Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-quantum-theory-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2023/2/e/ii/solution
Past exam of the quantum theory course of the University of Oxford 2023 2 e ii Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-25
Choose the first three energy eigenstates consistently as , and . The Fock vacuum is annihilated by both lowering operators, soFor example , while , giving the middle formula. Thus the simultaneous eigenstates can be chosen asTheir pairs of eigenvalues are respectively , and . The factor normalizes the combinations when the original three states are normalized. Mixing only inside the degenerate first-excited energy eigenspace preserves the energy eigenvalue while diagonalizing .
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