Ph125b HW#8 with HMs solutions

(Cohen-Tannoudji, Diu, and Laloe, Complement G X Exercise 3.) For the first two problems, consider a system of two spin 1/2 particles whose orbital variables (position and momentum) are ignored. The Hamiltonian of the system is: B H ASA z BSz , B A B where S A z and S z are the projections of the spins S and S of the two particles onto the z-axis, and A,B are real constants.

1. Evolution of total spin The initial state of the system, at time t 0, is: | 0 1 | z A | z B | z A | z B . 2 At time t, the observable
B A B A B B A B A B A S 2 S A x 1 1 S x S y 1 1 S y S z 1 1 S z 2 2 2

is measured. What results can be found, and with what probabilities? We know that the energy eigenstates are simply H | z A | z B A B | z A | z B , 2 H | z A | z B A B | z A | z B , 2 H | z A | z B A B | z A | z B , 2 H | z A | z B A B | z A | z B . 2 Hence with time, | t 1 e i t | z A | z B e i t | z A | z B , 2 where A B /2. We also know that the possible eigenvalues of S 2 j j 1 2 when coupling j 1 1 and j 2 1 are j 0 and j 1. From the table in the notes we 2 2 can work out | j 0, m 0 1 | z A | z B | z A | z B , 2 | j 1, m 0 1 | z A | z B | z A | z B , 2 hence

| z A | z B | z A | z B So we can write

1 | j 0, m 0 | j 1, m 0 , 2 1 | j 0, m 0 | j 1, m 0 . 2

| t i sint | j 0, m 0 cost | j 1, m 0 , and finally the answer is that we may find the following values for S 2 : j 0 : S 2 0, Pr j 0 sin 2 1 A B t , 2 j 1 : S 2 2 2 , Pr j 1 cos 2 1 A B t . 2

2. Bohr frequencies for uncoupled spins Continuing with the above scenario, if the initial state of the system is arbitrary, what Bohr frequencies can appear in the evolution of S 2 ? Same question for B B A Sx SA x 1 1 Sx . In general we have | 0 c | A B c | A B c | A B c | A B , | t c e i A B t | A B c e i A B t | A B c e i A B t | A B c e i A B t | A B . Noting | j 1, m 1 | z A | z B , | j 1, m 1 | z A | z B , together with the m 0 relations from Problem 1, we have | t c e i A B t/2 | 1, 1 c e i A B t/2 | 1, 1 c e i A B t/2 1 | 0, 0 | 1, 0 c e i A B t/2 1 | 0, 0 | 1, 0 2 2 c e i A B t/2 | 1, 1 c e i A B t/2 | 1, 1 1 c e i A B t/2 c e i A B t/2 | 0, 0 2 1 c e i A B t/2 c e i A B t/2 | 1, 0 . 2 Hence

2 S 2 | t 2 2 c e i A B t/2 | 1, 1 2 c e i A B t/2 c e i A B t/2 | 1, 0 2

2 2 c e i A B t/2 | 1, 1 , S 2 2 2 |c | 2 2 |c e i A B t/2 c e i A B t/2 | 2 2 |c | 2 2 2|c | 2 2|c | 2 |c | 2 |c | 2 2 Rec c cos A B t . This shows that the only Bohr frequency that appears in the time evolution of S 2 is A B. As for S x , recalling
A SA x , Sx 2 2

0 1 1 0

we have | t c e i A B t/2 | A B c e i A B t/2 | A B

c e i A B t/2 | A B c e i A B t/2 | A B , S x | t c e i A B t/2 | A B | A B c e i A B t/2 | A B | A B 2 2 c i A B t/2 e | A B | A B c e i A B t/2 | A B | A B 2 2 c e i A B t/2 c e i A B t/2 | A B c e i A B t/2 c e i A B t/2 | A B 2 2 c e i A B t/2 c e i A B t/2 | A B c e i A B t/2 c e i A B t/2 | A B 2 2 Then i A B t/2 i A B t/2 c e i A B t/2 c e i A B t/2 c c e i A B t/2 c e i A B t/2 S x c e e
i A t i B t i B t i A t 2 Rec c c c c e c e c e c e 2 Rec c c c cos A t 2 Rec c c c cos B t , so we see that the possible Bohr frequencies are A and B .

