Past exam of the quantum mechanics quantum theory and quantum computers course of the University of Oxford / 2009 / A / 1

Inside the infinite well, the time-independent Schrödinger equation is $-{\hslash }^2{\Psi }^{\prime \prime }/(2m)=E\Psi$ with Dirichlet endpoints. Negative or zero energy gives no nonzero solution satisfying both endpoints. For $E>0$, the sine solution requires $ka=n\pi$. ThusThe normalization follows from ${\int }_0^a{\sin }^2(n\pi x/a)dx=a/2$. These functions form an orthonormal basis. Substitute the expansion into $i\hslash {\partial }_t\psi =H\psi$ and take the inner product with each basis vector: orthonormality gives $i\hslash {\dot{c}}_n=E_n{c}_n$, equivalentlyFor a general infinite expansion this is interpreted in the usual Hamiltonian domain or its unitary evolution; the particular state below has only two terms.

Put $\theta =\pi x/a$. The identity $\sin \theta (16{\cos }^2\theta -1)=4\sin 3\theta +3\sin \theta$ gives $c_1=3/5$, $c_3=4/5$, all others zero. Their squared magnitudes sum to one. HenceThe evolved state is $(3e^{-i{E}_{1}t/\hslash }{\Psi }_1+4e^{-i{E}_{3}t/\hslash }{\Psi }_3)/5$. Its position probability includes an interference term with frequency $\Omega =(E_3-E_1)/\hslash =4{\pi }^2\hslash /(m{a}^2)$. Specifically,The three required integrals are $\pi /8-1/4$, $\pi /8+1/12$ and $1/4$, respectively. ThereforeThe energy expectation is constant while the spatial probability oscillates, because relative energy phases affect interference but not the energy probabilities.