Homework Assignment I for Quantum Mechanics I (Fall 2019)

(Due Date: Oct. 2, 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 each page, (4) stamp your homeworks and submit it in the class on Oct. 2. Your submission
without above preparation may not be counted or may get degraded. Each item of questions is 5
points in total.

1. Consider an N -dimensional Hilbert space,

(a) How many free real parameters for an arbitrary vector, v ≡ [v1 , v2 , . . . , vN ] ?
(b) How many free real parameters for an arbitrary hermitian operator, O ?
(c) How many free paraemters for an arbitrary unitary transofrmation operator, U ?

2. Assume the polarization of photons can be described by a vector, [1, 0]T for the horizontal polarization
T
and by a vector,
 and [0, 1] for the vertical polarization (upto a phase factor). A general polarizer can be described
a b
by Ô ≡ .
c d
(a) Calculate the matrix form of a polarizer, Ô0 , which has its polariation in the horizontal direction, i.e. it allows
all photos with horisontal polarization to pass and block all phgotos with vertical polarization.
(b) Write down the unitary transformation, Û, which rotate a photo of horizontal direction toward another direction
of θ with respect to the x direction. In other words, its polarization along x direction is cos θ.
(c) Calculate the maxtrix form of a new polarizer, Ôθ , which has its polariation with an angle θ with respect to x
direction.
(d) If a photo with vertical polarization passes the polarizer Ôθ , what’s the probability to find that photo coming
out ? what will be its vector form of polarization.
(e) (continued) For the photo passing Ôθ , it reaches the second polarizer Ô0 , what will be the probability for the
photo to pass the second polarizer ? what’s its vector form of polarization after that ?

3. Show that for a momentum operator, p̂ = −i~∂x , we have [p̂, x̂n ] = −in~x̂n−1 . This implies that
[p̂, f (x̂)] = −i~∂x f (x̂), if f (x) is a differentiable function.
2
4. Consider a wavefunction, ψ(x, t) = Ae−(x/λ) /2 eiωt , where A, λ, and ω are positive real constants. (a) If
ψ(x, t) is normalized, find A in terms of λ and ω. (b) Using normalized ψ(x, t), calculate the uncertainity of position,
∆x.
p̂2
5. The Schrondinger equation for 1D Simple Harmonic Oscillator (SHO looks like, Ĥ = 2m + 21 mω 2 x̂2 . In
2 2
−~ ∂x 1 2 2
coordinate space, it usually looks like, H = 2m + 2 mω x . Please express it in momentum space.

6. Calculate the propagator of a free moving particle in 1D with mass m.