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H(x) = p2 + m2 2 x2 }(x) = E(x).
{ (1)
2m
= 1 (m
H x i
p)(m
x + i
i
p) [x, p]
2m 2
1
= (
a+ a
+ )~. (2)
2
x, p] = xp px = i~ and
where we have used the position-momentum commutation relation [
introduced the raising and lowering operators a
+ and a
, respectively, defined as
1
=
a x i
(m p) (3)
2~m
which have the commutation relation [
a , a
+ ] = 1.
When working with the harmonic oscillator it is convenient to use Diracs bra-ket notation
in which a particle state or wavefunction is represented by a ket
[More correctly, the ket state |ni is basis independent and thus to express this state as
a function of position we would write hx|ni = n (x) where the position basis is given by
|xi = (x0 x)]. For an oscillator in a non-stationary state (x, t = 0) we can write
X
(x, t = 0) = cn |ni (6)
n
1
Physics 350 Spring (12) 2012
and
|ni =
a n |n 1i (8)
with = m/~.
|ni = (n + 1 )~ |ni
Exercise: Use Eqs. (2), (6), and (7) to show that H 2
hx2 in = hn|
x2 |ni
~
= hn|
a+ a
+ + a+ a
+ a
a
+ + a |ni
a
2m
~ p p p
= (n + 2)(n + 1) hn|n + 2i + n2 hn|ni + (n + 1)2 hn|ni + n(n 1) hn|n 2i
2m
~
= (2n + 1) (13)
2m
x2 |ni = hn|
where we use the convention hn| x2 ni and we have used the orthogonality relation
hn|mi = n,m to evaluate the brackets.
Exercise: Use operator methods to show that the expectation value of the kinetic energy is
p2 /2min = En /2.
half the total energy, i.e., hKin = h