Past exam of the quantum theory course of the University of Oxford / 2023 / 2

The Hamiltonian operator separates into two commuting one-dimensional quantum harmonic oscillators. WriteProducts of harmonic oscillator eigenfunctions giveHere $H_n$ is the physicists' Hermite polynomial, so $H_0=1$, $H_1(u)=2u$ and $H_2(u)=4u^2-2$. The first six energy eigenstates, ordered with multiplicity, areFor this two-dimensional oscillator level ordering, the excitation energies obeyEvery state with $n_1+n_2\ge 3$ costs at least $3\hslash {\omega }_1$, so none has been missed. Equalities within the list occur when ${\omega }_2={\omega }_1=\omega$. Then the two-dimensional isotropic harmonic oscillator hasThe quantum degeneracy counts $n_1=0,\dots ,N$ with $n_2=N-n_1$. The six listed states occupy three distinct energy levels, of quantum degeneracies one, two and three.

Since $X$ and $P$ are self-adjoint operators, the adjoint operator relation requires $c_{+}=c_{-}=c$ and $d_{+}=-d_{-}=-d$. Thus $a_{-}=cX+idP$ and $a_{+}=cX-idP$. The canonical commutation relation $[X,P]=i\hslash I$ givesMatching the $X^2$, $P^2$ and identity operator coefficients in $H=\hslash \omega (a_{+}{a}_{-}+\lambda I)$ yieldsConsequently all real solutions areThe conventional creation and annihilation operators use $\epsilon =1$. The other choice multiplies both by minus one and satisfies all the given equations. This harmless freedom is the oscillator ladder-operator sign convention; the subsequent formulas use the positive choice in both coordinates.

Use the canonical commutation relationsWriting $c_j=\sqrt{m{\omega }_j/(2\hslash )}$, $d_j=1/\sqrt{2m\hslash {\omega }_j}$, direct expansion of the commutator givesThe Fock vacuum ${\psi }_{0,0}$ is annihilated by both $a_{j,-}$. Successive creation operators generateHence, in the order of part (a), the six energy eigenstates are proportional toIf the Fock vacuum has unit norm, dividing the general expression by $\sqrt{n_1!n_2!}$ gives normalized number states. Normalization is not required here, but using this convention makes the later change of basis unambiguous.

The orbital angular momentum $L_3=X_1{P}_2-X_2{P}_1$ generates rotations in the plane. The canonical commutation relations giveUse the commutator product rule $[A,B^2]=[A,B]B+B[A,B]$. Since different coordinates commute,Thus, for arbitrary positive angular frequencies,At ${\omega }_1={\omega }_2$, this becomes $\boxed{[L_3,H]=0}$. The rotational symmetry of the two-dimensional isotropic harmonic oscillator allows a basis of simultaneous energy eigenstates and orbital angular momentum eigenstates.

Set ${\omega }_1={\omega }_2=\omega$. Inverting the creation and annihilation operators givesSubstitute these expressions in $L_3=X_1{P}_2-X_2{P}_1$. Terms with two creation operators or two annihilation operators cancel because different modes commute. The remaining orbital angular momentum in oscillator ladder operators isEquivalently it is $-i\hslash (a_{1,+}{a}_{2,-}-a_{2,+}{a}_{1,-})$, consistent with the circular ladder operators of a two-dimensional oscillator.

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 $L_3$.

Write $\alpha =m\omega /\hslash$. The first Hermite polynomials give ${\psi }_{0,0}\propto e^{-\alpha (x_1^2+x_2^2)/2}$ and ${\psi }_{1,0},{\psi }_{0,1}$ proportional, with the same constant, to $x_1{e}^{-\alpha (x_1^2+x_2^2)/2}$ and $x_2{e}^{-\alpha (x_1^2+x_2^2)/2}$. Thus in Cartesian coordinates the new wavefunctions areUsing polar coordinates $x_1=r\cos \phi$, $x_2=r\sin \phi$ givesThe orbital angular momentum is $L_3=-i\hslash {\partial }_{\phi }$, which immediately verifies its eigenvalues $0,\pm \hslash$. Multiplying these spatial wavefunctions by $e^{-i\omega t}$ for ${\chi }_0$ and $e^{-2i\omega t}$ for ${\chi }_{\pm }$ gives the corresponding full stationary states.