Time independent Perturbation

Ananth

January 21, 2022

Consider a Hamiltonian

Ĥ = Ĥ0 + λĤ 0 (1)

where H0 is a simple solvable Hamiltonian e.g,
harmonic oscillator or H2 atom . H 0 is a small term
added to the main Hamiltonian.

λ=0→1
is an on off switch of perturbation H 0

λ = 0 =⇒ H |χn i = H0 |χn i = En0 |χ0n i

H0 |χn i = En0 |χn i is the energy Eigen-value problem
of the undisturbed Hamiltonian with a state vectors
|χn i . The superscript 0 in the eignen value is just a
superficial reminder to us it is an undisturbed
Hamiltonian’s eigen value Let |ψn i be the solution
when λ = 1 or any finite value.

H |ψn i = En |ψn i

upper index order of perturbation. Lower

index quantum numbers or state indices of H0
Where |ψn i is the possible exact solution. Since we
do not know the exact solution we can write both
the state vector |ψn i and Energy Eigen value EN as
an expansion in powers of λ
 |ψn i = |χn i + λ |φ1n i + λ2 |φ2n i + λ3 |φ3n i + ... (2)

.En = En0 + λEn1 + λ2 En2 + ..... (3)

λ is just an index to the power. n = 0 is simply no
perturbation . The order n = 1 implies you take all
terms up to 1. The indices in the subscript
correspond to quantum number and the superscript
to the perturbation order.

Ĥ |ψn i = (H+λH 0 )(|χn i+λ |φ1n i+λ2 |φ2n i+λ3 |φ3n i+.)
Assume there some eigen values for both H and H 0
some may be trivially zero Group all the terms with
same power of λ
e.g λ = 0 is simply H0 |ψn0 i = En0 |ψn0 i rewrite as

H0 |ψn0 i − En0 |ψn0 i = 0

Take λ = 1
H0 |φ1n i + H 0 |χn i
If you multiply thus by a bra-vector hχn |

En0 hχn | |φ1n i + hχn | H 0 |χn i

you can write

∆E 1 = hχn | H 0 |χn i

the correction to En0

 (H0 + λH 0 )(|χ0n i + λ |φ1n i + λ2 |φ2n i + λ3 |φ3n i +
(En0 + λEn1 + λ2 En2 + .....)(|χ0n i + λ |φ1n i + λ2 |φ2n i + λ3 |φ
Now do a book keeping to keep all similar order
terms in above equation.
(H0 − En0 ) |χn i = 0 unperturbed
(H0 − En0 ) |φ1n i + En1 |χn i = H 0 |χn i 1st order
(H0 − En0 ) |φ2n i + En1 |φ1n i + En2 |χn i = H 0 |φ1n i 2nd order (5
The idea of perturbation is all terms like |φin i are all
orthogonal to |χn i. If |χn i is a solution of H0 it is a
subset of all other solutions e.g |χn+1 i being
another state. What does a small perturbation do it
mixes other states e.g |χn+1 i or |χm i as long as the
index is not same as n. If the index is same a n
then there is no effect of perturbation. To
find the wave function e.g for 1st order take any
state |χm i of H0 where m 6= n and project it on eqn
6 1st order terms

hχm | H 0 |χn i = (En0 − Em0 ) hχm | |φ1n i

Now sum over all m 6= n states to get the linear

combination.
X hχm | H 0 |χn i
|φ1n i =
(En0 − Em0 )
m6=n