Quantum Problem Set #5

Matthew Hickman
1. We are tasked to find the correlation function

C(t) = hxH (t)xH (0)i

for the groundstate of the harmonic oscillator.

If we recall from the last problem set, the solution for xH (t) for the harmonic oscillator is as follows:
pH (0)
xH (t) = xH (0) cos(ωt) + sin(ωt)
mω
This implies  
pH (0)
hxH (t)xH (0)i = h xH (0) cos(ωt) + sin(ωt) xH (0)i
mω
sin(ωt)
= hx2H (0)i cos(ωt) + hpH (0)xH (0)i
mω
We can evaluate this using the definitions of the x and p operators in terms of the raising a lowering
operators. We recall that r
~
a† + a


x=
2mω
r
~mω †

p=i a −a
2
~
⇒ x2H (0) = (a† a† + aa† + a† a + aa)
2mω
~
⇒ hx2H (0)i = h0| (a† a† + aa† + a† a + aa) |0i
2mω
Everything dies except the term from aa† , so this just becomes
~ ~
h0|0i =
2mω 2mω
Using the same technique we can evaluate hpH (0)xH (0)i. Using the raising and lowering operators we
can express px as
i~ †
(a − a)(a + a† )
2
i~
= (a† a + a† a† − aa − aa† )
2
i~
⇒ hpH (0)xH (0)i = h0| (a† a + a† a† − aa − aa† ) |0i
2
†
And again everything dies except the aa term, so we get
−i~ −i~
h0|0i =
2 2
We can plug this all back into the original equation we had for C(t) and we obtain
~ i~ sin(ωt) ~
C(t) = cos(ωt) − = (cos(ωt) − i sin(ωt))
2mω 2 mω 2mω
~
= exp(−iωt)
2mω
2. We are given at the commutator of A and B is a c-number.
a. Want to show that [A, f (B)] = [A, B]f 0 (B).
First we expand f(B) in terms of some power series
X
f (B) = cn B n
n

Now we can prove by induction the fact that [A, B n ] = n[A, B]B n−1 . First we start with the base
case of n = 1 which is obviously true since [A, B 1 ] = [A, B]. Now we can try and prove the n+1 case,
assuming by the induction hypothesis that the n case is true. We write

[A, B n+1 ] = [A, B(B n )]

Here we can use the following commutator identity

[A, BC] = [A, B]C + B[A, C]

which was proved on a previous problem set. Using this we can evaluate

[A, B(B n )] = [A, B]B n + B[A, B n ]

But we can expand this further under the induction hypothesis that [A, B n ] = n[A, B]B n−1 .

= [A, B]B n + Bn[A, B]B n−1

Since [A, B] is a c-number it commutes with everything, so we can simplify this to

= [A, B]B n + n[A, B]B n = (n + 1)[A, B]B n

So it holds for the n+1 case, therefore by induction since I showed it held for the n=1 case, and n
being true implies n+1 is true, this identity hold for all n ≥ 1 in the integers.
We can now plug this identity into our original problem, using the power series representation for f (B).
X
[A, f (B)] = [A, cn B n ]
n

Then we can use the bilinearity of the commutator to simplify this to

X X
= cn [A, B n ] = [A, B] cn nB n−1 = [A, B]f 0 (B)
n n

∴ [A, f (B)] = [A, B]f 0 (B) if [A, B] ∈ C

1
b. We now want to show eA eB = eA+B+ 2 [A,B]

i. We will check this equation by expanding up to quadratic order on each side. We will start with the left.

A2 B2 A2 B2
  
eA eB ≈ 1 + A + 1+B+ =1+A+ +B+ + AB + O(3)
2 2 2 2

We can now expand the left hand side up the quadratic order. We also know [A, B] is a C-number, so
it plays by the normal rules of exponential addition, so we can write the right hand side as

(A + B)2
  
[A,B] [A,B] [A, B]
eA+B+ 2 = eA+B e 2 ≈ 1 + A + B + 1+
2 2

Page 2
 A2 + AB + BA + B 2
  
AB − BA
= 1+A+B+ 1+
2 2
A2 + AB + BA + B 2 + AB − BA
=1+A+B+ + O(3)
2
A2 + B 2
= 1 + A + B + AB + + O(3)
2
So we see that the right hand side and left hand side agree up to quadratic order.
ii. We will now define two functions with µ ∈ C.

