PHYS 225 Winter 2015

Homework #2 (Due in class Friday, July 11) SOLUTION

Problems from McIntyre, Chapter 1:

1. Problem 1.10
a) The probabilities for state 1 are

2 2
P1, 1 4
5 i 53 4 2
5 16
25

2 2
P1, 1
2
4
5 i 53 i 53 9
25

2 2 2
P1, x x 1 1
2
1
2
4
5 i 53 1 4
2 5
i 3
2 5
1
2

2 2 2
P1, x x 1 1
2
1
2
4
5 i 53 1 4
2 5
i 3
2 5
1
2

2 2 2
P1, y y 1 1
2
i
2
4
5 i 53 1 4
2 5
1 3
2 5
49
50

2 2 2
P1, y y 1 1
2
i
2
4
5 i 53 1 4
2 5
1 3
2 5
501

The probabilities for state 2 are

2 2
P2, 2 4
5 i 53 4 2
5 16
25

2 2
P2, 2
2
4
5 i 53 i 53 9
25

2 2 2
P2, x x 2 1
2
1
2
4
5 i 53 1 4
2 5
i 3
2 5
1
2

2 2 2
P2, x x 2 1
2
1
2
4
5 i 53 1 4
2 5
i 3
2 5
1
2

2 2 2
P2, y y 2 1
2
i
2
4
5 i 53 1 4
2 5
1 3
2 5
501

2 2 2
P2, y y 2 1
2
i
2
4
5 i 53 1 4
2 5
1 3
2 5
49
50

The probabilities for state 3 are the same as state 2 except for detail of the calculation
b) States 2 and 3 differ only by an overall phase of ei 1 , so the measurement results are the
same; the states are physically indistinguishable. States 1 and 2 have different relative phases
between the coefficients, so they produce different results.

2. Problem 1.16
The measured probabilities are
P 1
2 P x 3
4 P y 0.067
P 1
2 P x 1
4 P y 0.933
Write the input state as
a b
Equating the predicted S z probabilities and the experimental results gives

a b
2 2
P a a
2 1 1
2 2

a b
2 2
P b b ei
2 1 1
2 2

allowing for a possible relative phase. Equating the predicted S x probabilities and the
experimental results gives

ei 1 e
2 2 2
i
P x x 1
2
1
2
1
2

1
4 1 e 1 e 1 1 e
i i 1
4
i
e i 1
2 1 cos 34
cos 1
2
3 or 5
3

Equating the predicted S y probabilities and the experimental results gives

i 1 ie
2 2 2
P y y 1
2
1
2
ei 1
2
i

1
4 1 ie 1 ie 1 1 ie
i i 1
4
i
ie i 1 sin 0.067
1
2

sin 0.866 4
3 or 5
3 53
Hence the input state is

1
2 e i 53

n , 5
2 3

3. A quantum object whose state is given by 12 z

2
3
z
is sent
through a Stern-Gerlach device with the magnetic field oriented in the y-
direction. What is the probability that this object will emerge from the + side
of this device?

The probability is the complex square of the inner product of the given state and the + bra, so we
do the inner product first, expressing all states in the spin z basis:
y 1
2
i 1 1
2 2 2
3
i 12 i 2
3

1 i 3
1
2 2
The probability is then: 1 1 i 3 1 1 i 3 84 12
2 2 2 2

Problems from McIntyre, Chapter 2:

 4. Problem 2.3
From Eq. (1.37), we know the Sz eigenstates in the Sx basis:
1
2 x
x
1
2 x
x
Let the representation of Sz in the Sx basis be
a b
Sz
c d
and write the Sz eigenvalue equations in matrix notation
a b 1 1 1 1
c d 2 1
2 2 1
a b 1 1 1 1
c d 2 1
2 2 1

These yield
a b 2 c d 2

a b 2 c d 2

Solve by adding and subtracting the equations to get

a0 b 2 c 2 d0

Hence the matrix representing Sz in the Sx basis is

0 1
Sz
Sx 2 1 0

Now diagonalize:

2 2 0 2
2
0
2

2

as expected. Find the eigenvectors:

0 1 a a
ba
2 b

2 1 0 b

yielding
1
1
2 1
Sx

Likewise

0 1 a a
b a
2 1 0 b 2 b

1
1
2 1
Sx

Hence the eigenvalue equations are
0 1 1 1 1
2 1
1 Sz OK
2 1 0 1 2 2
2

0 1 1 1
1 2 Sz
1 1
OK
2 1 0 2 2 1 2

5. Problem 2.6
The spin component operator Sn is
Sn Sn
Sx sin cos Sy sin sin Sz cos

Using the matrix representations for Sx, Sy, and Sz gives
0 1 0 i 1 0
Sn sin cos sin sin cos
2 1 0 2 i 0 2 0 1

cos sin cos i sin sin

2 sin cos i sin sin cos
cos sin ei

2 sin ei cos

6. What is the expectation value S x for the state 3

5
z
i 2
5
z
?
Easiest to convert to matrix notation:
0 1 3
Sx Sx

10
3 i 2
1 0 i 2
i 2


10
3 i 2
3 10
i 6 i 6 0

Question 7, III. Operators:

A. They are not normalized. Normalized vectors have magnitude one (inner product with
themselves = 1)

1 1 1
u u 9 9 18 u ' u x y
18 2 2
1 3 1
v v 9 1 10 v ' u x y
10 10 10

1 0
B. We must choose a basis, so choose x and y . Then
0 1

1 1 1 0 1 1 1 3
u' and v ' . Note that this is equivalent to
2 0 2 1 2 1 10 1
a
u ' where a x u ' and b y u ' .
b

C. 1. and 2.Using horizontal to represent x and vertical for y

3. The operator seems to reflect a state

through the y-axis. Note that it does
not change the normalization.