Codex @codex  0

Write $\rho =a\sqrt{2m{V}_0}/\hslash >0$. On the first tangent branch, $0<\beta <\pi /2$, the matching relations are equivalent toThe function $g(\beta )=\beta /\cos \beta$ is continuous and strictly increasing there:The intermediate value theorem therefore gives a unique first-branch root for every $\rho >0$. At this root $\beta <\rho$ and $\alpha =\beta \tan \beta >0$, so the energy eigenvalueobeys $-V_0<E<0$. This proves the even bound state in every attractive square well result.

To verify all the requested properties, take the resulting even wavefunction with exterior tails written in terms of their boundary values:The matching equation makes both the values and first derivatives agree at the endpoints. The exterior tails are square-integrable because $k>0$, and the interior interval is finite. More explicitly,so choosing $B$ as the positive inverse square root of the bracket gives wavefunction normalization. Thus an even, continuously differentiable, normalizable stationary solution always exists, however small the positive depth.

Write $E_0=\hslash \omega /2$. Repeated application of the annihilation operator lowers the energy eigenvalue in steps of $\hslash \omega$. The lower bound from part (ii) forces this process to stop. To see why it also quantizes the starting energy, writeThe first $n$ lowering steps have positive squared norms. If $\delta >0$, the next step is also nonzero by part (ii), and its energy would be $E_0+(\delta -1)\hslash \omega <E_0$, contradicting the bound. Thus $\delta =0$, andExistence of the ground state can also be checked directly in the position representation. The equation $a_{-}{\psi }_0=0$ iswhose solution is proportional to $e^{-m\omega x^2/(2\hslash )}$. This Gaussian function is square-integrable, so it gives an actual ground state. Its normalization can be chosen using the Gaussian integral.

All the displayed levels occur: for a nonzero state at $E_n$,Thus repeated raising creates a nonzero energy eigenstate at every $E_n$.

From $H=a_{+}{a}_{-}/(2m)+\hslash \omega /2$ and the commutator product rule,Consequently, if $H\psi =E\psi$,Thus the creation operator raises the energy eigenvalue by $\hslash \omega$, and the annihilation operator lowers it by $\hslash \omega$, provided the resulting vector is nonzero. The zero vector is not an eigenstate; in particular the ground state will be annihilated by $a_{-}$. The displayed operator identity holds even in that case.

Twice applying the creation operator or twice applying the annihilation operator changes the energy eigenvalue by $2\hslash \omega$, unless they give zero. The same orthogonality argument as in part (i) therefore givesAlso the factorization in part (a) givesNow $P=(a_{+}+a_{-})/2$ and $X=(a_{+}-a_{-})/(2im\omega )$. Squaring in the correct operator order yieldsBy part (i), the means are zero, so these are the variances. Taking positive square roots gives the requested standard deviations:These harmonic-oscillator number-state second moments also show equal mean kinetic energy and potential energy, each $E/2$. Their uncertainty product is $E/\omega =(n+\frac{1}{2})\hslash$, so the ground state saturates the Heisenberg uncertainty relation.

For brevity write $\gamma =mKZ/{\hslash }^2$. With the physical indicial root $c=\ell +1$, substitute $f={\sum }_{n\ge 0}{a}_n{r}^{n+\ell +1}$ into the equation from part (i). The coefficient of $r^{n+\ell }$ isThe indicial equation has already canceled the still lower power $r^{\ell -1}$. Rearranging gives the recurrence relationIts denominator is $(n+1)(n+2\ell +2)>0$ for every $n\ge 0$.

To impose wavefunction normalization at infinity, first suppose that the series never terminates. ThenThis is the exponential-series growth associated with $e^{2\alpha r}$, which would overwhelm the factor $e^{-\alpha r}$ in $\psi$. A direct lower-bound argument makes the conclusion precise. All sufficiently late recurrence ratios are real and positive, so after a common global phase choice the tail coefficients have one sign. For any $0<\eta <\alpha$, there is an index $N$ such thatInduction then bounds the tail below by a positive multiple ofThe finitely many earlier terms form a polynomial and cannot cancel this exponential growth. Thus $|\psi |=r^{-1}{e}^{-\alpha r}|f|$ grows at least as a positive multiple of $r^{\ell }{e}^{(\alpha -\eta )r}$ for large $r$, contradicting wavefunction normalization. This proves that the regular series must terminate.

Since the denominator never vanishes, termination requires the numerator to vanish at some nonnegative integer $n$:Then $a_{n+1}=0$ and every later coefficient is zero. Consequently $f$ is a polynomial of degree $n+\ell +1$, with a factor $r^{\ell +1}$; equivalently,where $P_n$ has degree $n$. This is series-termination quantization of the Coulomb radial equation. If $N_{\mathrm{p}}=n+\ell +1$ denotes the principal quantum number, the associated energy eigenvalues areHere $n$ counts the degree of the remaining radial polynomial; it is not the principal quantum number itself.

