Quantum Mechanics-II

Problem Set-01
Angular Momentum

1. Consider the case where j=1

(a) Find the matrix representing the operators 𝐽2 , 𝐽𝑧 , 𝐽± , 𝐽𝑥 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐽𝑦 .
(b) Find the joint eigenstates of 𝐽2 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐽𝑧 and verify that they form an orthonormal and
complete basis.
(c) Use the matrices of 𝐽𝑥 , 𝐽𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐽𝑧 to calculate [𝐽𝑥 , 𝐽𝑦 ], [𝐽𝑦 , 𝐽𝑧 ], 𝑎𝑛𝑑 [𝐽𝑧 , 𝐽𝑥 ].
(d) Verify that 𝐽𝑧3 = ℏ2 𝐽𝑧 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐽±3 = 0.
2. Prove the following identities. (where 𝜎𝑖′ s are Pauli matrices)
(a) 𝜎𝑗 𝜎𝑘 = 𝑖𝜖𝑗𝑘𝑙 𝜎𝑙 + 𝛿𝑗𝑘 𝐼

(b) (𝜎⃗. 𝑎⃗)(𝜎⃗. 𝑏⃗⃗) = 𝑎⃗. 𝑏⃗⃗ + 𝑖𝜎⃗. (𝑎⃗ × 𝑏⃗⃗)

1, 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑝
(c) (𝜎. 𝑛̂)𝑝 = {
𝜎⃗. 𝑛̂, 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑜𝑑𝑑 𝑝
3. (a) Find the eigenvalues and eigenstates of the spin operator 𝑆⃗ of an electron in the
direction of a unit vector 𝑛̂; assume that 𝑛⃗⃗ lies in the 𝑥𝑧 plane.
ℏ
(b) Find the probability of measuring 𝑆̂𝑧 = + .
2

4. (a) Find the eigenvalues and eigenstates of the spin operator 𝑆⃗ of an electron in the
direction of a unit vector 𝑛̂; where 𝑛⃗⃗ is arbitrary.
ℏ
(b) Find the probability of measuring 𝑆̂𝑧 = − .
2

5. Consider a particle of total angular momentum 𝑗 = 1. Find the matrix for the component
of 𝐽⃗ along a unit vector 𝑛̂ with arbitrary direction. Find its eigenvalues and eigenvectors.
6. Consider a particle of spin 𝑆 = 3/2 .
(a) Find the matrix representing the operators 𝑆𝑧 , 𝑆𝑥 , 𝑆𝑦 , 𝑆𝑥2 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑆𝑦2 within the basis of
𝑆 2 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑆𝑧 .
(b) Find the energy levels of this particle when its Hamiltonian is given by,
𝜖0 𝜖0
𝐻= (𝑆𝑥2 − 𝑆𝑦2 ) − 𝑆𝑧 .
ℏ2 ℏ

where 𝜖0 is a constant having the dimensions of energy. Are these levels degenerate?
7. Consider the Pauli matrices,
0 1 0 −𝑖 1 0
𝜎𝑥 = ( ) , 𝜎𝑦 = ( ) , 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝜎𝑧 = ( )
1 0 𝑖 0 0 −1
(a) Verify that 𝜎𝑥2 = 𝜎𝑦2 = 𝜎𝑧2 = 𝐼.
(b) Calculate the commutators [𝜎𝑥 , 𝜎𝑦 ], [𝜎𝑥 , 𝜎𝑧 ], 𝑎𝑛𝑑 [𝜎𝑦 , 𝜎𝑧 ].
(c) Calculate the anticommutator 𝜎𝑥 𝜎𝑦 + 𝜎𝑦 𝜎𝑥 .
(d) Show that 𝑒 𝑖𝜃𝜎𝑦 = 𝐼 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 + 𝑖 𝜎𝑦 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃.
(e) Show that 𝑒 𝑖𝜃𝜎𝑥 𝜎𝑧 𝑒 −𝑖𝜃𝜎𝑥 = 𝜎𝑧 cos(2𝜃) + 𝜎𝑦 sin(2𝜃).
8. Find the rotation matrices 𝑑(1/2) 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝒟 (1/2) corresponding to 𝑗 = 1/2.
9. Find the Clebsch-Gordon coefficients associated with the coupling of the spins of the
electron and the proton of a hydrogen atom in its ground state.
10. (a) Show how 𝐽𝑥 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐽𝑦 transform under a finite rotation of angle 𝛼 about the z-axis.
Using these results, determine how the angular momentum operator 𝐽 transform under
rotation.
̂
(b) Show how a vector operator 𝐴⃗ transform under a rotation of angle 𝛼 about the y-axis.
(c) Show that 𝑒 𝑖𝜋𝐽𝑧/ℏ 𝑒 𝑖𝛼𝐽𝑦 /ℏ 𝑒 −𝑖𝜋𝐽𝑧 /ℏ = 𝑒 −𝑖𝛼𝐽𝑦/ℏ .
11. Find the Clebsch-Gordon coefficients associated with the addition of two angular
momenta 𝑗1 = 1 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑗2 = 1.
12. Find the rotation matrix 𝑑 (1) corresponding to 𝑗 = 1.
13. Consider two nonidentical particles each with angular momenta 1 and whose
Hamiltonian is given by,