f (µ) = eµA eµB

1 2
g(µ) = eµ(A+B)+ 2 µ [A,B]

∂f
First we want to evaluate ∂µ .
∂f
= AeµA eµB + eµA BeµB
∂µ
It doesn’t matter which side of eµA we stick the A, because [A, f (A)] = 0 for some function f , the
same goes for B.
∂g
Now we want to evaluate ∂µ . This is a little trickier, but since we know that [A, B] ∈ C we can rewrite
it as 2
1
g(µ) = eµ(A+B) e 2 µ [A,B]

∂g 1 2 1 2 1 2
⇒ = eµ(A+B) e 2 µ [A,B] (A + B) + eµ(A+B) e 2 µ [A,B] µ[A, B] = (eµ(A+B) e 2 µ [A,B] )(A + B + µ[A, B])
∂µ
= g(µ)(A + B + µ[A, B])
Again remembering that [A, B] is just a C-number, so it commutes with everything. Also we are
free to stick (A + B) on either side of eµ(A+B) since [A + B, f (A + B)] = 0, thinking of A + B as a
single operator. We are also allowed to stick (A + B) on the right of eµ[A,B] since it’s just a number
remembering [A, B] ∈ C.
iii. Now we want to show that both f (µ) and g(µ) satisfy the following differential equation

dh
= h(µ)(µ[A, B] + A + B)
dµ
∂f
For g(µ) this is trivial, just look above. We’ll have to massage the expression we got for ∂µ to get it
in this form.
∂f
= AeµA eµB + eµA BeµB = eµA AeµB + eµA eµB B
∂µ
= eµA AeµB − eµA eµB A + eµA eµB A + eµA eµB B = eµA [A, eµB ] + eµA eµB A + eµA eµB B
We can use what we proved in part i to simplify this even further

= eµA [A, B]µeµB + eµA eµB A + eµA eµB B

= eµA eµB (µ[A, B] + A + B) = f (µ)(µ[A, B] + A + B)

So we see that both f (µ) and g(µ) satisfy this differential equation, and they both agree at µ = 0, thus
by uniqueness of solutions to first order differential equations they are the same. Noticing when µ = 1
we have proven the identify we wanted for this problem.
1
∴ eA eB = eA+B+ 2 [A,B] if [A, B] ∈ C

Page 3
c. We now want to show 2
1
h0|x2 |0i
h0| eikx |0i = e− 2 k

i. First we will verify this identity to 2nd order in k.

(ikx)2
 
h0| eikx |0i = h0| 1 + ikx + |0i + O(k 3 )
2

k2
= h0|0i + ik h0| x |0i − h0| x2 |0i + O(k 3 )
2
In the ground state of the harmonic oscillator, the expectation value of x is 0 (symmetric wavefunction.)
So this is just
k2
1− h0| x2 |0i + O(k 3 )
2
Now we can expand out the right hand side of the identity to k 2 order, but that is trivial, it is simply

1 2
h0|x2 |0i k2
e− 2 k =1− h0| x2 |0i + O(k 3 )
2
So we see that the identity agrees to k 2 order.
ii. We will now use raising and lowering operators to fully verify this identity. First though we can recall
from the first problem that
~
h0| x2 |0i =
2mω
k2 ~
 
1 2 2
⇒ e− 2 k h0|x |0i = exp −
4mω
Now, let’s figure out the left hand side of the equation.
r !
~
h0| eikx |0i = h0| exp ik (a + a† ) |0i
2mω

By what we just proved, since [a† , a] = −1 we can rewrite this as

r ! r !  
~ † ~ ~
= h0| exp ik a exp ik a exp −i2 k 2 [a† , a] |0i
2mω 2mω 4mω

We can think of the exp with an a in it acting to the right, so only the 1 term from the exponential
survives on the ground state. Similarly we can think of the exp with the a† in it acting to the left,
when it does it’s a lowering operator, and again only the constant term survive, so we get
     
2 ~ † 2 ~ 2 ~
h0| exp k [a , a] |0i = h0|0i exp −k = exp −k
4mω 4mω 4mω

So they are equal.