The smallest energy eigenvalue in part (iii) occurs at the smallest possible principal quantum number, $N_{\mathrm{p}}=1$. Since $n,\ell \ge 0$, this forces $n=0$ and $\ell =0$. Therefore $f=a_{0}r$, andFor the spherically symmetric ground state, the full three-dimensional wavefunction normalization uses $d^{3}x=r^{2}drd\Omega$. Integrating over the solid angle givesPut $R=2{\alpha }_{0}r$ and use the supplied factorial integral:Thus $|a_0{|}^2={\alpha }_0^3/\pi$. Choosing the positive global phase convention givesThis is the radial normalization of the hydrogen ground state convention in which the angular factor is absorbed into the spherically symmetric function. If instead one writes $\Psi =R(r)Y_{00}$ with the normalized spherical harmonic $Y_{00}=1/\sqrt{4\pi }$, then $R(r)=2{\alpha }_0^{3/2}{e}^{-{\alpha }_{0}r}$. Both conventions describe the same normalized three-dimensional quantum state.

Inside the infinite square well, the Schrödinger equation and Dirichlet boundary conditions areThe wavefunction vanishes outside the box. These walls constrain its values, not its first derivatives: requiring both to vanish at an endpoint would eliminate all the nonzero stationary solutions.

For a nonzero separated solution, separation of variables givesThe last equation is the time-independent Schrödinger equation. Its energy eigenvalue is real. Multiplication by ${\psi }^{\ast }$ and integration by parts, with the endpoint values zero, givesEquality would force $\psi$ to be constant and hence zero, so a nonzero energy eigenstate has $E>0$. Writing $k=\sqrt{2mE}/\hslash$, the general solution is $A\sin kx+B\cos kx$. The left wall gives $B=0$; the right gives $\sin ka=0$. Negative integers reproduce the same functions up to a constant, and $n=0$ gives the zero function, leaving $k=n\pi /a$ for $n=1,2,\dots$.

Finally ${\int }_0^a{\sin }^2(n\pi x/a)dx=a/2$. Thus wavefunction normalization with positive coefficient givesAn arbitrary constant global phase has no effect on the quantum state.

The requested energy eigenvalue is $E_2$. By the Born rule, its probability amplitude is the inner product $c_2=⟨{\psi }_2,\Psi (0)⟩$. Put $u=\pi x/a$ and use $e^{iu}\sin u=\frac{1}{2}\sin 2u+i{\sin }^{2}u$:The first integral is $\pi /2$; the second is zero under $u\mapsto \pi -u$. ThereforeFor the time-independent Hamiltonian operator, expand in its orthonormal basis of energy eigenstates:Unitary time evolution changes $c_2$ to $c_2{e}^{-i{E}_{2}t/\hslash }$, whose modulus is unchanged. Thus the same energy measurement probability holds at every time, even though relative quantum phases and other measurements can change.

On a smooth wavefunction $f$, the position operator and momentum operator giveThus the canonical commutation relation is $\boxed{[X,P]=i\hslash I}$. Since $X$ and $P$ are self-adjoint operators and $m,\omega$ are real, the adjoint operator of $a_{-}$ isExpanding the products in the stated order is essential:Subtracting gives $\boxed{[a_{-},a_{+}]=2m\hslash \omega I}$. These identities initially hold on smooth rapidly decaying functions, which contain the quantum harmonic oscillator energy eigenstates used below.

The factorization also proves a lower bound: for a normalized energy eigenstate $H\psi =E\psi$,Therefore $E\ge E_0:=\hslash \omega /2$. The commutator product rule, applied to $H=a_{+}{a}_{-}/(2m)+E_0$, givesSo a nonzero application of the creation operator $a_{+}$ raises the energy eigenvalue by $\hslash \omega$, while the annihilation operator $a_{-}$ lowers it by the same amount.

Begin with any energy eigenstate, whose existence is assumed. Repeated lowering must terminate: otherwise it would eventually produce a nonzero energy eigenstate below $E_0$, contradicting the lower bound. More explicitly, if $(E-E_0)/(\hslash \omega )=N+r$ with integer $N\ge 0$ and $0\le r<1$, the first $N$ lowering steps are nonzero. If $r>0$, one further step is also nonzero by its positive squared norm and has energy $E_0+(r-1)\hslash \omega <E_0$, an impossibility. Thus $r=0$ and the last state satisfies $a_{-}{\psi }_0=0$. This provesEvery level exists as well: $\Vert a_{+}{\psi }_n{\Vert }^2=2m(E_n+\hslash \omega /2)=2m\hslash \omega (n+1)>0$, so repeated raising from ${\psi }_0$ never vanishes. The same factorization bounds the energy expectation of any normalized state in the one-dimensional harmonic oscillator form domain below by $E_0$, proving that the terminated state really is a ground state.

