1

(2)
2
=
_
_
_
_
+ +|
1

2
| + + + +|
1

2
| + + +|
1

2
| + + +|
1

2
|
+|
1

2
| + + +|
1

2
| + +|
1

2
| + +|
1

2
|
+|
1

2
| + + +|
1

2
| + +|
1

2
| + +|
1

2
|
|
1

2
| + + |
1

2
| + |
1

2
| + |
1

2
|
_
_
_
_
=
_
_
_
_
+|
1
|++|
2
|+ +|
1
|++|
2
| +|
1
|+|
2
|+ +|
1
|+|
2
|
+|
1
|+|
2
|+ +|
1
|+|
2
| +|
1
||
2
|+ +|
1
||
2
|
|
1
|++|
2
|+ |
1
|++|
2
| |
1
|+|
2
|+ |
1
|+|
2
|
|
1
|+|
2
|+ |
1
|+|
2
| |
1
||
2
|+ |
1
||
2
|
_
_
_
_
=
_
_
_
_
a
_
e f
g h
_
b
_
e f
g h
_
c
_
e f
g h
_
d
_
e f
g h
_
_
_
_
_
=
_
_
_
_
e f 0 0
g h 0 0
0 0 e f
0 0 g h
_
_
_
_
=
_
_
_
_
ae af be bf
ag ah bg bh
ce cf de df
cg ch dg dh
_
_
_
_
We can also multiply the results of part (a) and (b):

2
=
_

(1)
1
I
(2)
__
I
(1)

(2)
2
_
=
_
_
_
_
a 0 b 0
0 a 0 b
c 0 d 0
0 c 0 d
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
e f 0 0
g h 0 0
0 0 e f
0 0 g h
_
_
_
_
=
_
_
_
_
ae af be bf
ag ah bg bh
ce cf de df
cg ch dg dh
_
_
_
_
4
4) For the innite square-well potential, let =
2

2
/2mL
2
so that the energies are E
n
= n
2
for
n = 1, 2, ... Now suppose two indistinguishable, non-interacting particles are placed in this potential.
The total energy for the two indistinguishable particles in this potential is:
E
n
1
,n
2
=

2

2
2mL
2
_
n
2
1
+n
2
2
_
(3)
a) Find the energies of the ground state and of the rst three excited states in the case that the two
particles are bosons.
Using (3):
E
11
=

2

2
2mL
2
_
1
2
+ 1
2
_
=

2

2
mL
2
E
12
=

2

2
2mL
2
_
1
2
+ 2
2
_
=
5
2

2
2mL
2
E
22
=

2

2
2mL
2
_
2
2
+ 2
2
_
=
4
2

2
mL
2
E
13
=

2

2
2mL
2
_
1
2
+ 3
2
_
=
5
2

2
mL
2
b) Find the energies of the ground state and of the rst three excited states in the case that the two
particles are fermions.
Using (3):
E
21
=

2

2
2mL
2
_
2
2
+ 1
2
_
=
5
2

2
2mL
2
E
12
=

2

2
2mL
2
_
1
2
+ 2
2
_
=
5
2

2
2mL
2
E
23
=

2

2
2mL
2
_
2
2
+ 3
2
_
=
13
2

2
2mL
2
E
13
=

2

2
2mL
2
_
1
2
+ 3
2
_
=
5
2

2
mL
2
Shankar 10.3.2 When an energy measurement is made on a system of three bosons in a box, the n values
obtained were 3,3, and 4. Write down a symmetrized, normalized state operator.
| =
1

3
(|334 +|343 +|433)
5
Shankar 10.3.6 Consider a composite object such as the hydrogen atom. Will it behave as a boson or
fermion? Argue in general that objects containing an even/odd number of fermions will behave as
bosons/fermions.
Consider carefully the case of two hydrogen atoms. Suppose |i is a basis of one-electron states
and |I is a basis of one-proton states. Argue that the basis states for the system of two hydrogen
atoms (that is, for the system of two electrons and two protons) consists of all states of the form
|ij, A |IJ, A, and discuss that the eigenvalue of this state is under the permutation operator that
interchanges the two atoms (that is, that interchanges both the electron states and the proton states).
Do H atoms behave like fermions or bosons? Argue in general (some hand-waving is OK) that
objects containing even/odd number of fermions will behave as bosons/fermions.
A composite object as the hydrogen atom is made of two fermions, an electron |i and a proton |I
which besides being fermions, the combination of both creates a boson. This results is based on
the permutation operator acting in both states. Lets consider the case of two hydrogen atoms. A
basis state has the form |ij, A |IJ, A. If we permute the rst state we will have a minus sign
and we found another minus sign from the permutation of the second term. Since both particles
are distinguishable and the permutation does not change the state, the combination of this two
hydrogen atoms will behave as a boson.
From this result we can conclude that composite objects with an even number of fermions will behave
as a bosons while, objects with an odd number of fermions will remain behaving as fermions.
6