Quantum Mechanics I

Solutions 3.
HS 2012
Prof. Ch. Anastasiou
Exercise 1. Bra-ket formalism in a two-state system
Let us denote by [ the (normalised) eigenstates of the spin operator in the z-direction with
eigenvalues /2.
(a) How does S
z
act on the states [?
(b) Find a way to express S
z
out of [ and [.
Hint. The states [ are orthonormal.
We want now to measure the spin in another direction, say along the x-axis. Let S
x
be the
operator corresponding to this measurement with eigenvectors [S
x
, and eigenvalues /2.
(c) Why must [S
x
, + be a superposition of [ only?
(d) Recalling the Stern-Gerlach experiment, what is the value [ [S
x
, + [?
(e) Compute [S
x
, + using this information. Is it uniquely determined? In the same spirit
deduce [S
x
, and obtain the operator S
x
.
(f) Do the same for S
y
and obtain [S
y
, . What should be the values of the four dierent
transition probabilities [ S
y
, [S
x
, [
2
(think of a Stern-Gerlach apparatus again)? Does
it put further constraints on S
x,y
?
We introduce the raising and lowering operators, S
+
and S

respectively, which have the re-

spective properties S
+
[ = [+ and S
+
[+ = 0, S

[ = 0 and S

[+ = [.
(g) Construct these operators from [ and [. Are they Hermitian?
Hint. Recall that an operator A is called Hermitian if A

= A. It is called anti-Hermitian if
A

= A.
(h) Show that S

= S
x
iS
y
.
(i) Let us represent our kets by vectors in C
2
, namely
[+

1
0

, [

0
1

.
Compute the matrix representation of [, S
x,y,z
and S

in this basis.
Finally, we want to study the commutation properties of the spin operators.
(j) Show that [S
i
, S
j
] = i
ijk
S
k
, where
ijk
is the totally antisymmetric tensor with
123
= 1.
(k) Dening S
2
= S
2
x
+ S
2
y
+ S
2
z
, show that it commutes with each S
i
.
Solution. The solution to this exercise is attached on page 5.
1
Exercise 2. Observables and Measurements
Solution. In the lectures and in previous exercises we understood that in quantum mechanics the state of a
physical system is described by a vector in a Hilbert space.
From the Stern-Gerlach experiment, we understood that probing the state of a physical system may result in
discrete outcomes. We also understood these outcomes to be generally unpredictable: we are not generally able
to tell in advance whether a single Ag atom of the beam will bend up or down in the original 1922 experiment.
On the other hand, we saw that we can select, i.e., lter, one of the two outcomes by blocking the other path,
producing then a polarized beam.
A Stern-Gerlach lter realizes what in quantum mechanics is called a measurement of an
observable. An observable is a physical quantity, i.e., something that exists in nature and can
then be measured. An observable is described in quantum mechanics by a linear Hermitian
operator A with a complete set of eigenstates. We will play a bit with these kind of
operators in this and in next week exercises.
Let A be a hermitian operator, i.e. A

= A where the conjugate is dened via the inner product

on our vectorspace.
(a) For a normalized eigenstate [a, i.e. that A[a = a [a and |a| = 1, show that
a[ A[a = a R and a[ A = a a[ (1)
Hint: calculate a[A[b for arbitrary [b.
Solution.
a| A|a = a a|a = a||a|| = a
a| A|a

= a

a|a = a

= a| A

|a = a| A|a = a
(S.1)
and
a| A|b = b| A|a

= a

b|a

= a a|b = a a| |b a| A = a a| (S.2)
(b) For two eigenstates A[a
1
= a
1
[a
1
and A[a
2
= a
2
[a
2
show that
if a
1
,= a
2
then a
1
[a
2
= 0 . (2)
Solution.
a
1
| (AA

) |a
2
= 0 = (a
1
a
2
) a
1
|a
2
since a
1
= a
2
then a
1
|a
2
= 0 (S.3)
In series 2 we understood what a basis of a Hilbert space 1 is. In nite dimensions, if A is
hermitian a basis of 1 can be given in terms of eigenvectors of A. In quantum mechanics, the
measurement of the observable A over the state [ =

i
c
i
[a
i
yields one of the eigenvalues a
i
with probability [c
i
[
2
. Immediately after the measurement is performed, the state collapses on
the eigenvector [a
i
, whose corresponding eigenvalue is the measurement outcome.
(c) Calculate
A = [A[ (3)
in terms of c
i
and a
i
. If [ = [a
j
for a certain j, calculate (3) and [c
j
[
2
.
How do we interpret the Stern-Gerlach experiment now?
2
Solution.
| A| =

ij
c
i
c

j
a
j
| A|a
i
=

ij
c
i
c

j
a
i
a
j
|a
i
=

ij
c
i
c

j
a
i

ij
=

i
|c
i
|
2
a
i
(S.4)
when | = |a
j
for a certain j
| A| = a
j
and c
j
= 1 (S.5)
In the spin 1/2 case, when the beam is unpolarized both outcomes are equally likely (up, down) so that
probabilities are P

