Homework assignment (113A, week 4)

Due: Thursday, 2/11/16

(x) A (x) dx (x) A (x) dx

1. The operators which satisfies

for all
well-behaved functions (a single valued, the second derivative exists) called
Hermitian Operators. All quantum mechanical operators should be Hermitian
operators. Why?

d2
2. Find the result operating with operator K =
2
e ax

dx2

4x2
on the function

e ax

For what values of a will

3. The displacement operator

be an eigenfunction of K?

is defined by the equation

Of (x) f (x a)

Show that the eigenfunctions of

are of the form

(x) e xg(x)
where, g(x+a)=g(x), and is any complex number.

 ?
What is the eigenvalue corresponding to

4.

Consider the entangled wave function for two photons,

12

1
2

(H)
1

(V) 1 (V) 2 (H)

where H represents a horizontal polarization and V represents a vertical

polarization

Pi
Assume that the polarization operator

Pi i (H) i (H)

Pi i (V ) i (V )
and

where

P1

12
a

has the properties

i 1 or i 2.

P2

Show that

is not an eigenfunction of or .
12
Show that each of two terms in
is an eigenfunction of the polarization

P1
operators

P2
and

P1
c

What is the average value if the polarization that you will measure on
identically prepared systems? It is not necessary to do a calculation to
answer this question.

5.

If the wave function describing a system is not an eigenfunction of the

operator , measurements on identically prepared systems will give different

results. The variance of this set of results is defined in error analysis as
B2

, where B is the value of the observable in a single

B
measurement and
is the average of all measurements. Using the definition
of the average value from the quantum mechanical postulates,
A * ( x) A ( x )dx

B2 B 2 B

, show that

6. Consider the one-dimensional problem of a particle of mass m in a potential :

V ( x )=, for x<0

V ( x )=0 , for 0 x a
V ( x ) =V 0 , for x >a

a.

Show that the bound state energies (

E<V 0

) are given by the

equation:
tan

2 mE a =

E
V 0 E

b. Without solving any further, sketch the ground state wave function.
7. The dynamics of a particle moving one-dimensionally in a potential V(x) is
2

governed by the Hamiltonian

momentum operator. Let

H 0=

p=i

E(0n ) , n=1,2,3 be the eigenvalues of

Now consider a new Hamiltonian

parameter. Given , m, and

p
+V ( x) , where
2m

H=H 0 + p /m

d
dx is the
H0

, where is a given

E(0n ) , find the eigenvalues of H.

8. Consider the one-dimensional wave function

x
x n x
( x ) =A
e
, where A, n, and
x0

( )

x 0 are constants.

Using Schrdingers equation, find the potential V(x) and the energy E,
for which this wave function is an eigenfunction. (Assume that as
x ,V ( x ) 0 )

9. A particle of mass m moving in one dimension is confined to the region 0<x<L by an

infinite square well potential. In addition, the particle experiences a delta function
potential of strength located at the center of the well. (See Fig.). The Schrodinger
equation which describes this system is, within the well,
2

2 ( x )
L
+ x ( x )=E ( x ) , 0< x < L
2
2m x
2

V ( x)

0
L

L/2
Find a transcendental equation for the energy eigenvalues E in terms of the mass
m, the potential strength , and the size L of the system.