Past exam of the quantum mechanics quantum theory and quantum computers course of the University of Oxford / 2008 / A

Use periodic plane waves on the ring. For $n\in \mathbb{Z}$,They are orthonormal on one circumference and complete by Fourier series. Thus $\boxed{E_k={\hslash }^2{k}^2/(2m{a}^2)}$, with degeneracy $\boxed{1\text{ for }k=0,2\text{ for }k\ge 1}$: the two signs of nonzero angular momentum have the same energy. Equivalently one may use normalized sine and cosine eigenfunctions for each positive $k$.

For the position measurement put $\theta =x/a$. Direct integration givesThe energy measurement requires projection onto whole degenerate eigenspaces, rather than just onto one traveling wave. The expansion coefficients areFor instance the imaginary integral vanishes by reflection about $\theta =\pi$, and the product-to-sum identity evaluates the real integral as $4/(1-4n^2)$. ConsequentlyEvery numerator is positive and no integer $k$ makes a denominator zero, so every energy has nonzero probability. Parseval's identity guarantees that these probabilities sum to one. The supplied state is a valid normalized periodic $L^2$ state; its derivative need not obey the operator-domain periodic condition for the spectral probabilities to be defined.

For a normalized state the position probability density is $\boxed{f=|\psi {|}^2}$. With a real potential, the Time-dependent Schrödinger equation and its conjugate giveThis is the continuity equation $\boxed{f_t+j_x=0}$. Integrating over the line yields $d\Vert \psi {\Vert }^2/dt=-j(\infty )+j(-\infty )=0$ under the stated decay. A real-valued wave function gives $\overline{\psi }{\psi }_x-\psi \overline{{\psi }_x}=0$, so its instantaneous current vanishes; the same is true up to a spatially constant phase.

Put $\alpha =m\omega /\hslash$. Complete the square in the overlap:The Gaussian integral is $\sqrt{\pi /\alpha }$, also for complex displacement by analytic continuation. HenceThe product of square roots fixes the branch convention implicit in the printed square root of $\overline{u}s$. At $u=s\ne 0$ the norm squared is $|N{|}^2|s|\sqrt{\pi /\alpha }{e}^{2\alpha |s{|}^2}$, which becomes one for the stated $N$. In particularThe centre is $-2\mathrm{Re}s$ and its position variance is $1/(2\alpha )$.

When differentiating in $s$, keep $N$ fixed on the chosen constant-radius orbit. ThenSubstitution gives $HG=\hslash \omega s{G}_s$. Since $\dot{s}=-i\omega s$, the chain rule gives $\boxed{i\hslash G_t=HG}$. Continue $\sqrt{s(t)}$ continuously along the time orbit; its sign after a full orbit supplies the usual oscillator zero-point phase. The case of zero displacement is obtained as a limit, since the separate printed $N$ and $\sqrt{s}$ expressions are singular at $s=0$.

Finally $j=(\hslash /m)\mathrm{Im}(\overline{G}{G}_x)=-2\omega \mathrm{Im}s|G{|}^2$. For real nonzero $a$ this isThe printed final current omits the Gaussian normalization factor $\sqrt{m\omega /(\pi \hslash )}$. Retaining that factor is required both by the normalized state and by the continuity equation. This current is the Gaussian probability density times the velocity of its moving centre, $2a\omega \sin \omega t$.

Write $b=(\ell +1)a$, $R(r)=r^{\ell }{e}^{-r/b}$ and $Y(\theta ,\varphi )={\sin }^{\ell }\theta e^{i\ell \varphi }$, for nonnegative integer $\ell$. The angular Laplacian satisfies ${\Delta }_{S^2}Y=-\ell (\ell +1)Y$. Direct radial differentiation givesBecause $(\ell +1)/b=1/a$, the $1/r$ contribution cancels the Coulomb potential in the Hamiltonian. ThereforeThe volume element contributes $r^2\sin \theta$. The squared state factors into radial, polar and uniform azimuthal densities, so the angular normalization cancels in every radial expectation. With $I_j={\int }_0^{\infty }{r}^j{e}^{-2r/b}dr$,The supplied integration-by-parts recurrence gives $I_{j+1}=(j+1)b{I}_j/2$. HenceIn particular $\mathrm{Var}(r)/{\mu }^2=(2\ell +3{)}^{-1}$. Put $h=(2\ell +3{)}^{-1/3}$. Chebyshev's inequality gives

