Quantum Mechanics II - Homework Assignment 9

Alejandro Gomez Espinosa

April 21, 2013

1) .
a) Consider the density operator (r) =

(r)

(r) (note that it is Hermetian). Show that its Fourier

transform (q) =
_
d
3
r(r)e
iqr
can also be written as (q) =

k
c

k+q
c
k
.
(q) =
_
d
3
r(r)e
iqr
=
_
d
3
r

(r)

(r)e
iqr
=
_
d
3
r
1

e
ik

r
c

k
e
ikr
c
k
e
iqr
=
1

_
d
3
r

k,k

e
i(kk

+q)r
c

c
k
=

k,k

kk

+q,0
c

c
k
=

k
c

k+q
c
k
b) Show that V =
1
2
_
d
3
r
_
d
3
r

V (r r

(r)

(r

(r

(r) can be also be written as

V =
1
2

kk

q
v(q)c

k+q
c

q
c
k
c
k
where v(q) is the Fourier transform of V (r), that is v(q) =
1

_
d
3
rV (r)e
iqr
.
V =
1
2
_
d
3
r
_
d
3
r

V (r r

(r)

(r

(r

(r)
=
1
2
_
d
3
r
_
d
3
r

V (r r

(r)
1

_
d
3
r

(r

(r

)e
iqr

e
iqr

(r)
=
1
2
_
d
3
r
_
d
3
r

V (r r

(r)
1

_
d
3
r

(r

)e
iqr

e
iqr

(r)
=
1
2
_
d
3
r
_
d
3
r

V (r r

(r)
1

(q)

(r)e
iqr

gomez@physics.rutgers.edu
1
=
1
2
_
d
3
r
_
d
3
r

V (r r

)
1

+q
c
k

(r)

(r)e
iqr

=
1
2
_
d
3
r
_
d
3
r

V (r r

)
1

+q
c
k

_
1

_
d
3
r(r)e
iqr
e
iqr
e
iqr

=
1
2
_
d
3
r
_
d
3
r

V (r r

)
1

+q
c
k

_
(r)e
iq(r+r

)
=
1
2
_
d
3
r
_
d
3
r

V (r r

)
1

+q
c
k

__

k
c

kq
c
k
_
e
iq(r+r

)
=
1
2
1

_
d
3
rV (r)e
iqr

+q
c
k

k
c

kq
c
k
=
1
2

kq
v(q)c

kq
c

+q
c
k
c
k
2) Show that the paramagnetic (p A) interaction H
(1)
int
between particles and electromagnetic eld can be
written
H
(1)
int
=

q
A
kq
c

k+q,
c
k
_
a
q
+ a

q,
_
(1)
where c

k
creates an electron of wavevector k and spin . Find corresponding expressions for the
diamagnetic (A
2
) interaction H
(2)
int
and for the Zeeman (B S) interaction.
For the paramagnetic interaction:
H
(1)
int
=

i
Ap
i
A(r
i
)
if O
i
= p A then O
kk

= k

|O
i
|k and the Hamiltonian becomes:
H
(1)
int
=

i
A

kk

O
k

k
c

c
k
=

kk

A
q
e
q
p
i
e
iqr
c

c
k
_
a
q
+ a

q
_
where we used the result from the quantization of the EM eld. Then, let us separated the operators
term:
O
k

k
= k

| e pe
iqr
|k
= k

|e
iqr
e p|k
= h e kk

|e
iqr
|k
= h e kk

|k +q,
= h e k
k

,k+q

,
Therefore:
H
(1)
int
=

kk

A
kq

,k+q

,
c

c
k
_
a
q
+ a

q
_
=

k
A
kq
c

k+q,
c
k
_
a
q
+ a

q
_
2
For the diamagnetic interaction (A
2
):
H
(2)
int
=
q
2
2mc
2

i
A
2
=
q
2
2mc
2

k,k

O
k

,k
c

c
k
=

q,

k,k

A
k
_
e
q
e
q

_
_

i
e
i(q+q

)r
_
c

c
k
_
a

q
+ a
q
__
a
q

+ a

_
=

q,

k,k

A
k
_

i
e
i(q+q

)r
_
c

c
k
_
a

q
+ a
q
__
a
q

+ a

_
Then,
O
k

k
= k

|e
iq+q

r
|k
= k

|k +q +q

,
=
k

,k+q+q

,
Therefore,
H
(2)
int
=

q,

k
A
q
c

k+q+q

c
k
_
a

q
+ a
q
__
a
q

+ a

_
(2)
Finally, for the Zeeman interaction:
H
(3)
int
= AB S = A

k,k

O
k

,k
c

c
k
=

k,k

q
A
q
(q e
q
S) e
iqr
c

c
k
_
a
q
+ a

q
_
=

k,k

q
A
q
Se
iqr
c

c
k
_
a
q
+ a

q
_
Hence,
O
k

k
= k

|Se
iqr
|k
= k

|S|k +q,
= A
k

,k+q

|S|
= A
k

,k+q

,
Therefore,
H
(3)
int
=

q
A
q
c

k+q,
c
k
_
a
q
+ a

q
_
(3)
3
3) Consider the Hamiltonian H = H
atom
+ H
field
+ V
int
where
H
atom
= E
1
a

1
a
1
+E
2
a

2
a
2
, H
field
=
_
d
3

(r)
_
mc
2

h
2

2
2m
_

(r), V
int
= [a

2
a
1

(0)+h.c.]
(4)
This describes a target species at rest at the origin (r = 0) with two possible states (ground and
excited states with energies E
1
and E
2
respectively), and a second species of free particles of mass
m which can be emitted or absorbed by the target. Assume = E
2
E
1
mc
2
is positive. Calculate
the absorption cross section (E) (to leading order
2
) for an initial state where the atom is in its
ground state and a single free particle is incident on the target with kinetic energy E = h
2
k
2
/2m.
We know that the rate of absorption is given by:
=
2
h
|f|V
int
|i|
2
(E ) (5)
then we have to calculate the matrix element. Since we have two possible states with the ground
state excited and the incident particle has momentum k, the initial state can be written as |i =
|10; 0...k...0 and the nal state as |f = |01; 0...0...0. Also, the eld species in k space at r = 0 are
given by:

(r) =
1

k
e
ikr
c

(0) =
1

k
c

k
therefore:
f|V
int
|i = 0...0...0; 01|V
int
|10; 0...k...0
= 0...0...0; 01|
_
a

2
a
1

(0) +

(0)a

1
a
2
_
|10; 0...k...0
=

k,k

0...0...0; 01|
_
a

2
a
1
c
k
+ c

1
a
2
_
|10; 0...k...0
=

k
1

0...0...0; 01|a

2
a
1
c
k
|10; 0...k...0
=

k,0
01|a

2
a
1
|10
=

Plugging this into (6):

=
2
h

(E ) (6)
Finally, the rate is also dened as = nv
abs
, where the density of states for this case is n = 1/
since the is only one particle and the velocity v = hk/m. Therefore:

abs
=

nv
=
2m
2
h
2
k
(E ) (7)
4