2
1
h0|x2 |0i
∴ h0| eikx |0i = e− 2 k

Page 4
3. We will now consider the coherent state
2
/2 λa†
|λi = e−|λ| e |0i

where λ ∈ C.
a. Want to show this is a normalized state.
∗ 2 † 2 ∗ †
⇒ hλ|λi = h0| eλ a e−|λ| eλa |0i = e−|λ| h0| eλ a eλa |0i

We can use the identity we used in the last problem to make this easier to handle. First we make use
of the fact that
[λ∗ a, λa† ] = |λ|2 [a, a† ] = |λ|2
So we can use the fact that
1 1
eA eB = eA+B+ 2 [A,B] = eA+B e 2 [A,B]
∗ † ∗
a+λa† 1 ∗
a,λa† ] †
+λ∗ a |λ|2 /2
⇒ eλ a eλa = eλ e 2 [λ = eλa e
Now we can simplify this further by using the fact that
1
eλ(B+A) = eB eA e− 2 [B,A]

By changing around the identity.

†
+λ∗ a |λ|2 /2 † ∗ 1 †
,λ∗ a] |λ|2 /2 † ∗ 2
⇒ eλa e = eλa eλ a e− 2 [λa e = eλa eλ a e|λ|
2 † ∗ 2
⇒ hλ|λi = e−|λ| h0| eλa eλ a e|λ| |0i
∗ †
Again, we can think of the eλ a acting to the right, leaving only a constant term, and eλa acting to
the left, leaving again only a constant term.
2 2
= e−|λ| e|λ| h0|0i = 1

∴ hλ|λi = 1

b. Now we wonder if the |λi states are orthogonal by evaluating

0∗
a −(|λ0 |2 +|λ|2 )/2 λa† 0 2
+|λ|2 )/2 0∗
a λa†
hλ0 |λi = h0| eλ e e |0i = e−(|λ | h0| eλ e |0i

We can work on simplifying the expression we have inbetween the |0i states. Using the previous identity
we can obtained † 0∗ 1 0∗
eλa +λ a e 2 λ λ
We can again apply the identity we proved, but instead move the exponential with the 21 [a, a† ] term
to the other side. We’re allowed to this because it’s a C-number, and that commuted with everything,
which means the rules of normal exponential addition apply.
† 0∗ λ0∗ λ
a − 12 λ0∗ λ[a† ,a] † 0∗
a λ0∗ λ
= eλa eλ e e 2 = eλa eλ e

We can then plug this back into what we originally had for the expression.
0 2 † 0∗
+|λ|2 ) a λ0∗ a
⇒ hλ0 |λi = e−(|λ | h0| eλa eλ e |0i

We can think of the exponential with the λ0∗ a acting to the right, since it’s a lowering operator it only
leaves the constant term in the exponential, the same goes for the a† acting to the left. So we are only
left with
−(|λ0 |2 + |λ|2 )
 
0 2 2 0∗
e−(|λ | +|λ| )/2 eλλ h0|0i = exp + λλ0∗
2
And we notive that if λ = λ0 we are left with one as we would expect from the previous problem.

Page 5
c. We now want to show that
a |λi = λ |λi
We’ll start by writing out the actual expression for this, that is
2
/2 λa†
= ae−|λ| e |0i

But this can be reqritten by “adding zero”

2 † † † 2 † †
= e−|λ| /2
(aeλa − eλa a + eλa a |0i = e−|λ| /2
([a, eλa ] + eλa a |0i

The lowering operator acting on |0i gives zero, so we can ignore it now. We can also evalutate this
commutator since [a, a† ] = 1.
2 †
= e−|λ| /2 (λeλa [a, a† ]) |0i
2
/2 λa†
= λe−|λ| e |0i = λ |λi

d. We can find hni = hλ| a† a |λi

†
hλ| a† a |λi = (a |λi) a |λi = (λ |λi)† λ |λi

= hλ| λ∗ λ |λi = |λ|2

q
2
p
Now we want to find h∆n2 i = hn2 i − hni .

hn2 i = hλ| a† aa† a |λi

= hλ| λ∗ aa† λ |λi = |λ|2 hλ| aa† |λi

= |λ|2 hλ| aa† − a† a + a† a |λi
= |λ|2 hλ| [a, a† ] + a† a |λi = |λ|2 (1 + hλ| a† a |λi) = |λ|2 (1 + |λ|2 )
p p
⇒ h∆n2 i = |λ|2 (1 + |λ|2 ) − |λ|4 = |λ|

Note: These two answers are exactly what one would expect from a Poisson distribution with µ = |λ|2 .

