Name of the topic :Quantum Harmonic Oscillator

Theory
The Hamiltonian of a particle of mass m which Oscillates with an angular frequency ω under the
influence of a one-dimensional harmonic potential is
 
H = p2 /(2 m) + 12 mω2 X 2
Analytic method
This approach consist in using power series method to solve the following differential
(schrodinger) equation

- ħ/2m d2 ψ(x)/dx 2 +1/2mω2 x 2 ψ(x ) = Eψ(x )

this equation can be reduced to

d2 ψ(x)/dx 2 +(2mE/ħ2 - x 2  x04 )ψ(x)=0

where x0 = ħ /(mω) is a constant that has the dimensions of length it sets the length scale of the
oscillator

Expression for energy eigen values which are discrete or quantized

En = (n + 1 / 2)ħω (n=0,1,2,3,4,5....)

After some calculations.we can show that the wave functions that are physically acceptable

2
2 x02
ψn = 1  π 2 n n ! x0 e- x Hn (x / x0 ),

where Hn (y) are nth order polynomials called Hermite polynomials:

2 2
Hn (y ) = (-1)n ey dn /dyn e-y

Coding
In[122]:=

HermiteH[0, y]
Out[122]=

1
2 Quantum Harmonic Oscillator.nb

In[123]:=

HermiteH[1, y]
Out[123]=

2y

In[124]:=

HermiteH[2, y]
Out[124]=

- 2 + 4 y2

In[125]:=

Table[HermiteH[n, y], {n, 0, 6}]

Out[125]=

1, 2 y, - 2 + 4 y2 , - 12 y + 8 y3 , 12 - 48 y2 + 16 y4 ,
120 y - 160 y3 + 32 y5 , - 120 + 720 y2 - 480 y4 + 64 y6 

In[127]:=

st = Exp[- y ^ 2 / 2] / Sqrt[2 ^ n n ! Sqrt[Pi]];

In[128]:=

shoStates = Table[HermiteH[n, y] * st, {n, 0, 6}]

Out[128]=
y2 y2 y2 y2 y2
- - -

-
2 2 
-
2 y  2 - 2 + 4 y2   2 - 12 y + 8 y3   2 12 - 48 y2 + 16 y4 
 , , , , ,
π1/4 π1/4 2 2 π1/4 4 3 π1/4 8 6 π1/4
y2 y2
- -
 2 120 y - 160 y3 + 32 y5   2 - 120 + 720 y2 - 480 y4 + 64 y6 
, 
16 15 π1/4 96 5 π1/4

In[129]:=

shoStates〚3〛
Out[129]=
y2
-
 2 - 2 + 4 y2 

2 2 π1/4

In[130]:=
y2
-
 2 - 2 + 4 y2 
Plot , {y, - 14.6969, 14.6969}
2 2 π1/4
Out[130]=

0.10

0.05

-15 -10 -5 5 10 15

-0.05
 Quantum Harmonic Oscillator.nb 3

In[138]:=

Plot3D[(E ^ (- (y ^ 2 / 2)) (- 2 + 4 y ^ 2)) / (2 Sqrt[2] π ^ (1 / 4)),

{y, - 14.6969, 14.6969}, {x, - 14.6969, 14.6969}]

Out[138]=

In[131]:=

Plot[shoStates, {y, - 5, 5}, PlotLegends  Automatic]

Out[131]=
0.8

1
0.6

2
0.4

3
0.2

-4 -2 2 4
5
-0.2

6
-0.4

7
-0.6
4 Quantum Harmonic Oscillator.nb

In[148]:=

Plot3D[shoStates, {y, - 5, 5}, {t, 0, 10}, PlotRange  All, PlotLegends  Automatic]

Out[148]=

In[133]:=

Table[Plot[shoStates〚n〛, {y, - 5, 5}, PlotRange  All], {n, 1, 7}]

Out[133]=

0.6
0.6 0.4
0.2
0.4
 , ,
-4 -2 2 4
0.2 -0.2
-0.4
-0.6
-4 -2 2 4

0.6 0.6 0.6

0.4 0.4 0.4

0.2 0.2 0.2

, , ,
-4 -2 2 4 -4 -2 2 4
-0.2 -4 -2 2 4
-0.2 -0.2
-0.4
-0.4 -0.4
-0.6

0.6 0.6
0.4 0.4
0.2
0.2
, 
-4 -2 2 4
-0.2 -4 -2 2 4
-0.2
-0.4
-0.4
-0.6
 Quantum Harmonic Oscillator.nb 5

In[136]:=

V = y*y/2
Out[136]=

y2
2
In[137]:=

Plot[{V, shoStates〚1〛, shoStates〚2〛 + 2, shoStates〚3〛 + 4, shoStates〚4〛 + 6,

shoStates〚5〛 + 8}, {y, - 5, 5}, PlotLegends  Automatic, PlotRange  All]
Out[137]=

12

1
10
2

8
3

6
4

4
5

2 6

-4 -2 2 4

In[150]:=

Manipulate[Plot[{y ^ 2 / 2, shoStates〚1〛, shoStates〚2〛 + 2,

shoStates〚3〛 + 4, shoStates〚4〛 + 6, shoStates〚5〛 + 8}, {y, - 5, ymax},
PlotLegends  Automatic, PlotRange  All], {{ymax, 5, "Max y"}, 1, 100, 1}]

Out[150]=

Max y

68
2000 1

2
1500
3

1000 4

500
6

10 20 30 40 50 60

Reference:- Introduction to Quantum mechanics D J Griffiths

6 Quantum Harmonic Oscillator.nb

Submitted by - Rufos S Suresh