Quantum Mechanics 2
Solution to problem set 4
1. Let us assume that {i1 , i2 , i3 } is a right-handed coordinate system, for which we are
given that [A, Ji1 ] = [A, Ji2 ] = 0. We now examine
1
[A, Ji3 ] = [A, [Ji1 , Ji2 ]]
ih̄
1
= (A [Ji1 , Ji2 ] − [Ji1 , Ji2 ] A)
ih̄
1
= (AJi1 Ji2 − AJi2 Ji1 − Ji1 Ji2 A + Ji2 Ji1 A)
ih̄
1
= ([Ji2 Ji1 , A] + [A, Ji1 Ji2 ])
ih̄
1
= (Ji [Ji , A] + [Ji2 , A] Ji1 + Ji1 [A, Ji2 ] + [A, Ji1 ] Ji2 )
ih̄ 2 1
= 0
2. (a) You can verify that
0 1 0 2 −1 0 1
Jy −i Jy 1
= √2 −1 0 1 ; = 2 0 −2 0
h̄ h̄
0 −1 0 1 0 −1
Jy 3
Jy
and the nice thing is that h̄
= h̄
so we have
n
(−iα)n Jy
e−iJy α/h̄ =
X
n=0 n! h̄
2
−(−α)2n−1 Jy X (−1)n (α)2n Jy
X
= 1−i +
n=1 (2n − 1)! h̄ n=1 (2n)! h̄
2
Jy Jy
= 1 − i sin α + (cos α − 1)
h̄ h̄
as desired.
~ This is given by
(b) Spin-1 operator in direction n̂ is given by n̂ · S.
~ = sin θ cos φSx + sin θ sin φSy + cos θSz
n̂ · S
with
0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0
h̄ −ih̄
√ −1
Sx = 2 1 0 1 Sy =
√ 0 1 Sz = h̄ 0 0 0
2
0 1 0 0 −1 0 0 0 −1
1
so we get √
2 cos θ e−iφ sin θ
0
h̄
~ = √ e sin θ
n̂ · S iφ
0 e−iφ
√ sin θ
.
2 0 sin θe iφ
− 2 cos θ
(c) One can find the eigenvalues and the eigenvectors of this operator (by solving
~
det n̂ · S − λI = 0). Actually the problem can be simplified, if we note that
relative to Sz , Sn̂ is only the rotated version, and as such, its eigenvalues cannot
change. We are interested in the eigenstate corresponding to the eigenvalue +1
(in units of h̄), i.e. for the spin pointing in the n̂ direction. This eigen state is
obtainable either through the eigenvalue equation, or with the aid of rotation
matrices (in which case part (a) of the question is useful). This eigenstate is
e−2iφ cos2 2θ
1 −iφ
2 e sin(θ)
|s = 1, mn̂ = 1i = √ (1)
sin2 2θ
(d) Since
1
|1, 1z i = 0 ,
0
the desired probability is
!
2 4 θ
P = |hs = 1, mz = 1 |s = 1, mn̂ = 1i| = cos
2
(e) We found the eigenstate of n̂ · S~ with mn̂ = 1 for S = 1 in (1), so all we have
to do is to equate it to the given state |ψi, up to a phase, and find that there
are no θ, φ which satisfy the equations (these are actually three equations)
e−2iφ cos2 2θ
1
1 −iφ
√ e
eiδ
= √
2 sin(θ) 1
.
2 θ
3 1
sin 2
√
According to the last eqation, eiδ = 3 sin2 2θ . Then the second equation reads
√ iφ θ
2e = tan .
2
√
Since tan 2θ is real, φ must be 0, and in addition θ = 2 tan−1 2. Substituting
this into the first equation then tells us that there is no solution to the problem.
2
3. Remember that (in the following (α), (β) refer to the Hilbert space upon which
the operator operates, with no significance in its being written as a superscript or
subscript)
L2 = L(α) + L(β) · L(α) + L(β)
= L2(α) + L2(β) + L(α) · L(β) + L(β) · L2(α)
= L2(α) + L2(β) + 2L(α) · L(β)
= L2(α) + L2(β) + 2Li(α) Li(β)
where the third line holds since the two operators operate on different Hilbert spaces.
Now since h i
L2(i) , L(i) = 0
for i = α, β, we have
(a)
h i
[L2 , Lj ] = L2(α) + L2(β) + 2Li(α) Li(β) , Lj(α) + Lj(β)
h i h i h i
= L2(α) , L(α) + L(β) + L2(β) , L(α) + L(β) + 2 Li(α) Li(β) , Lj(α) + Lj(β)
h i
= 2 Li(α) Li(β) , Lj(α) + Lj(β)
h i h i
= 2 Li(α) , Lj(α) Li(β) + Li(α) Li(β) , Lj(β)
= 2ih̄ijk Lk(α) Li(β) + Li(α) Lk(β)
= 0
(b) Also
h i
[Li , L2(α) ] = Li(α) + Li(β) , L2(α)
h i
= Li(α) , L2(α)
= 0
and the same goes for α → β.
