Scribd
Upload
10 views3 pages

Problem Sheet 1

The document contains 11 problems related to harmonic oscillators. The problems cover topics like finding the wavefunction and probability distributions for harmonic oscillator states, calculating expectation values of position, momentum and other operators, and determining energy spectra and eigenfunctions for harmonic oscillators with additional potentials. Many of the problems involve using properties of harmonic oscillator eigenstates and operators.

Uploaded by

armagandgstn
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
10 views3 pages

Problem Sheet 1

The document contains 11 problems related to harmonic oscillators. The problems cover topics like finding the wavefunction and probability distributions for harmonic oscillator states, calculating expectation values of position, momentum and other operators, and determining energy spectra and eigenfunctions for harmonic oscillators with additional potentials. Many of the problems involve using properties of harmonic oscillator eigenstates and operators.

Uploaded by

armagandgstn
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

PROBLEM SHEET 1

1. At t = 0, a particle in the harmonic oscillator potential is in the state

Ψ(x, 0) = A[2ψ1 + 3ψ2 ] (1)

a) Find A.
b) Construct Ψ(x, t) and |Ψ(x, t)|2 .
c) Find < x > and < p > as a function of t.
d) If you measure the energy of this particle, what values might you get, and
with what probabilities?

2. A particle of mass m in a harmonic oscillator with frequency ω has an


initial, time zero wavefunction:
1
Ψ(x, 0) = √ (ψ0 (x) + ψ1 (x)) (2)
2
where ψ0 and ψ1 are the normalized eigenstates of the Hamiltonian.
a) Find Ψ(x, t) and |Ψ(x, t)|2
b)Find < x(0) >, < p(0) >, < x(t) >, < p(t) >
c) Show that for any harmonic oscillator state, the probability distribution
2π
|Ψ(x, t)|2 is equal to |Ψ(x, t + T )|2 for T =
ω
R ∗
Hint: < x(0) >= Ψ (x, 0) x Ψ( x, 0) and write the position operator in
terms of a− and a+ .

mω 2 x2
3. Consider a particle in the harmonic oscillator potential V (x) = .
2
The initial wave function of the particle is given by
x
Ψ(x, 0) = A 1 + f (x) (3)
|x|

where A > 0 is a constant and f (x) is a real normalized odd function, i.e.
f (−x) = −f (x).

(a) Find constant A.

(b) Find the value of the initial probability density at point x = 0.

(c) What is the initial probability of finding the particle in the regions
[0, +∞] and [−∞, 0]?

Hint: Don’t forget to use the definitions of an odd function and the absolute
value of x while taking the integrals.

4. Solve the problems 2.14 and 2.42 from Grifftihs.

1
5. For a particle
R∞ in the harmonic oscillator potential
a) Calculate −∞ ψn∗ x̂ ψm dx and show that it vanishes unless n = m ± 1
R∞
b) Calculate −∞ ψn∗ p̂ ψm dx and show that it vanishes unless n = m ± 1
R∞ ∗ R∞
c) Calculate −∞ ψn x̂p̂ ψm dx and −∞ ψn∗ p̂x̂ ψm dx
R∞
d) Use part c to find −∞ ψn∗ [x̂, p̂] ψm dx
R∞ ∗ R∞
e) Show that −∞ ψn x̂ ψn dx and −∞ ψn∗ p̂ ψm dx both vanish.
R∞ R∞
f) Calculate −∞ ψn∗ x̂2 ψn dx and −∞ ψn∗ p̂2 ψm dx
g) Check that uncertainty principle is satisfied.

6. (a) Calculate the expectation value of x4 on the Energy eigenstate of


harmonic oscillator with number n.

(b) Calculate 4x and 4p on the Energy eigenstate with number n. What


is the value of the product 4x4p ?

7. Consider a charged harmonic oscillator in a uniform electric field . The


potential energy of this system reads

mω 2 x2
V (x) = − ex (4)
2
Find the energy spectrum and the eigenfunctions for this system.

e
Hint: To make calculations easier, you can use the substitution y = x − mω 2.

8. A particle is in the ground state of a harmonic oscillator potential. What


is the probability (give a numeric value) of finding the particle outside of classi-
cally allowed region? Do you expect the corresponding probability for a particle
in state n = 10 (n is the quantum number) to be larger or smaller? Why?

9. Consider a particle of mass m in a harmonic oscillator potential,


mω 2 x2
V (x) = . The initial state of the system is given by some function f (x)
2
such that Ψ(x, 0) = f (x).

a) Show that the expectation value of x as a function of time can be written as

< x >= Acos(λt) + Bsin(λt) (5)

b) Find the values of A,B and λ. r


r r
mω n+1 n
Hint: You can use the relation xψn (x) = ψn+1 (x)+ ψn−1 (x)
h̄ 2 2
10. Prove the followings:
a) < a− (t) >= e−iωt < a− (0) >
b) < a+ (t) >= eiωt < a+ (0) >.

Hint: Start with the definition of the expectation value and do your calcu-
lations carefully.

2
11. The following questions are related to solving harmonic oscilator prob-
lem by using Hermite polynomials which you will learn in the next week, so
please do not worry.

Solve problems 2.16 and 2.41 from Griffiths.

You might also like