TIME-ENERGY UNCERTAINTY

RELATION (TEUR)

ADITH SAI
15IPMP04
DEPT OF PHYSICS
 THE CANONICAL UNCERAINTY RELATION

 Operator: ∆A=A-<A>
 Lemmas
1. Schwarz inequality <α|α><β|β>≥|<α|β>|²
2.The expectation value of a Hermitian is purely real.
3.The expectation value of an anti-Hermitian is purely
imaginary.
From these lemmas we are able to show

<(∆A)>²<(∆B)>²=¼|<[A,B]>|²+¼|<{∆A,∆B}>|²
 Uncertainty of a System

 Here we consider
the simple example of
S.H.O as a system
where ∆x∆p=(n+½)ħ
• Bohr’s
correspondence
 TIME EVOLUTION OPERATOR

Time-Evolution operator :U(t,t₀)

|α,t₀;t>=U(t,t₀)|α,t₀>
Properties:
 Normalization <α,t₀|α,t₀>=1 =» <α,t₀;t|α,t₀;t>=1
 Composition :U(t₂,t₀)= U(t₂,t₁) U(t₁,t₀)
 Lim dt ->0 U(t₀+dt,t₀)=1
All these requirements are satisfied by
U(t₀+dt,t₀)=1-iΩdt , where Ω is a Hermitian.
From Classical mechanics:Ω=Ĥ/ħ and from E=ħω
 General T.E operator for time independent Ĥ

 Schrödinger eqn. for the T.E operator.

iħ∂(U(t,t₀))/∂t=ĤU(t,t₀)

 Schrödinger eqn. for a state ket.

iħ∂(U(t,t₀) |α,t₀>)/∂t=ĤU(t,t₀)|α,t₀>

From here we arrive at a general solution for T.E

operator as :U(t,t₀)=exp(-iĤ(t-t₀)/ħ)
 Correlation amplitude and TEUR

 Correlation amplitude:C(t)=<α|α,t₀=0;t>
=<α|U(t,0)|α>
=» Σ|Cá|² exp(-iEát/ħ) (strong cancellation)
=» C(t)=∫dE|g(E)|²ρ(E)exp(-iEt/ħ)
 Correlation amplitude and TEUR

C(t)= exp(-iE₀t/ħ) ∫dE|g(E)|²ρ(E)exp(-i(E-E₀)t/ħ)

=» |E-E₀|≈ħ/t

For a two level system the , in the spin-precession

problem the state ket which is initially at |Sx +>
,starts losing its identity after ≈1/ω=ħ/(E+ - E-)-
 Few examples where TEUR is preserved.

 Landau and Lifshitz or Landau and Peierls

measurement of kinetic energy of a particle.

 Radiative decay of an exited state.

 An example where TEUR is not preserved.

 Stern-Gerlach experiment with magnetic field Bo

along z is applied present ,and an external
magnetic field B(z) along z with a constant
gradient ,here we try to measure the energy due to
Bo.

 http://www.informationphilosopher.com/solutions/experiments/stern_gerlach/
 Resolving the conflicts.

 In some cases, the energy measurement can also

serve to estimate an unknown Hamiltonian. In these
cases, because the measurement can serve this dual
purpose, it requires a time Δt which is limited by the
accuracy with which it could estimate an unknown
Hamiltonian. On the other hand, in the other cases
the measurements envisaged cannot estimate an
unknown Hamiltonian.
 Cases where TEUR is violated.

 It is possible to carry out a quick energy

measurement only because we know that the particle
is in a magnetic field B0 of known magnitude
pointing along the z direction. Suppose, however,
that the magnetic field is pointing initially either
along the +z or the -z axis. Then a measurement of σ
yields no information about the energy. Thus in
order to determine the energy of the particle, we
must also determine the magnetic field. That is we
must also determine which is the Hamiltonian.
 Cases where TEUR is preserved.

 Radiative Decay:
The emission of one or more photons by an excited
atomic state can be viewed as a measurement of the
energy of the electrons. Such a measurement is
obtained by coupling the system to an external
apparatus that oscillates at all frequencies and such
that each frequency is coupled to different degrees of
freedom of the apparatus. In this case where the
external apparatus is taken to be the electromagnetic
field.
 Conclusion

 In the examples presented by Aharonov and Bohm,

the Hamiltonian is known in advance, hence one
need not spend time to determine the time evolution.
Instead, one could find out the value of the energy
not by determining the time evolution, i.e., not by
measuring the actual energy, but by measuring an
operator ~the operator to which the Hamiltonian is
equal! whose numerical eigenvalue is equal to that of
the energy. However, emphasize must be made that
although this procedure does yield the numerical
values equal to that of the energy, it is not a proper
energy measurement.
 References.

Book:
 Modern Quantum Mechanics : J. J. Sakurai
 Research Papers:
 Aharonov, Y., Massar, S. & Popescu, S. Measuring
energy, estimating hamiltonians, and the time-
energy uncertainty relation. Phys. Rev. A 66, 052107
(2002).
 Aharonov, Y. & Bohm, D. Time in the quantum
theory and the uncertainty relation for time and
energy. Phys. Rev. 122, 1649–1658 (1961).