NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, CALICUT

Department of Physics
B.Tech Engineering Physics: Sem - V
PH3001D- Applied quantum mechanics

Assignment-1: 19 August 2022

1. Two observables A1 and A2 , which do not involve time explicitly, are known not to commute,

[A1 , A2 ] 6= 0,

yet we also know that A1 and A2 both commute with the Hamiltonian,

[A1 , H] = 0, [A2 , H] = 0

Prove that the energy eigenstates are in general degenerate.

2. (a) Prove Schwarz inequality :

hα|αihβ|βi ≥ |hα|βi|2

[Hint: hψ|ψi ≥ 0. Choose |ψi = |αi + λ|βi and suitable λ.]

(b) Use Schwarz inequality to prove the generalized uncertainty relation:
1
h(∆A)2 ih(∆B)2 i ≥ |h[A, B]i|2
4
where ∆A = A − hAi, ∆B = B − hBi.
(c) Show that the equality sign in the generalized uncertainty relation holds if the state satisfies

∆A|αi = λ∆B|αi

where, λ is purely imaginary.

3. Consider a three- dimensional ket space. If a certain set of orthonormal kets |1i, |2i, |3i are used as the base
kets, the operators A and B are represented by ;
   
a 0 0 b 0 0
A=˙ 0 −a 0  , B=˙ 0 0 −ib
0 0 −a 0 ib 0

(a) Does B have a degenerate spectrum?

(b) Show that A and B commute. find a set of orthonormal kets which are simultaneously eigenkets of both
A and B for each of the three eigenkets and give its corresponding eigenvalues. Does these eigenvalues
completely characterize each eigenket?
4. Using the commutation relation of xi and pi , show that :
∂G ∂F
[xi , G(p)] = i~ , [pi , F (x)] = −i~
∂pi ∂xi
where , F and G are analytic functions of its arguments.
5. A parity operator is defined by :

Π|ri = | − ri
 2

(a) Let |ψi be an arbitrary ket with corresponding wavefunction ψ(r). Find the wavefunction corresponding
to Π|ψi.
(b) Show that Π is a hermitian operator.
(c) Find Π2 and find the eigenvalues of Π.
(d) For an arbitrary ket |ψi, we define,

|ψ+ i = P+ |ψi |ψ− i = P− |ψi

where, P+ = 21 (I + Π) and P− = 12 (I − Π). Show that |ψ+ i and |ψ− are eigenstates of Π.
(e) Prove that the wavefunction corresponding to |ψ+ i and |ψ− i are even and odd functions respectively.