PHYS M1410: Quantum Mechanics I.

Midterm Examination
PHYS M1410: Quantum Mechanics (I)
November 20, 2009 Friday
Problem 1. (16 points) (a) Study the hermiticity of the operators:
, = ,
d
X D P i D
dx

= . What are the complex conjugate of these operators? (b) Show

that [ , ] X P i = . (c) Show that the translation operator
/
( )
iPa
T a e =

is unitary and is defined
to be such that ( ) ( ) ( ) T a x x a = + . (d) Consider the following two matrices:
1 0 1 1 1 2
= 0 0 0 , 1 0 1
1 0 1 2 1 1
( (
( (
O A =
( (
( (

. Can they be simultaneously diagonized? If so, give the
reason why, then find the eigenvectors common to both, and verify that under a unitary
transformation to this basis, both matrices are diagonized.

Problem 2. (12 points) (a) Show that the time derivative of the expectation value of any
observable = | | O O is given by | | ,
d i
H
dt t
cO
O = O +
c
, where H is the
Hamiltonian of the quantum system. (b) Using the result of (a), show that if H is not explicitly
time-dependent, the total energy of the system is conserved. (c) If
2
( )
2
P
H V X
m
= + , show that
d X
dt
and
d P
dt
have respective form reminiscent of Hamilton equation of classical
mechanics.

Problem 3. (12 points) In a double-slit experiment with a source of monoenergetic electrons,
detectors are placed along a vertical screen parallel to the y-axis to monitor the diffraction
pattern of the electrons emitted from the two slits. (a) If the intensity of the electron beam is so
low such that one is doing the experiment with only one electron at a time, can one predict the
vertical location of a given single electron on the screen? Why? (b) Can we predict the
interference pattern if we wait until many electrons have arrived? Why? (c) If a light source is
used to determine which of the slits the electron went through, can the interference pattern be
observed on the screen after we wait until many electrons have arrived? Why? [Please give
your reasons why in (a), (b) and (c) in terms of interpretations by quantum mechanics]..

Problem 4. (20 points) Consider the following operators on a Hilbert space
3
V ( ) C
PHYS M1410: Quantum Mechanics I.
0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0
1 1 1
1 0 1 , 0 , 0 0 0
2 2 2
0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1
x y z
i
L L i i L
i
( ( (
( ( (
= = =
( ( (
( ( (

(a) What are the possible
values one can obtain if
x
L is measured? Why? (b) Take the state in which 1
x
L = . In this
state what are
2
, , and
y y
L L L A , where
2 2 2 2
x y z
L L L L = + + . (c) Find the normalized
eigenstates and eigenvalues of
y
L in the
z
L basis. (d) If the particle is in the state with
1
z
L = , and
y
L is measured, what are the possible outcomes and their possibilities? (e)
Consider the state
2/ 3
= 1/ 3
2/ 3

(
(
(
(

in the
z
L basis. If
x
L is measured in this state and a result
1 is obtained, what is the state after the measurement? How probable was the result? If
z
L
is measured, what are the possible outcomes and their probabilities?

Problem 5. (24 points) Consider a free particle with
2
/ 2 H P m = . (a) Find its eigenvalues
and eigenfunctions in the X basis. (b) Find the propagator ( , ; ', ') ( ) ' U x t x t x U t x = (c)
consider as an initial wave function the wave packet
2 2
0
/ / 2 2 1/ 4
( , 0) /( )
ip x x
x e e t
A
= A

. Calculate
(0) , (0) , (0), (0) X P X P A A . (d) Find ( , ) x t and probability density at time t. (e) Find .
( ) , ( ) , ( ), ( ) X t P t X t P t A A . (f) For a macroscopic particle with
13
2g and 4 10 cm m

= A = ,
estimate how long is it for ( ) 1mm X t A ~ ?

Problem 6. (16 points) (a) Consider the one-dimensional potential barrier as shown in the
figure. Write down the wave function that is
in physical Hilbert space in each region of
the potential for V2<E<V1. (b) Using the
fact that ( ) and / x d dx must be
continuous at the boundaries, find the
equations relate the coefficients of the wave
function. (c) Using the continuity equation
for probability to show that in the stationary
V(x)
x
a
V1
V2
I II III
PHYS M1410: Quantum Mechanics I.
state, the probability current density is a constant in coordinate (independent of x). (d)
Calculate the probability current density in Region I and III, as well as using the results of (c),
show that R+T=1, where R is the reflection coefficient and T is the transmission coefficient.
Problem 7. (20 points) Consider a Harmonic oscillator with
2 2 2
+
2 2
P m X
H
e
= . (a) Show that

( 1/ 2) H a a e = + , where

1 1
, and
2 2 2 2
m m
a X i P a X i P
m m
e e
e e
= + =

. Show
also that

[ , ] 1 a a = . (b) Given that

1 , and 1 1 a n n n a n n n = = + + , show that

( 1/ 2) H n n n e = + . (c) Find the normalized ground state wavefunction by projecting
0 0 a = on the X basis. (d) Suppose at t=0, a particle starts out in
1 1 1
(0) 0 1 2
2 2 2
= + + . Find (0) X and the average energy of the system at t=0. (e)
Find ( ) , ( ) t X t , and the average energy at time t.


Useful Gaussian Integrals:
2
2
2 2
1/ 2
1/ 2
2
1/ 2
/ 4
for 0,
1
,
2
.
x
x
x x
e dx
x e dx
e dx e
o
o
o | | o
t
o
o
t
o o
t
o

| |
= >
|
\ .
| |
=
|
\ .
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=
|
\ .
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