PHYS851 Quantum Mechanics I, Fall 2009

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT 10: Solutions

Topics Covered: Tensor product spaces, change of coordinate system, general theory of angular momentum
Some Key Concepts: Angular momentum: commutation relations, raising and lowering operators,
eigenstates and eigenvalues.
1. [10 pts] Consider the position eigenstate |~ri. In spherical coordinates, this state is written as |ri,
~
where R|ri
= r~er (, )|ri. In cartesian coordinates, the same state is written |xyzi, where
~
R|xyzi = (x~ex + y~ey + z~ez ) |xyzi. Evaluate the following:
Most of these can be evaluated in many different ways, I am just giving one possibility for each:
(a) hr|r i
(b) hr|xyzi

1
(r
r 2 sin

r )( )( )

= (r sin cos x)(r sin sin y)(r cos z)

= [2~]3/2 exp

(c) hr|px py pz i

i


(px r sin cos + py r sin sin + pz r cos )

~ i
(d) hr|R|r

1
er (, )(r
r sin ~

(e) hr|Z|r i

cot
er (, )(r
r ~

(f) hr|Pz |r i
now z =

r
z r

r )( )( )

r )( )( )

= i~z hr|r i
+

= sec r

1
r sin

so that
sec csc
sec csc
(rr )( )( ) i~
(rr )( )( )
3
r
r2
cos csc3
csc2

i~
(rr
)(
)(
)
+
i~
(rr ) ( )( )
r3
r3

hr|Pz |r i = 2i~

2. [10 pts] Consider a system consisting of two spin-less particles with masses m1 and m2 , and charges
q1 and q2 .
(a) Write the quantum mechanical Hamiltonian that describes this system.
H=

P2
q1 q2
P12
+ 2 +
~1 R
~ 2|
2m1 2m2 40 |R

(b) Define a suitable tensor-product-state basis to describe the system.

Basis: {|~r1 , ~r2 i(12) } where |~r1 , ~r2 i(12) = |~r1 i(1) |~r)2i(2)
(c) Evaluate the expression hb|H|i, where |i is an arbitrary state of the system, and |bi should
be replaced by one of your basis states.


~2 2
~2 2
q1 q2
h~r1 , ~r2 |H|i =
1
2 +
(~r1 , ~r2 )
2m1
2m2
40 |~r1 ~r2 |
(d) Do the same for N identical particles of mass m and charge q.
Basis: {|~r1 , . . . , ~rN i}, where |~r1 , . . . , ~rN i = |~r1 i(1) . . . |~rN i(N )

h~r1 , . . . , ~rN |H|i =

N
X
j=1

N
2
X
~
q
q
j k

(~r1 , . . . , ~rN )
2 +
2mj j
40 |~rj ~rk |
k=j+1

~ =R
~ P~ , where L,
~ R,
~ and P~ are the three-dimensional vector operators for angular
3. [20 pts] Let L
momentum, position, and linear momentum, respectively. For , {x, y, z}, evaluate the following
expressions:
(a) [R , R ]= 0
(b) [P , P ]= 0
(c) [R , P ]= i~,
Use these results to prove explicitly that [Lx , Ly ] = i~Lz , then use a symmetry argument to obtain
similar expressions for the commutators [Ly , Lz ] and [Lx , Lz ].
We start from Lx = Y Pz ZPy , Ly = ZPx XPz , and Lz = XPy Y Px , so that
[Lx , Ly ] = [Y Pz ZPy , ZPx XPz ]
= [Y Pz , ZPx ] [Y Pz , XPz ] [ZPy , ZPx ] + [ZPy , XPz ]
= Y Px [Pz , Z] 0 0 + Py X[Z, Pz ]
= i~Y Px + i~XPy
= i~Lz
For any right-handed triplet of unit-vectors, the choice which to call ~ex , is arbitrary, but once the
choice is made, the labels of the other two are fixed due to handedness. Thus cyclic permutations
of x, y, z are all equivalent to different labeling choices. This means that with different choices, our
result would become [Ly , Lz ] = i~Lx or [Lz , Lx ] = i~Ly .

4. [10 pts] Show explicitly that J 2 = Jx2 + Jy2 + Jz2 commutes with Jz , then use a symmetry argument
to show that J 2 must also commute with Jx and Jy . Then, answer the following (be sure to explain
your reasoning):
[Jx2 , Jz ] = Jx2 Jz Jz Jx2
= Jx2 Jz Jx Jz Jx + Jx Jz Jx Jz Jx2
= Jx [Jx , Jz ] + [Jx , Jz ]Jx
= i~Jx Jy i~Jy Jx
[Jy2 , Jz ] = Jy2 Jz Jz Jy2
= Jy2 Jz Jy Jz Jy + Jy Jz Jy Jz Jy2
= Jy [Jy , Jz ] + [Jy , Jz ]Jy
= i~Jy Jx i~Jx Jy
[Jz2 , Jz ] = 0
Adding these results together gives
[J 2 , Jz2 ] = 0

(a) Do simultaneous eigenstates of Jx and Jz exist?

