Assignment

Quantum Mechanics (Autumn 2022)

[Full Marks - 10 ]
Attempt all question. All questions carry equal marks.

1. Born approximation:

(a) For the discussion of scattering in terms of asymptotic free particle states, ex-
plain why it is necessary to assume that the potential must fall off faster than
O(1/r2 ) for large r.
(b) Compute differential and total scattering cross-sections for the following poten-
tial, using the first Born approximation

V0
V (~r) = .
r2

You may assume V0 is small for the Born-approximation to be valid.

(c) Imagine 105 particles at energy E0 is scattered one by one by the potential in part
(b). Two detectors are placed at angles θ = π/6, π/3 respectively. Estimate the
ratio N (π/6)/N (π/3) of the number of particles detected per unit solid angle
by these two detectors.

2. Consider a scattering potential


V,
0 for r ≤ R,
V (~r) =
 0, for r > R

where V0 is repulsive. Using the method of partial waves, show that when kR  1,
the differential cross section is isotropic and that the total cross section is given by

m2 V02 R6
 
16π
σ= ,
9 ~4

m being the reduced mass of the particle being scattered. Now suppose the energy
of incident particles is raised slightly. Show that the angular distribution can then
be written as
dσ
= A + B cos θ.
dΩ
Obtain an approximate expression for B/A.

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3. Consider a two state system described by the Hamiltonian
!
Ea 0
Ĥ(0) =
0 Eb

This Hamiltonian is perturbed by the following time dependent operator

!
0 sin ωt
Ĥ(1) = λW0 ,
sin ωt 0

where λ is a small parameter. The total hamiltonian is

Ĥ = Ĥ(0) + Ĥ(1) .

(a) Find the eigen-values and eigen-states of the total Hamiltonian by exactly di-
agonalizing it.
(b) Expand the eigen-states of the full Hamiltonian in terms of the eigen-states of
Ĥ(0) with time dependent coefficients. Write down the coefficients up to linear
order in λ.
(c) Determine these coefficients using the technique of time-dependent perturbation
theory up to linear order and match it with the above answer.
(d) If you make a measurement of the full Hamiltonian Ĥ what are the values you
expect to find at any time t? Write an exact answer and expand it to first order
in λ.
(e) If at t = 0 you measure the operator Ĥ(0) and find value Ea , now if you wait
and measure the same operator again after time t, what is the value you expect
to find and with what probabilities? At all times, including both the instances
of measurement, the Hamiltonian of the system is the total Hamiltonian Ĥ.

Note, although the full Hamiltonian is Ĥ, you can always make measurement of a
different operator Ĥ(0) , which by itself is a well defined hermitian operator. In most
applications in physics, we are more interested in question (e) instead of (d). Often
it is possible to tune W . So Ĥ(0) may be measured at a given time by switching off
Ĥ(1) at that time.

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4. Consider the simple harmonic oscillator in 3D, which has the hamiltonian

ˆ
P~ 2 1 ~ˆ 2
Ĥ(0) = + mω 2 X
2m 2

At time t = 0, this system is perturbed by the operator Ĥ (1) = λX̂ 2 . The perturba-
tion is kept on for time t, after which it is turned off. If at time t = 0, the harmonic
oscillator is in the ground state of Ĥ(0) . What is the probability of finding the system
in the first excited state of Ĥ(0) at time t? The parameter λ is small, and you are
expected to answer this question to linear order in λ.
Perform your calculation of the necessary matrix elements in two ways, using a, a†
operators, as well as using the position representation integral and match the two
results.

5. A hydrogen atom is in an excited state given by quantum numbers

n = 3, ` = 1, m = 0.

It is bathed with incoherent radiation from all directions. The spectrum of the
radiation ρ(ω) is given by Planck distribution at a some temperature T.

(a) Calculate the electric dipole transition rate for stimulated emission from the
given energy level to all the energy levels below it (corresponding to n = 1, 0).
Calculate the necessary matrix elements directly in position representation.
(b) Check if your result in part (a) is consistent with the selection rules?
(c) In each case where your answer in part (a) is non-zero, estimate the value of T
for which the transition rate would be maximum. You may use a computer to
crunch out the numbers for this part.

You may ignore spin-orbit coupling for this question.

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