Harmonic Oscillator

in
Quantum view

Ahmed Haider Ahmed

s.M.Sc. Physics ASU

TO
my best friend
Mohamed Ahmed
Hassan

History

The harmonic oscillator played a

leading role in the development of quantum mechanics. In
1900, Planck made the bold assumption that atoms acted
like oscillators with quantized energy when they emitted
and absorbed radiation; in 1905, Einstein assumed that
electromagnetic radiation acted like electromagnetic
harmonic oscillators with quantized energy; and in 1907,
Einstein assumed that the elastic vibrations of a solid
behaved as a system of mechanical oscillators with
quantized energy. These assumptions were invoked to
account for black body radiation, the photoelectric effect
and the temperature dependence of the specific heats of
solids. Subsequently, quantum theory provided a
fundamental description of both electromagnetic and
mechanical harmonic oscillators.

Force is given by:

F kx
v( x) Fdx
v( x) kxdx
So, the potential energy will be:

1 2
v( x) kx
2
Substituting in Schrdinger equation :

Schrdinger equation will be:

2

v ( r ) ( r ) E ( r )
2m
In x direction

1
2

kx ( x ) E ( x )

2
2m x
2

mk 2
2m
2 x ( x ) 2 E ( x ) (1)

 mk
2

Let,

1/ 2

mk
2 2
x

1/ 4

mk
2
x
2

1/ 2

mk
x 2

2

1/ 4

Putting this value in equation (1) we get:

 mk
2

1/ 2

mk
2
2

2

m
2

( ) 2
2
2
k

m
put ,
2
k
E

1/ 2

1/ 2

2m
( ) 2 E ( )

1/ 2

E ( )

k
E E
m

1/ 2

(
2
)
n
n
n
2

 The

quantum energy spectrum

consist of discrete values according
to energy levels
n() is the angular function for state
n and En is the energy of the state n
The

problem now is to determine n ,

Factorization methods

(
I
),
2

1
( II )
2

Applying factorization methods on

Firstly equation (I) we

get:

n ( ) (2 n 1)
n ( ) (3)

n ( ) 0

its solution will be :

1 2

n ( ) e
by comparing equation (2) with (3)

n 1 n 1 (*)

Secondly
equation (II)

n ( ) (2 n 1)
n ( ) (4)

n 1 n 1 (**)

The Annihilation and

Creation operators:

n ( ) n 1 ( ) (Annihilation) ,

n ( ) n 1 ( ) (Creation)

From last equations

n n 1 1
n n 1 1
n 0 n
E
1

E n n
2

but ,

n = 0,1,2,3,.

This the quantized energy of harmonic oscillator

Eigen function

The three lowest energy eigenfunctions

(n=0,1,2)

References

Introduction to Quantum Mechanics: A. C. Phillips,

Physics and Astronomy Dept. University of
Manchester.
Lecture notes in quantum mechanics by Dr.
Mahmoud Salah , Physics Dept., University of
Minia, 2010
Quantum Mechanics 3rd EDITION : Eugen
Merzbacher University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill.