QUANTUM

MECHANICS
FORMALISM OF QUANTUM MECHANICS
• From the orthonormality condition, we know
"
! 𝜓#∗ 𝜓% 𝑑𝑥 = 𝛿#%
!"

• The time-dependent wavefunctions Ψ# and Ψ% also satisfy orthonormality.

• The most general wavefunction is
Ψ = ∑# 𝑐# Ψ# .
• We can use orthonormality to determine 𝑐# . We know

Ψ 𝑥, 0 = - 𝑐# Ψ# 𝑥, 0 = - 𝑐# 𝜓# 𝑥
# #
FORMALISM OF QUANTUM MECHANICS
• Multiplying this by 𝜓%∗ and integrating, we get
" "
! 𝜓#∗ Ψ 𝑥, 0 𝑑𝑥 = ) 𝑐% ! 𝜓#∗ 𝜓% 𝑑𝑥 = 𝑐#
!" % !"

• Therefore,
" ∗
𝑐# = ∫!" # Ψ
𝜓 𝑥, 0

• From normalization, we know that all wave functions must be normalized, i.e.,
" "
! Ψ#∗ Ψ# 𝑑𝑥 = 1, ! Ψ∗ Ψ 𝑑𝑥 = 1
!" !"
FORMALISM OF QUANTUM MECHANICS
Take
Ψ = ∑! 𝑐! Ψ! ⇒ Ψ∗ = ∑! 𝑐!∗ Ψ!∗
$ $
⇒ + Ψ ∗Ψ 𝑑𝑥 = + . 𝑐!∗ Ψ!∗ . 𝑐% Ψ% 𝑑𝑥 = 1
#$ #$ ! %
$
= . 𝑐% 𝑐!∗ + Ψ% Ψ!∗ 𝑑𝑥 = . 𝑐% 𝑐!∗ 𝛿%! = . 𝑐! '
=1
!,% #$ !,% !
'
• Recall: 𝑐! is the probability of finding the particle in the state Ψ! with energy 𝐸! .

• Consider a wavefunction Ψ with three energy levels:

Ψ = . 𝑐! Ψ! = 𝑐( Ψ( + 𝑐' Ψ' + 𝑐) Ψ)
!
FORMALISM OF QUANTUM MECHANICS
• This models a three-level system, so 𝑐& = 𝑐' = ⋯ = 𝑐# = 0.
• Let’s look at the analogy with position vectors. Consider a vector 𝑨 and a wave
function Ψ:
2𝐴( + 𝒚
𝑨=𝒙 2𝐴) + 𝒛7 𝐴*
Ψ = 𝑐(Ψ( + 𝑐)Ψ) + 𝑐*Ψ*

2, 𝒚
• For the vector 𝑨, the basis consists of the three unit vectors 𝒙 2 and 𝒛7 . For the
wavefunction Ψ, the basis consists of the three wavefunctions Ψ(, Ψ) and Ψ*. In
the vector space, all vectors can be represented in terms of 𝒙 2, 𝒚
2, 𝒛7 . In the
Hilbert space, all wave functions Ψ can be represented in terms of Ψ(, Ψ), Ψ*.
• For the vector 𝑨, the components are 𝐴(, 𝐴) and 𝐴*. For the wavefunction Ψ, the
components (probability amplitudes) are 𝑐(, 𝑐) and 𝑐*.
FORMALISM OF QUANTUM MECHANICS
• If a vector 𝑨 satisfies 𝑨 ⋅ 𝑨 = 1, then 𝑨 has length 1. Similarly, a wavefunction
"
satisfying ∫!" Ψ∗ Ψ 𝑑𝑥 = 1 has “length” 1, or is said to be normalized.

• The component 𝐴( of the vector 𝑨 can be found by taking the dot product
2 and the vector 𝑨:
between the basis vector 𝒙
2⋅𝑨
𝐴( = 𝒙

• Similarly, the probability amplitude 𝑐( of the wavefunction Ψ can be found by

integrating the product of the complex conjugate of the basis function 𝜓(∗ with
the initial wave function Ψ 𝑥, 0 :
"
𝑐( = ! 𝜓(∗Ψ 𝑥, 0 𝑑𝑥
!"
FORMALISM OF QUANTUM MECHANICS
• Any vector 𝑨 can be written as the ordered sum of the basis vectors multiplied
by their corresponding components:

2𝒊 = 𝐴(𝒙
𝑨 = - 𝐴% 𝒙 2 + 𝐴) 𝒚
2 + 𝐴*𝒛7
%

• Similarly, any wavefunction Ψ can be written as the ordered sum of the basis
functions multiplied by their corresponding probability amplitudes:

Ψ = - 𝑐# Ψ# = 𝑐(Ψ( + 𝑐)Ψ) + ⋯ + 𝑐# Ψ#
#
FORMALISM OF QUANTUM MECHANICS
$+𝒚
• For example, if 𝑨 = 3𝒙 $ + 2𝒛) , then we can write
3
𝑨= 𝐴 = 1 .
2
• In the braket (Dirac notation), we can write the dot product of 𝑨 with itself as
3
𝑨⋅𝑨= 𝐴 𝐴 = 3 1 2 1 = 3! + 1! + 2! = 14
2
• The norm of 𝑨 is defined as 𝑨 = 𝑨 ⋅ 𝑨. The components of 𝑨 are 𝐴" , 𝐴! and 𝐴# . To
find 𝐴" , we find 𝑥) 𝐴 . 𝑥) is called a bra and it is the dual vector (complex transpose) of
1
the ket 𝑥) = 0 . Therefore, 𝑥) = 1 0 0 .
0
FORMALISM OF QUANTUM MECHANICS
• Then,
3
𝐴( = 𝑥7 𝐴 = 1 0 0 1 = 1 3 + 0 1 + 0 2 =3
2
• It should be noted that the dual vector of 𝐴 is 𝐴 = 3 1 2 .