Applications of Translational Momentum

Operators in Three Dimensions

Alan J. Cedeno
October 18, 2016
Wichita State University

1 What is a translational operator?

A translational operator is defined as an operator that translates a system in space by a

distance a such that,

() = | + | (1)

It maps the state | to the state | + and is unitary (Cahill, 2013).

To show this, if () and () are two position state-space wavefunctions, then the inner

product of with is:

()() 3 (2)

While the inner product of () with () is:

( )( ) 3 (3)

In which just simply by change of variables where = , these two inner products are

exactly the same. Therefore the translation operators are unitary (Littlejohn, 2016).

Remarkably, this translation operator is an exponential operator of the momentum operator

1

() = (4)

in which = 1.0541034 is Planks constant divided by 2 (Cahill, 2013).

2 Translation operators to three dimensions and its

characteristics
In three dimensions, with basis | = |, , (5) we shall define the translational operator

vector as () . The translational operator must also contain components i.e

( ), ( ), ( ). Therefore, the generalized three dimensional form for the translational

operator and the given eigenstate of position | is,

()| | + (6).

i.e ( )|, , = | + , , (7)

( )|, , = |, + , (8)

( )|, , = |, , + (9).

It is straightforward that all three of the translation operator components must therefore

commute with each other.

( )( )|, = ( + ) = ( )( )|, = ( + ) (10)

( )( )|, = ( + ) = ( )( )|, = ( + ) (11)

( )( )|, = ( + ) = ( )( )|, = ( + ) (12)

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3 Momentum operators to three dimensions
Setting the momentum operators to three dimensions is simple. Literally, the momentum

operators are located in a Cartesian coordinate system the same way the translation operators

are. Therefore, if the momentum operator vector is then the components are , , .

Since the translation operator is an exponential operator of the momentum function as shown

in eq. (4) we have

() = . (13)

It follows that the translation operators commute with each other, therefore, the components

of the momentum operator must also commute with each other such that

[ , ] = 0 (14)

[ , ] = 0 (15)

[ , ] = 0 (16) (Littlejohn, 2016).

4 Action of translation operator in the | basis with

its momentum representation
In a different sense, from the translation definition in eq. (6), lets act the translational

operator on a momentum space wavefunction configuration instead of . By the

forms a complete set for commuting observables

resolution of the identity, and the fact that

we have

1 = 3 || (17)

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Now let | be the state of a spinless particle in three dimensions, and let () = | be

its momentum space wavefunction, then

| = 3 || = 3 |() (18)

In order to use the translational operator properly we must first find a momentum
representation of it.
Let () = |, then operating
on an eigenket with eigenvalue p we have,
| = | (19)

multiply by bra | to obtain,
|
| = ||
= |
= () (20).
also keep in mind that by definition,
)

(
() = (21)
is,
and

= + +


= ( + + )

i.e ( , , are unit vectors)

() (22)
=

solving for the momentum operator,

() = ()



=>
=

=> = (23)

Now, representing the state of a spinless particle with () and () acting on the
translation operator ().

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Consider now the translational operator acting on a bra in the position eigenbasis |,
|() = | (24)
therefore representing the wavefunction associated with the ket | in the translated
{ |} basis and using eq. (18), (20),(21) and (24),
(
( ))
( ) = | = 3 |() = 3 () (25)
and its inverse is,
(
( ))
() = 3 ( ) (26)

5 Matrix elements of momentum in the | basis

From eq. (13), consider the translation operator in three dimensions, and considering the

translational operator relation

() =
(27)

and evaluating eq. (22) at = 0 (Reece, 2006),

() = (28)

now solving for

= ()

=> = ()

2

=> = ()

(1)
=> = ()

5


=> = () =>
= () (29).

Finally, finding the matrix elements in the position basis

| = |()| = |()| (30)

|

from eq. (5)

= | + = ( + ) (31).

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References
Cahill, K. (2013). Physical Mathematics. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Littlejohn, R. G. (2016). Spatial Degrees of Freedom.

Reece, R. D. (2006). A Derivation of the Quantum Mechanical Momentum Operator in the Position
Representation.

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