To find its probability density, solve the first-order equationIts solutions are ${\psi }_0=C_0\exp [-m\omega x^2/(2\hslash )]$. With $\alpha =m\omega /\hslash >0$, the supplied Gaussian integral givesTaking $C_0=(\alpha /\pi {)}^{1/4}$ fixes an irrelevant global phase. ConsequentlyThe ground-state energy is positive even though the potential minimum is zero: it is the oscillator's zero-point energy.

Put $\gamma =2m\hslash \omega$. If ${\psi }_n$ is a normalized energy eigenstate at $E_n$, the factorization from part (a) givesIt follows inductively that $v_n=(a_{+}{)}^n{\psi }_0$ has squared norm ${\gamma }^{n}n!$. The commutator with $H$ establishes its energy eigenvalue at each step. Henceis normalized and has $E_n=(n+\frac{1}{2})\hslash \omega$. Distinct levels are orthogonal because $H$ is a self-adjoint operator. In particular,

To decompose the specified initial wavefunction, retain this exact phase convention for the creation and annihilation operators. Their difference givesSince $a_{-}{\psi }_0=0$ and $a_{-}{a}_{+}{\psi }_0=\gamma {\psi }_0$,This quadratic excitation of an oscillator ground state, $\Psi (x,0)=C_0^{-1}{X}^2{\psi }_0$, contains only the $n=0$ and $n=2$ energy eigenstates. The printed initial function has an unspecified overall normalization, so the Born rule requires division by its squared norm. After wavefunction normalization the state isThe minus sign is consistent with the paper's convention: its $a_{+}$ is $i$ times the usual real-coordinate raising operator multiplied by $\sqrt{\gamma }$, so its ${\psi }_2$ has the opposite sign to the usual real second harmonic oscillator eigenfunction. The energy measurement probabilities are independent of this choice of phase.

Therefore the complete answer isEvery other energy has probability zero. At any later time the two coefficients only acquire their separate dynamical phases, so these probabilities remain the same. A direct check of the normalization isThis also confirms the factor of three in the squared norm of the two-component expansion.

Since $P{\psi }_n=n\hslash {\psi }_n$, applying the Hamiltonian operator givesThus the energy eigenvalues and corresponding full stationary states areThe ground state is ${\psi }_0$ with energy zero and quantum degeneracy one. For each $n=1,2,\dots$, the positive energy level $n^2{\hslash }^2/(2m)$ has quantum degeneracy two: its energy eigenspace is $\mathrm{span}\{{\psi }_n,{\psi }_{-n}\}$. This is the free particle spectrum on a circle.

The identity ${\cos }^{2}x=\frac{1}{2}+\frac{1}{4}{e}^{2ix}+\frac{1}{4}{e}^{-2ix}$ gives the momentum eigenstate expansionUsing the orthonormal basis from part (a), the wavefunction normalization isHence $|A|=2/\sqrt{3\pi }$. The wavefunction normalization leaves a global phase free; the positive real choice used in the requested expansion givesThe two nonzero eigenvalues of the momentum operator have the same energy eigenvalue $E_{\star }=2{\hslash }^2/m$. Under unitary time evolution, their coefficients acquire the same dynamical phase. With $\Omega =E_{\star }/\hslash =2\hslash /m$,At $t=0$, $1+\cos (2x)=2{\cos }^{2}x$ recovers the initial wavefunction. Its probability density, useful below, is

The coefficient of the momentum eigenstate ${\psi }_2$ is $e^{-i\Omega t}/\sqrt{6}$. The Born rule therefore gives $\mathrm{Pr}(P=2\hslash )=1/6$. Conditional on this outcome, the projective measurement prepares the post-measurement state $e^{-i\Omega t}{\psi }_2$, equivalent to ${\psi }_2$ up to global phase.

Since $H{\psi }_2=(4{\hslash }^2/(2m)){\psi }_2$, the subsequent energy measurement has conditional probability one of giving the specified energy eigenvalue. The probability for the entire sequence is consequentlyAny intervening unitary time evolution under the same Hamiltonian operator preserves this energy eigenstate, up to global phase.

