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    Ps 2

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    wem qiao
    The document contains 6 problems regarding quantum mechanics concepts: 1. Showing operator identities for non-commuting operators and unitary operators. 2. Proving commutator identities for operators A, B, C. 3. Using commutation relations to show properties of the angular momentum operator. 4. Proving the commutation relations of angular momentum define a Lie algebra. 5. Evaluating commutation relations and properties of spin matrices. 6. Deriving identities regarding spherical polar coordinates and the Laplace operator.

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    Ps 2

    Uploaded by

    wem qiao
    22 views3 pages
    The document contains 6 problems regarding quantum mechanics concepts: 1. Showing operator identities for non-commuting operators and unitary operators. 2. Proving commutator identities for operators A, B, C. 3. Using commutation relations to show properties of the angular momentum operator. 4. Proving the commutation relations of angular momentum define a Lie algebra. 5. Evaluating commutation relations and properties of spin matrices. 6. Deriving identities regarding spherical polar coordinates and the Laplace operator.

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    The document contains 6 problems regarding quantum mechanics concepts: 1. Showing operator identities for non-commuting operators and unitary operators. 2. Proving commutator identities for operators A, B, C. 3. Using commutation relations to show properties of the angular momentum operator. 4. Proving the commutation relations of angular momentum define a Lie algebra. 5. Evaluating commutation relations and properties of spin matrices. 6. Deriving identities regarding spherical polar coordinates and the Laplace operator.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    22 views3 pages

    Ps 2

    Uploaded by

    wem qiao
    The document contains 6 problems regarding quantum mechanics concepts: 1. Showing operator identities for non-commuting operators and unitary operators. 2. Proving commutator identities for operators A, B, C. 3. Using commutation relations to show properties of the angular momentum operator. 4. Proving the commutation relations of angular momentum define a Lie algebra. 5. Evaluating commutation relations and properties of spin matrices. 6. Deriving identities regarding spherical polar coordinates and the Laplace operator.

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    of 3

    Advanced Quantum Mechanics: Problem Sheet 2

    1. a) Show that if A and B are two non-commuting operators then, to second order
    in ε,
    1 2 [A,B]
    eεA eεB = eεA+εB+ 2 ε

    b) Show that if H is a self-adjoint operator then U = eiH is a unitary operator


    meaning that, for any two states |ψ1 〉, |ψ2 〉

    〈ψ1 |U † U |ψ2 〉 = 〈ψ1 |ψ2 〉

    2. Some identities with commutators. Show that the following are true for any oper-
    ators A, B, C

    a) [AB, C] = [A, C]B + A[B, C]


    b) [AB, CD] = [A, C]BD + A[B, C]D + C[A, D]B + CA[B, D]

    3. The angular momentum operator in quantum mechanics is defined as L #̂ = #̂r × p.


    #̂
    Using the commutation relations between r̂i and p̂j ([r̂i , p̂j ] = i!δij ) show that

    a) #̂r × p#̂ = −p#̂ × #̂r


    b) #̂r · p#̂ ∕= p#̂ · #̂r

    4. Let εijk be the totally anti-symmetric tensor in three dimensions, i.e.,


    !
    "
    #1 if (ijk) = (123), (231), (312)
    εijk = −1 if (ijk) = (213), (132), (321)
    "
    $
    0 otherwise (i.e. if two of the indices have the same value).

    Using the fact that εijk εklm = δil δjm − δim δjl , where on the l.h.s. summation over
    k = 1, 2, 3 is understood (i.e. the Einstein summation convention is used), prove
    that the commutation relations

    [L̂j , L̂k ] = i! εjkl L̂l

    of the angular momentum define a Lie algebra, i.e. verify anti-symmetry of the
    bracket and the Jacobi identity

    [[L̂j , L̂k ], L̂l ] + sum over cyclic permutations of (jkl) = 0.

    1
    5. Consider the three matrices
    % & % & % &
    ! 0 1 ! 0 −i ! 1 0
    s1 = , s2 = , s3 = ,
    2 1 0 2 i 0 2 0 −1
    a) Evaluate the commutation relations [si , sj ] for i, j = 1, 2, 3.
    b) Evaluate the matrix s2 = s21 + s22 + s23 .
    c) Optional: Can you find 3 × 3 matrices li that have the same commutation
    relations? what is li2 ?
    6. Practice with spherical polar coordinates.
    We will use the convention
    x = r cos φ sin θ , y = r sin φ sin θ , z = r cos θ .
    Show that
    a) '
    2 2 2 2 y x2 + y 2
    r = x + y + z , tan φ = , tan θ =
    x z
    b)
    ∂ x ∂ y ∂ z ∂
    = + +
    ∂r r ∂x r ∂y r ∂z
    ∂ ∂ ∂
    = −x tan φ + y cot φ
    ∂φ ∂x ∂y
    ∂ ∂ ∂ ∂
    = x cot θ + y cot θ − z tan θ
    ∂θ ∂x ∂y ∂z
    c)
    ∂ x ∂ x ∂ y ∂
    = + 2 cot θ − 2
    ∂x r ∂r r ∂θ x + y 2 ∂φ
    ∂ y ∂ y ∂ x ∂
    = + 2 cot θ + 2 2
    ∂y r ∂y r ∂θ x + y ∂φ
    ∂ z ∂ z ∂
    = − 2 tan θ
    ∂z r ∂z r ∂θ
    d)
    ∂ ∂ cos φ cos θ ∂ sin φ ∂
    = cos φ sin θ + −
    ∂x ∂r r ∂θ r sin θ ∂φ
    ∂ ∂ sin φ cos θ ∂ cos φ ∂
    = sin φ sin θ + +
    ∂y ∂r r ∂θ r sin θ ∂φ
    ∂ ∂ sin θ ∂
    = cos θ −
    ∂z ∂r r ∂θ
    2
    e)
    1 ∂2 ( ) 1 ∂( ∂ ) 1 ∂2
    ∇2 Ψ = rΨ + sin θ Ψ + Ψ
    r ∂r2 r2 sin θ ∂θ ∂θ r2 sin2 θ ∂φ2

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