No, because Jx and Jz do not commute.
(b) Do simultaneous eigenstates of J 2 and Jz exist?
Yes, because J 2 and Jz commute.
(c) Do simultaneous eigenstates of J 2 and Jy exist?
Yes, because if J 2 commutes with Jz , then by symmetry, it must commute with Jy .
(d) Do simultaneous eigenstates of J 2 , Jz , and Jy exist?
No, because Jz and Jy do not commute.
(e) Do simultaneous eigenstates of J 2 and Jx2 exist?
Yes, simultaneous eigenstates of J 2 and Jx exist because J 2 and Jx commute. Clearly an
eigenstate of Jx is also an eigenstate of Jx2 .
(f) Do simultaneous eigenstates of Jz and Jx2 + Jy2 exist?
Yes, because Jx2 + Jy2 = J 2 Jz2 , and Jz commutes with J 2 and Jz2 .

5. [20 pts] With J = Jx iJy , express J+ J and J J+ in terms of the operators J 2 and Jz , then
compute the the following commutators:

J+ J = (Jx + iJy )(Jx iJy )

= Jx2 + Jy2 + i[Jy , Jx ]
= J 2 Jz2 + ~Jz
likewise
J J+ = J 2 Jz2 ~Jz

(a) [J+ , J ]
[J+ , J ] = J+ J J J+ = 2~Jz
(b) [J , J 2 ]
[J , J 2 ] = [Jx , J 2 ] i[Jy , J 2 ] = 0
(c) [J , Jz ]
[J , Jz ] = [Jx , Jz ] i[Jy , Jz ] = i~Jy (~Jx ) = ~J
(d) [J , Jx ]
[J , Jx ] = i[Jy , Jx ] = ~Jz
(e) [J , Jy ]
[J , Jy ] = [Jx , Jy ] = i~Jz

6. [20 pts] Let |j, mi be the standard simultaneous eigenstate of J 2 and Jz . (a) What are J 2 |j, mi and
Jz |j, mi in terms of j and m? (b) What are the allowed values of j? (c) For a given j-value, what are
the allowed values of m? First, re-write your answers to (a), (b), and (c) ten times, then compute
the following matrix elements:
(a) J 2 |j, mi = ~2 j(j + 1)|j, mi and Jz |j, mi = ~m|j, mi
(b) j {0, 21 , 1, 32 , 2, 25 , . . .}
(c) m {j, j+1, . . . , j}
Optional:
J 2 |j, mi = ~ 2 j(j + 1)|j, mi J 2 |j, mi = ~ 2 j(j + 1)|j, mi J 2 |j, mi = ~ 2 j(j + 1)|j, mi J 2 |j, mi = ~ 2 j(j + 1)|j, mi J 2 |j, mi = ~ 2 j(j + 1)|j, mi
J 2 |j, mi = ~ 2 j(j + 1)|j, mi J 2 |j, mi = ~ 2 j(j + 1)|j, mi J 2 |j, mi = ~ 2 j(j + 1)|j, mi J 2 |j, mi = ~ 2 j(j + 1)|j, mi J 2 |j, mi = ~ 2 j(j + 1)|j, mi
Jz |j, mi = ~m|j, mi Jz |j, mi = ~m|j, mi Jz |j, mi = ~m|j, mi Jz |j, mi = ~m|j, mi Jz |j, mi = ~m|j, mi Jz |j, mi = ~m|j, mi Jz |j, mi = ~m|j, mi
3 , 2, 5 , . . .} j {0, 1 , 1, 3 , 2, 5 , . . .} j {0, 1 , 1, 3 , 2, 5 , . . .} j
, 1, 2
Jz |j, mi = ~m|j, mi Jz |j, mi = ~m|j, mi Jz |j, mi = ~m|j, mi j {0, 1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3 , 2, 5 , . . .} j {0, 1 , 1, 3 , 2, 5 , . . .} j {0, 1 , 1, 3 , 2, 5 , . . .} j {0, 1 , 1, 3 , 2, 5 , . . .} j {0, 1 , 1, 3 , 2, 5 , . . .} j {0, 1 , 1, 3 , 2, 5 , . . .}
{0, 1
, 1, 2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3 , 2, 5 , . . .} m {j, j+1, . . . , j} m {j, j+1, . . . , j} m {j, j+1, . . . , j} m {j, j+1, . . . , j} m {j, j+1, . . . , j}
, 1, 2
j {0, 1
2
2

m {j, j+1, . . . , j} m {j, j+1, . . . , j} m {j, j+1, . . . , j} m {j, j+1, . . . , j} m {j, j+1, . . . , j}

(d) hj, m|J 2 |j , m i= ~2 j(j + 1) j,j m,m

(e) hj, m|Jz |j , m i= ~m j,j m,m
p
(f) hj, m|J |j m i= ~ j (j +1)m (m 1)j,j m,m 1
m i= 1 hj, m| (J + J ) |j m i
(g) hj, m|Jx |j
+

2

p
p
~

j (j +1)m (m +1)m,m +1 + j (j +1)m (m 1)m,m 1

= 2 j,j
1
(h) hj, m|Jy |j m i= 2i
hj, m| (J+ J ) |j m i

p
p
~
j,j
= 2i
j (j +1)m (m +1)m,m +1 j (j +1)m (m 1)m,m 1

7. [10 pts] Consider a system described by the Hamiltonian

H = Jz + U (Jx2 + Jy2 )

(1)

where Jx , Jy , and Jz are the three components of a generalized angular momentum operator, and
and U are constants. What are the energy levels of this system?
With Jx2 + Jy2 = J 2 Jz2 , the Hamiltonian becomes
H = U (J 2 Jz2 ) + Jz
The eigenstates of this are the standard |j, mi states, with eigenvalues given by


H|j, mi = ~2 U (j 2 + j m2 ) + ~m |j, mi