𝐻=
𝜖1
⃗⃗1 + 𝐿
(𝐿 ⃗⃗2 + 𝜖22 (𝐿̂1𝑧 + 𝐿̂2𝑧 )2 , where 𝜖1 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝜖2 are constants having the
⃗⃗2 ). 𝐿
ℏ2 ℏ

dimensions of energy. Find the energy levels and their degeneracies for those state of the
system whose total angular momentum is equal to 2ℏ.
14. Distinguish among scalar, vector and tensor operators with respect to the commutation
relation with angular momentum⃗𝐽⃗.
15. State and prove Wigner-Eckart theorem. What will be the selection rules for a tensor of
rank-1 (i.e., vector).
𝜃 𝜃
16. Show that 𝑒 𝑖𝜃𝜎⃗⃗.𝑛̂/2 = I cos ( ) + 𝑖(𝜎. 𝑛̂) sin( ), where 𝑛̂ is a unit vector.
2 2
17. If a coordinate frame (𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧) is rotated by the 3 × 3 rotation matrix, 𝑅(𝛼, 𝛽, 𝛾) =
𝑅𝑧 (𝛼)𝑅𝑦 (𝛽)𝑅𝑧 (𝛾), where 𝑅𝑖 (𝜃) is the rotation with respect to "𝑖" axis with angle 𝜃, then
how will the quantum state |𝜓⟩ of a spin-1/2 system change? Show that the rotation is in
unitary unimodular form.
18. Find, by explicit construction using Pauli matrices, the eigenvalues for the Hamiltonian,
2𝜇
𝐻=− 𝑆⃗. 𝐵
⃗⃗
ℏ
⃗⃗ = 𝐵𝑥 𝑥̂ + 𝐵𝑦 𝑦̂ + 𝐵𝑧 𝑧̂ .
for a spin-1/2 particle in the presence of a magnetic field 𝐵
19. Consider a spin-1 particle. Evaluate the matrix elements of 𝑆𝑍 (𝑆𝑧 + ℏ)(𝑆𝑧 −
ℏ) 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑆𝑥 (𝑆𝑥 + ℏ)(𝑆𝑥 − ℏ).
20. Consider a sequence of Euler rotations represented by,
1 𝑖𝜎3 𝛼 𝑖𝜎2 𝛽 𝑖𝜎3 𝛾
𝒟 (2) (𝛼, 𝛽, 𝛾) = 𝑒 − 2 𝑒− 2 𝑒− 2

𝑖(𝛼+𝛾) 𝛽 𝑖(𝛼−𝛾) 𝛽
𝑒− 2 cos ( ) −𝑒 − 2 sin ( )
=( 2 2 )
𝑖(𝛼−𝛾) 𝛽 𝑖(𝛼+𝛾) 𝛽
𝑒 2 sin ( ) 𝑒 2 cos ( )
2 2
Because of the group properties of rotations, we expect that this sequence of operations is
equivalent to a single rotation about some axis by an angle 𝜙. Find 𝜙.

21. (a) Let 𝐽⃗ be an angular momentum. Using the fact that 𝐽𝑥 , 𝐽𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐽𝑧 satisfy the usual

commutation relations, prove, 𝐽⃗2 = 𝐽𝑧2 + 𝐽+ 𝐽− − ℏ𝐽𝑧 .

(b) Using (a) (or otherwise), derive the expression for the coefficient 𝐶− that appears in
𝐽− |𝑗 𝑚⟩ = 𝐶− |𝑗 𝑚 − 1⟩