For the polar variable set $J_j={\int }_0^{\pi }{\sin }^j\theta d\theta$. The polar density is proportional to ${\sin }^{2\ell +1}\theta$, soAn exact expression for the requested tail, as well as its useful estimate, isThe inequality is Markov's inequality applied to ${\cos }^2\theta$. If a finite expression is desired, expand $(1-z^2{)}^{\ell }$: the numerator is ${\sum }_{j=0}^{\ell }(-1{)}^j(\genfrac{}{}{0ex}{}{\ell }{j})(1-h^{2j+1})/(2j+1)$ and the denominator is the same sum with $h=0$.

By the union bound, with probability at least $1-2h$ both $|r/\mu -1|\le h$ and $|\cos \theta |\le h$. The height above the equatorial plane is then at most $(1+h)\mu h$. The cylindrical radius differs from $\mu$ by at most $\mu h+(1+h)\mu h^2$. Thus the distance from the circle of radius $\mu$ in the equatorial plane is $O(\mu h)$ with probability tending to one. This is relative concentration around a growing circle; it does not assert an absolutely shrinking thickness. The probability concentration of a circular Coulomb eigenstate is a precise version of the large-angular-momentum orbit picture.

Take a normalized vector in the required common operator domains. Expanding the squared norm and using self-adjointness givesThus its final term is $\hslash t⟨C⟩$. Set $a=\Vert A\psi {\Vert }^2$, $b=\Vert B\psi {\Vert }^2$, $c=⟨C⟩$. If $b>0$, minimizing the nonnegative quadratic at $t_{\ast }=-\hslash c/(2b)$ givesEquality holds precisely when the minimum norm vanishes, that is $(A-i{t}_{\ast }B)\psi =0$. If $b=0$, however, then $B\psi =0$ and $c=0$, so equality is automatic even when $A\psi \ne 0$. The printed equality criterion needs this zero-vector exception. For example $A=I$, $B=0$, $C=0$ saturates the inequality but admits no such real $t$. The exact general criterion is linear dependence of $A\psi ,B\psi$ together with vanishing real part of their inner product, as in the uncentered second-moment commutator inequality.

Apply the same calculation to $A-⟨A⟩I$, $B-⟨B⟩I$, whose commutator is unchanged. This gives the Robertson uncertainty principleIf $\psi$ is an eigenvector of $A$, its dispersion is zero; finite dispersion of $B$ then forces $\boxed{⟨C⟩=0}$.

In the position representation, $X\psi =x\psi$ and $P\psi =-i\hslash {\psi }^{\prime }$. The product rule gives $[P,X]\psi =-i\hslash \psi$, hence $\boxed{[P,X]=-i\hslash I}$. Since $V(X)$ commutes with $X$,For an energy eigenstate, $⟨[H,X]⟩=E⟨X⟩-E⟨X⟩=0$, so $\boxed{⟨P⟩=0}$. For the oscillator $[H,P]=i\hslash m{\omega }^{2}X$, and the same argument gives $\boxed{⟨X⟩=0}$. These expectation identities require the stated finite moments and commutator domains; formal position eigenvectors are not normalizable exceptions.

Apply the Robertson uncertainty principle to each angular-momentum pair:If $\psi$ is an eigenvector of $L_3$, then $\Delta L_3=0$. The inequalities for $(L_2,L_3)$ and $(L_3,L_1)$ force $\boxed{⟨L_1⟩=⟨L_2⟩=0}$, assuming the relevant moments exist.