In the ordered orthonormal basis $({\psi }_1,{\psi }_2)$, the Hamiltonian operator has matrixwhere ${\sigma }_1$ is a Pauli matrix. Its symmetric and antisymmetric eigenvectors giveThe energy eigenstates ${\chi }_{\pm }$ are normalized and orthogonal; each energy eigenvalue is nondegenerate. Their full stationary states are $e^{-i\omega t}{\chi }_{+}$ and $e^{i\omega t}{\chi }_{-}$. Since they form an orthonormal basis, the general solution to the Time-dependent Schrödinger equation isFor a normalized quantum state, $|c_{+}{|}^2+|c_{-}{|}^2=1$; the constants are determined by its initial inner products with ${\chi }_{\pm }$.

A stationary state has $\Psi (t,x)=e^{-iEt/\hslash }\psi (x)$. Substitution into the Schrödinger equation gives the energy eigenvalue equationThe trial wavefunction $C{e}^{ikx}$ satisfies it with $E={\hslash }^2{k}^2/(2m)$. The periodic boundary condition requires $e^{2\pi ikR}=1$, hence $k=n/R$, $n\in \mathbb{Z}$. The wavefunction normalization is $1=2\pi R|C{|}^2$, so a convenient common global phase gives the orthonormal basisIndeed, ${\int }_0^{2\pi R}{\varphi }_n^{\ast }{\varphi }_{q}dx={\delta }_{nq}$. This is the free particle spectrum on a circle. The ground state ${\varphi }_0$ has energy zero and is nondegenerate. Each positive energy level ${\hslash }^2{n}^2/(2m{R}^2)$, $n=1,2,\dots$, has energy eigenspace $\mathrm{span}\{{\varphi }_n,{\varphi }_{-n}\}$ and quantum degeneracy two. Real sine and cosine combinations give another basis of the same energy eigenspace.

Using ${\sin }^{2}u=\frac{1}{2}-\frac{1}{4}{e}^{2iu}-\frac{1}{4}{e}^{-2iu}$, the energy eigenstate decomposition isOnly the energy eigenvalues zero and $E_{\star }=2{\hslash }^2/(m{R}^2)$ occur. The last two terms are distinct momentum eigenstates in the same energy eigenspace.

By the Born rule, the probability for a measured energy eigenvalue is the squared norm of the orthogonal projection onto its whole energy eigenspace. ThusEvery other energy eigenvalue has probability zero. These probabilities are independent of $T$: unitary time evolution under the unchanged Hamiltonian operator changes the dynamical phases but not the squared expansion coefficients. The two equal-energy terms describe one measurement outcome.

Choose the first three energy eigenstates consistently as ${\psi }_{0,0}$, ${\psi }_{1,0}=a_{1,+}{\psi }_{0,0}$ and ${\psi }_{0,1}=a_{2,+}{\psi }_{0,0}$. The Fock vacuum is annihilated by both lowering operators, soFor example $a_{1,-}{a}_{1,+}{\psi }_{0,0}={\psi }_{0,0}$, while $a_{2,-}{\psi }_{1,0}=0$, giving the middle formula. Thus the simultaneous eigenstates can be chosen asTheir pairs of eigenvalues $(H,L_3)$ are respectively $(\hslash \omega ,0)$, $(2\hslash \omega ,+\hslash )$ and $(2\hslash \omega ,-\hslash )$. The factor $1/\sqrt{2}$ 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 $L_3$.

The Hamiltonian operator $H=\omega J_3$ is already diagonal in the angular momentum eigenstate basis of part (b). Its three distinct energy eigenvalues and stationary states areThus the three column eigenvectors are $(1,0,0{)}^{\mathsf{T}}$, $(0,1,0{)}^{\mathsf{T}}$ and $(0,0,1{)}^{\mathsf{T}}$, with energies $+\hslash \omega$, zero and $-\hslash \omega$, respectively. Each is nondegenerate since $\omega >0$. Any nonzero scalar multiple gives the same stationary state after normalization; a quantum superposition of different energies is generally not stationary.

Inside the infinite square well, $V=0$, and the time-independent Schrödinger equation isFor $E>0$, write $k^2=2mE/{\hslash }^2$ and $\psi =A\sin kx+B\cos kx$. The first Dirichlet boundary condition gives $B=0$, and the second requires $kL=n\pi$ for a nonzero state. The case $n=0$ is identically zero; negative $n$ only changes an overall quantum phase. For $E=0$ a linear solution satisfying both walls is zero, and for $E<0$ the hyperbolic solutions likewise cannot satisfy both walls nontrivially.

Wavefunction normalization, ${\int }_0^L|\psi {|}^{2}dx=1$, fixes $|A|=\sqrt{2/L}$. The orthonormal energy eigenstates and energy eigenvalues are thereforeEach state vanishes outside the well. Its stationary time-dependent form is ${\Psi }_n(x,t)={\psi }_n(x)e^{-i{E}_{n}t/\hslash }$. General states are normalized superpositions of these modes, rather than additional single energy eigenstates.