(c) We’ve got everything we need for this part from part (a), so
[L2 , Li(α) ] = 2ih̄ijk Lk(α) Li(β)
4. (a) The possible values for j are 0 ≤ j ≤ 2.
(b) The way to find all the states, is to start by the maximal m state, corresponding
to the addition of m1 = j1 and m2 = j2 , and then to move down the states of
(1) (2)
j = j1 + j2 with J− ≡ J− + J− . When we are done with the 2j + 1 states of
3
j = j1 + j2 , we move to determining the states of j = j1 + j2 − 1, by demanding
that the maximal m−state for this j is orthogonal to the already constructed
states. We keep every constructed state normalized.
The first state in our case would then be
|j = 2, m = 2i = |j1 = 1, m1 = 1; j2 = 1, m2 = 1i
or, for short we will write
|2, 2i = |1, 1; 1, 1i .
Operate on this state with J− . On the left-hand side you get
√
J− |2, 2i = 2 · 3 − 2 · 1 |2, 1i
= 2 |2, 1i
and on the right-hand side
(1) (2)
J− |1, 1; 1, 1i = J− + J− |1, 1i ⊗ |1, 1i
(1) (2)
= J− |1, 1i ⊗ |1, 1i + J− |1, 1i ⊗ |1, 1i
√
= 2 (|1, 0i ⊗ |1, 1i + |1, 1i ⊗ |1, 0i)
so
1
|2, 1i = √ (|1, 0; 1, 1i + |1, 1; 1, 0i) .
2
For the rest of the j = 2 states we get
1
|2, 0i = √ (|1, −1; 1, 1i + 2 |1, 0; 1, 0i + |1, 1; 1, −1i)
6
1
|2, −1i = √ (|1, −1; 1, 0i + |1, 0; 1, −1i)
2
|2, −2i = |1, −1; 1, −1i
The state |1, 1i must be orthogonal to |2, 1i so this forces
1
|1, 1i = √ (− |1, 0; 1, 1i + |1, 1; 1, 0i)
2
and
1
|1, 0i = √ (− |1, −1; 1, 1i + |1, 1; 1, −1i)
2
1
|1, −1i = √ (− |1, −1; 1, 0i + |1, 0; 1, −1i) .
2
(2)
4
Finally by demanding orthogonality again we get
1
|0, 0i = √ (|1, 1; 1, −1i + |1, −1; 1, 1i − |1, 0; 1, 0i)
3
(c) The coefficients for J = 2 are (all the blank spots stand for 0)
m1 m2 M = 2 M = 1 M = 0 M = −1 M = −2
1 1 1 √
1 0 1/ 2 √
1 −1 √ 1/ 6
0 1 1/ 2 √
0 0 2/ 6 √
0 −1 √ 1/ 2
−1 1 1/ 6 √
−1 0 1/ 2
−1 −1 1
For J = 1 (remember the convention that (j1 , j2 , m1 = j1 , m2 = J−j1 |J, M = J )
is positive)
m1 m2 M =1 M =0 M = −1
1 1 √
1 0 1/ 2 √
1 −1 √ 1/ 2
0 1 −1/ 2
0 0 √
0 −1 √ 1/ 2
−1 1 −1/ 2 √
−1 0 −1/ 2
−1 −1
The last table for J = 0 is
m1 m2 M√ =0
1 -1 1/√3
-1 1 1/ √3
0 0 −1/ 3
with all other coefficients vanishing.
5
5. (a) We use the notation that the state with three spins up is |↑↑↑i. This is the
state with M = 3/2. We operate on this with the lowering operator J− which
shows that the states |J = 3/2, M i with lower values of M are
3 1 1
J = ,M = = √ (|↑↑↓i + |↑↓↑i + |↓↑↑i)
2 2 3
3 −1 1
J = ,M = = √ (|↑↓↓i + |↓↓↑i + |↓↑↓i)
2 2 3
3 −3
J = ,M = = |↓↓↓i
2 2
(b) From the definition of J+ we deduce that
3 1
√ 3 3
J+ J = , M = = h̄ 3 J = , M =
2 2 2 2
3 −1 3 1
J+ J = , M = = h̄2 J = , M =
2 2 2 2
3 −3
√ 3 −1
J+ J = , M = = h̄ 3 J = , M =
2 2 2 2
so √
0 3 0 0
0 0 2 √0
J+ = h̄
0 0 0 3
0 0 0 0
The matrix J− is the Hermitian conjugate of J+ .
(c) We can construct
√ √
√0 3 0 0 0
√ − 3 0 0
3 0 2 √0 3 0 −2 0
h̄ −ih̄ √
Jx = 2
Jy =
2
0 2 √0 3 0 2 √0 − 3
0 0 3 0 0 0 3 0
3
00 0 1 0 0 0
2
01
0 0
15h̄2
0 1 0 0
Jz = h̄
2
1 ;
J2 =
00 −2 0 4 0 0 1 0
0 0 0 − 32 0 0 0 1