Page 6
4. We now consider a 1D scattering where the potential is an attractive potential well, that is

V (x) = −v0 δ(x)

Where the incoming particle has an energy E > 0.

a. We will now find the transmission and reflection amplitudes (t(E), r(E)).
To the left of the potential well we have two waves,

ψL (x) = Aeipx/~ + Be−ipx/~

And to the right, we only have a single outgoing wave

ψR (x) = Ceipx/~

We’ll simply take A = 1 to make this problem easier, then the task is just to find what B and C are.
We now take a look at the Schodinger equation which says in the position basis

−~2 d2 ψ(x)
− v0 δ(x)ψ(x) = Eψ(x)
2m dx2
We can now integrate this entire equation over some small interval.
Z  2 2 
−~ d ψ(x)
− v0 δ(x)ψ(x) = Eψ(x) dx
− 2m dx2

Taking the limit as  → 0, and assuming E is finite (a good assumption I would think.)

−~2 0 0
⇒ (ψ (0) − ψL (0)) − v0 ψ(0) = 0
2m R

0 0 −2mv0
⇒ ψR (0) − ψL (0) = ψ(0)
~2
We can now plug in what we had originally for ψR (x) and ψL (x).

ip −2mv0
⇒ (C − 1 + B) = C
~ ~2
2mv0
⇒C −1+B =i C
p~
 
2mv0
⇒C 1− i +B =1
p~
We can also use the fact that ψ(x) has to be continuous at x = 0.

⇒1+B =C ⇒B =C −1

Combining these we get  

2mv0
C 1− i+1 =2
p~
1 p~
⇒C= mv0 =
1− p~ i p~ − mv0 i
mv0 i
⇒B=
p~ − mv0 i

Page 7
 √
We can then remember that p = 2mE and that after setting A = 1 the transmission coefficient is C
and reflection coefficient is B.
√
2mE~
⇒ t(E) = √
2mE~ − mv0 i
and
mv0 i
r(E) = √
2mE~ − mv0 i
We now have enough information to construct the S matrix. It should have the form
   
C A
=S
D B

Where A represents the incoming wave from the left, B the incoming wave from the right, C the
outgoing wave to the left, and D the outgoing wave to the right. These can be expressed in terms of
the reflection and transmission amplitudes. That is
 
r(E) t(E)
S=
t(E) r(E)

They’re the same because this potential well is symmetric. Writing it out fully, the S matrix is
√ !
mv i√ 0 2mE~ √
2mE~−mv
√ 0i 2mE~−mv0 i
S= 2mE~ mv0 i
√ √
2mE~−mv0 i 2mE~−mv0 i

We can check unitarity by evaluating out SS † .

 √  √ 
1 −mv0 i
SS † = √mv0 i 2mE~ √ 2mE~
2mE~2 + m2 v02 2mE~ mv0 i 2mE~ −mv0 i

2mE~2 + m2 v02
   
1 0 1 0
= =
2mE~2 + m2 v02 0 2mE~2 + m2 v02 0 1
Also check S † S
 √  √ 
1 −mv0 i 2mE~
S†S = √ √mv0 i 2mE~
2mE~2 + m2 v02 2mE~ −mv0 i 2mE~ mv0 i

2mE~2 + m2 v02
   
1 0 1 0
= =
2mE~2 + m2 v02 0 2mE~2 + m2 v02 0 1
So therefore S is unitary!
b. If we look again at t(E) √
2mE~
t(E) = √
2mE~ − mv0 i
−mv 2
It has a pole when E = 2~2 0 . If we remember this is the bound state energy of the potential well.
That’s about as much significance as I can think of this. For negative energy we have a bound state,
and there’s only one bound state of the delta potential well.

Page 8