Homework Assignment II for Quantum Mechanics I (Fall 2019)

(Due Date: Oct. 16, 2019)

Daw-Wei Wang
To submit the homework sucessfully, you have to (1) write the number of each homework question
in order, (2) write the process of derivation or calculation in a A4 type empty paper (without other
unrelated information) by hand, (3) write your name and student ID number in the top righthand
side of the front page, (4) stamp your homeworks and submit it during the class on the date
above. Your submission without above preparation may not be counted or may get degraded. Each
item of questions is 5 points.

1. (Exercise 5.1.1) Show that the propagator of a 1D free particle may be written as an integral over energy E and
a sum over ± index as (you may hae to explain the meaning of α)
X Z ∞ mdE
Û(t) = √ |E, αihE, α| e−iEt/~ (.1)
α=± 0 2mE

2. Following above problem, write down the propagator of a 3D free particle as an integral over energy E. You
may (θ, φ) as the polar angle in the 3D space.

3.(Exercise 5.2.4) Consider a particle of mass m in the state |ni of a box of length L. Find the force, F = −∂E/∂L
encountered when the walls are slowly pushed in, assuming the particle remains in the nth eignestate of the box as
its size changes.

4. Consider a particle of mass m confined in a 1D square potential well, V (x) = −V0 (V0 > 0) for |x| < a and = 0
otherwise. (a) Write down the most general wavefunction form with odd parity for energy −V0 < E < 0 in different
regimes of space, upto to some undetermined coefficients. (b) Use the continuity
p of wavefunction and
p its derivative
at x = ±a, derive the transcendental equation between wavevector k = 2m(E + V0 )/~2 and κ = 2m|E|/~2 . (c)
Solve above equation by plotting proper figure (same as those for even function solution in the class) and derive the
condition for having n bound state with odd pairty.

5. For a 1D simple harmonic oscillator, Ĥ = p̂2 /2m + mω 2 x̂2 /2, calculate the expectation, (a) hψn |x̂4 |ψn i, (b)
hψn |p̂4 |ψn i, (c) hψn+1 |x̂3 |ψn i.
√
6. (Exercise 7.4.5) At t = 0, a particle starts our in |ψ(0)i = (|0i + |1i)/ 2, where |ni is the nth eigenstate of a
1D SHO. (1) Find |ψ(t)i, (2) find hψ(t)|x̂|ψ(t)i, (3) hψ(t)|p̂|ψ(t)i, (4) Show how above result is related to classical
equation of motion by using the initial position and momentum value, hψ(0)|x̂|ψ(0)i and hψ(0)|p̂|ψ(0)i.

7. (Exercise 7.5.1) (a) Calculate the position opertor in √momentum space, i.e. hp|x̂|p0 i, by using the known
ipx/~
wavefunction of momentum eigenstate, i.e. hx|pi = e / 2π~. (b) Using â|ψ0 i = 0, slove the ground state
wavefunction in momentum space, i.e. ψ0 (p).

8. Assuming one could find the ground state of a lowering operator,

P∞ â, such that â|λi = λ|λi. (a) Assuming this
eigenvector, |λi, can be expanded in the number basis, i.e. |λi = n=0 f (n)|ni, canculate f (n). (b) Using previous
result, calculate N = hλ|↠â|λi, and its fluctuation, ∆N .