IN232 Concepts in Solid State Physics Assignment 1

Due on: 6th September 2019, 5 pm

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Problem 1:

(a) If A and B are Hermitian matrices, show that A and B can be simultaneously diagonalized by
the matrix U, if and only if [A,B] = 0
̂
𝜕
(b) The momentum operator is given as 𝑝 ̂𝑥 = −𝑖ℏ 𝜕𝑥. Show that 𝑝
̂𝑥 is a Hermitian operator.
(c) Can the operators 𝐿̂𝑥 (angular momentum in x-direction) and 𝑝
̂𝑥 be simultaneously
diagonalized?

Problem 2:

Consider a particle in an infinite potential well at time 𝑡 = 0 defined by the state:

1 1 1
𝜑(𝑥, 0) = 𝜓1 (𝑥, 0) + 𝜓2 (𝑥, 0) + 𝜓3 (𝑥, 0)
2 √2 √2

where 𝜓𝑛 (𝑥, 0) denote energy eigen states with energy eigen values 𝐸𝑛 .

(a) Is 𝜑(𝑥, 0) an eigen state?

(b) Compute 𝜑(𝑥, 𝑡)
(c) What is the average energy of the system at time t=0, in units of the ground state energy?
(d) What is the probability of measuring an energy equal to the average energy, at any time t?
(e) What energy values can be obtained if a measurement is made at 𝑡 = 0 and with what
probabilities?
(f) Is 𝜑(𝑥, 0) a stationary state?
(g) Energy of the particle is found to be E1 after a measurement at time 𝑡 = 𝑡1 . What is the wave
function 𝜑(𝑥, 𝑡) which describes the state of the particle immediately after 𝑡1 ? What is the
probability of finding the particle in the ground state after time 𝑡1 ?

Problem 3:

(a) A particle of mass m is in a one-dimensional potential given by V(x), with V(x) = V for some
region in space. Provide general forms for the stationary wave functions for three different
cases: (i) E > V, (ii) E < V and (iii) E = V, where E is the energy of the particle.

(b) Shown below is a one-dimensional potential. Compute the wavefunctions for regions I, II and
III for E < Vo.
Problem 4:

Consider a two-dimensional system with two orthonormal basis vectors |𝜓1 ⟩ and |𝜓2 ⟩. An operator
1 𝛽
in this basis is given by 𝐴̂ = ( ). Find the matrix representation of this operator in a new basis set
𝛽 1
defined by basis vectors |𝜙1 ⟩ and |𝜙2 ⟩, given by:
1 1
|𝜙1 ⟩ = [ |𝜓1 ⟩ + |𝜓2 ⟩] and |𝜙2 ⟩ = [ |𝜓1 ⟩ − |𝜓2 ⟩]
√2 √2

Problem 5:

̂†
Let |𝜙𝑛 ⟩ be the normalized energy eigen states of a one-dimensional harmonic oscillator and 𝑎̂ and 𝑎
denote the lowering and raising operators.

̂† |𝜙 ⟩ = √𝑛 + 1 |𝜙 ⟩
(a) Show that 𝑎̂ |𝜙𝑛 ⟩ = √𝑛 |𝜙𝑛−1 ⟩ and 𝑎 𝑛 𝑛+1
+∞
(b) Compute the matrix elements 𝐴𝑛𝑘 = ⟨𝑛|𝑥𝑝|𝑘⟩ = ∫−∞ 𝜑𝑛 ∗ (𝑥) 𝑥̂ 𝑝̂ 𝜑𝑘 (𝑥)𝑑𝑥.
(c) The number operator 𝑁 ̂ is given as 𝑁
̂=𝑎 ̂† 𝑎̂. Show that [𝑁
̂ , 𝑎̂] = −𝑎̂ and [𝑁 ̂† ] = 𝑎
̂ ,𝑎 ̂† .
Compute the eigen functions and corresponding eigen values of 𝑁 ̂.
(d) Suppose the harmonic oscillator is in an energy eigen state |𝜓⟩ = |𝜙𝑛 ⟩, compute 〈𝑥̂〉 and 〈𝑝̂ 〉.
(a) Find a general expression for Δ𝑥Δ𝑝 and deduce that the minimum energy of the oscillator is
ℏ𝜔/2, if Δ𝑥Δ𝑝 = ℏ/2.