= 1/2 = P

. When the beam is polarized in one of the two directions, e.g., up, P

= 1
and no beam splitting is further observed.
(d) Show that transformations from one orthonormal basis to the other are given by unitary
transformations, i.e. for [b
i
= U [a
i
and a
i
[a
j
=
ij
, prove
(i) U

U = 1 b
i
[b
j
=
ij
and (ii) b
i
[b
j
=
ij
U

U = 1 . (4)
Verify this for the transformation matrices calculated in Exercise 1.
Solution.
b
i
|b
j
= a
i
|U

U|a
j
= a
i
|a
j
=
ij
(S.6)
proves (i). For (ii), we write (summation over repeated indices)
|b
k
= |a
j
a
j
|U|a
k
=: U
jk
|a
j
b
k
| = a
j
|U|a
k

a
j
| = a
k
|U

|a
j
a
j
| = U

kj
a
j
| , (S.7)
and thus,

mk
!
= b
m
|b
k
= a
m
|U

|a
l
a
l
|a
j
a
j
|U|a
k
= a
m
|U

|a
l
a
l
|U|a
k
= U

ml
U
lk
, (S.8)
so U

!
= U
1
, i.e. U must be unitary. In the case of the transformations from | to |S
x
, in exercise 1,
the transformation matrix is given by
U =
1

1 1
1 1

U =
1
2

1 1
1 1

1 1
1 1

1 0
0 1

. (S.9)
Now, we will consider an example of a two-state quantum mechanical system where a smart
choice of basis can give us more information about the systems sate. Consider the quantum
state,
[ =
1

2
[0 +
e
i

2
[1 (5)
(e) Performing a measurement in the [0 , [1 basis, what is the probability of measuring
[0? What is the probability of measuring [1?
Solution. measure |0 with probability |
1

2
|
2
=1/2 and measure |1 with probability |
e
i

2
|
2
=1/2
(f) Performing a measurement in the [+ , [ basis, what is the probability of measuring
[+? What is the probability of measuring [?
Solution. Recall |+ =
1

2
(|0 + |1) and | =
1

2
(|0 |1). We rewrite | in this new basis by
expressing |0 and |1 in the new basis |0 =
1

2
(|+ +|) and |1 =
1

2
(|+ |) and plugging into |
get | =
1+e
i
2
|+ +
1e
i
2
| We then see that the probability of measuring |+ is |
1+e
i
2
|
2
= cos
2
(/2)
and that the probability of measuring | is |
1e
i
2
|
2
= sin
2
(/2). Thus measurement in this basis reveals
information about the phase.
3
Exercise 3. Commutator [, ] Anticommutator , and the Uncertainty Relation
Given two operators A and B, we dene:
[A, B] = AB BA , A, B = AB + BA . (6)
(a) Show that AB =
1
2
([A, B] +A, B)
(b) Show that
i) [A, A] = 0 ii) [A, B] = [B, A] iii) [A, c] = 0
where c is a number.
(c) Show that
i) [A + B, C] = [A, C] + [B, C] ii) [A, B + C] = [A, B] + [A, C]
(d) Show that
i) [A, BC] = B[A, C] + [A, B]C ii) [AB, C] = A[B, C] + [A, C]B
where C is an operator, too.
(e) Show that the Jacobi identity [A, [B, C]] + [B, [C, A]] + [C, [A, B]] = 0 is satised by the
commutator.
(f) Do you know something else that behaves in the same way?
(g) Show that if [[A, B], A] = 0, then [A
m
, B] = mA
m1
[A, B], m > 0.
(h) Show by explicit construction that any operator could be decomposed into a sum of pure
Hermitian and anti-Hermitian operators.
(i) What corresponds to the adjoint for the complex numbers?
(j) Given A and B are Hermitian. What can you say about the adjoint of
i) cA ii) AB iii) [A, B] iv) A, B v) i[A, B]
where c is a complex number.
Given an operator A we dene A AA, where A is the expectation value of A.
(k) Prove that the expectation value of a (i) Hermitian operator is purely real, while for an
(ii) anti-Hermitian operator is purely imaginary.
(l) Show that [A, B] = [A, B]
(m) Prove Schwarz inequality: [ [ [ [ [
2
.
(n) Prove the uncertainty relation: (A)
2
(B)
2

1
4
[ [A, B] [
2
, where A,B are Hermi-
tian.
Solution. The solution to this exercise is attached on page 7.
4
Solution to Exercise 1.
5
Solution to Exercise 1.
6
Solution to Exercise 3.
7
Solution to Exercise 3.
8
Solution to Exercise 3.
9
Solution to Exercise 3.
10