PhD Program

Department of Physics
College of William and Mary

Fall 2014

Quantum Mechanics
Preparation and Self-Assessment Problems
Problem 1: Reflection from a step potential
Consider a particle with energy E in a potential V(x) such that 0 < < 0 . The potential is
given by:
0,
0
() = {
0 ,
>0
a. Find the general solution to the Schrodinger equation for 0.
b. Find the general solution to the Schrodinger equation for > 0, while requiring the
solution to behave physically as +.
c. Apply the appropriate boundary conditions at the step to match up the solutions from parts
a and b and determine the reflection coefficient.

Problem 2: Infinite square well

A particle is in an infinite square well potential that extends from x=0 to x=a, The wavefunction
of the particle is given by:
() = [sin(/) + 4sin(/) cos(/) + sin(5/)]
Where A is a normalization factor.
a. What are the possible values that a measurement of the energy of the particle would yield?
b. What is the probability of getting each of those values?
c. What is the expectation value of the energy?

Problem 3: Time evolution of a two state system

Consider a two state system and an orthonormal basis of states {|, |} of the associated Hilbert
space. The representation of the Hamiltonian H in that basis is given by:

=[
]

Assuming that at time t=0 the system is in state |, what is the probability of finding the system
in state | after a time t ?

Problem 4: Hydrogen atom

Consider a hydrogen atom consisting of a spinless electron orbiting a proton.

a. Write down the wavefunction for the |, , = |1, 0, 0 = | state in the position
representation and its associated binding energy. n is the principal quantum number, l is the
orbital angular momentum, and m is the projection of the angular momentum on the z-axis of
the atom (i.e. the angular momentum quantization axis).
b. Write down the wavefunction for the |, , = |2, 1, 0 = | state in the position
representation and its associated binding energy.
c. Calculate the expectation values for the position of the electron along the z-axis for the two
states in parts a and b: || and || .
d. Consider the case when the atom is in the following quantum superposition of states |
and | :
1
(| + | )
| =
2
Compute the expectation values of the energy and z for this state: || and || .
Compare the results to those of parts a, b, and c.

Problem 5: Electron spin

A electron beam produced by a Stern-Gerlach filter contains electrons (spin 1/2) that are all in
the same spin state |. Subsequent measurements on two different parts of the beam find that
= 0 and = /4.
a. What is the value of in the original state |.
b. What are the possible directions along which the original Stern-Gerlach filter oriented the
electron spins?

Problem 6: Distinguishable and identical particles

Consider two non-interacting particles, each of mass m, in the 1D harmonic oscillator potential.
Assume one particle is in the ground state, and the other is in the first excited state. Compute
(1 2 )2 for each of the following cases (X1 and X2 are the position operators for the two
particles):
a. The particles are distinguishable.
b. The particles are identical fermions.

Problem 7: Addition of angular momenta

Consider a system of two particles. Particle A has spin 1, and particle B has spin 2.
a. What are the possible values of the z-axis component of the spin of particle A? What are
the possible values of the z-axis component of the spin of particle B?
b. What are the possible values of the total spin of the system?
c. If the system is in a configuration such that the total spin is 3 and the z-axis component of
the total spin is 1, then what are the possible values that you could measure for the z-axis
component of the spin of particle B?
d. What is the probability associated with each of those values?