i A B t/2 i A B t/2 c c e i A B t/2 c e i A B t/2 c c e i A B t/2 c e i A B t/2 e e

3. Energy eigenvalues and eigenstates for coupled spins [from Merzbacher Chapter 17, Problem 4] The Hamiltonian of the positronium atom in the 1S state in a magnetic field B along the z-axis is to a good approximation eB S A S B , H AS A S B mc z z where B A B A B SA SB SA x Sx Sy Sy Sz Sz . The electron is labeled as system A and the positron as system B. Note that these are 2 both spin- 1 particles. Using the coupled representation in which S 2 S A S B and 2

B Sz SA z S z are diagonal, obtain the energy eigenvalues and eigenstates. First we note that

S 2 S A S B S A S B 2S A S B , 2 2 S A S B 1 S 2 S A S B . 2 Hence eB S A , S 2 eB S B , S 2 H, S 2 AS A S B , S 2 mc z mc z eB S A , S 2 eB S B , S 2 mc z mc z 0, while eB S A , S eB S B , S H, S z AS A S B , S z mc z z mc z z 2 2 A S 2 , S z A S A , S A A S B , S B z z 0. Hence we know that the energy eigenstates can be chosen as simultaneous eigenstates of S z but apparently not of S 2 . We work in the coupled basis as suggested. As we know from Problems 1 and 2 above, |0, 0 1 | A B | A B , 2 |1, 1 | A B , |1, 0 1 | A B | A B , |1, 1 | A B , 2 so we can compute 2 2 eB S A S B , H A S 2 S A S B mc z z 2 2 eB | A B 1 3A 2 eB | A B H |0, 0 1 3A mc mc 4 4 2 2 2 eB |1, 0 , 3A |0, 0 mc 4 H |1, 1 A 2 2 3 2 |1, 1 , 2 2 2 eB |0, 0 H |1, 0 A |1, 0 mc 4 H |1, 1 A 2 2 3 2 |1, 1 . 2 2 Hence in the total j, m basis,

1 |0, 0 0 0 0 we have , |1, 1

0 1 0 0
3A 4 eB mc

0 , |1, 0 0 1 0 , |1, 1

0 0 0 1 ,

0
A 4

0 0 0
A 4 eB mc

0
eB mc

0
A 4

0 0

A 0
2 A 4

0 0 0 0 A
eB mc eB mc

0
eB mc

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0, 0 | H | 0, 0 0, 0 | H | 1, 0 1, 0 | H | 0, 0 1, 0 | H | 1, 0 The eigenvalues of this matrix satisfy A A 2 1 2 eB mc eB mc

2 2

From this we see that the energy eigenstates correspond to the eigenvectors of 0 .

, ,
2

eB A A 2 2 4 mc A 2
2

1 A 2 The eigenvectors are thus the solutions of

eB 1 A A mc 2 2 eB mc 2 2 eB mc 1 2

eB mc

c 0
2 eB mc

A A 2

A 2 2

c 1

0 0

1 A 2 eB mc c 0

eB mc A 2
2

eB c 1 0, c 0 mc eB mc
2

1 A 2

c 1 0.

The first equation gives c 1 mc eB 1 A 2 A 2

2

eB mc
2

c 0 ,

2 while normalization requires 1 c 2 0 c 1 , so

c 0 c 1

mc eB 1

1 A 2
2

A 2
2

1/2

eB mc

eB mc
2

1 A 2
2 1/2 2

mc eB

2 A 2
2

eB mc

2 2 Amc 2eB 1

Amc 1 eB Amc 2eB

2 2

Amc 2eB
2 1/2

Amc 1 2eB Amc 2eB

, Amc 1 2eB Amc 2eB

2 2 1/2

Amc 1 2eB

Hence if we define
2 Amc 1 Amc , 2eB 2eB we can finally write the energy eigenstates and eigenvalues: A 2 |1, 1 , 4 A 2 |1, 1 , 4 2 A 4 2 A 4

A 2 A 2

eB mc eB mc

1 | 0, 0 1 2 1 | 0, 0 1 2

| 1, 0 1 2 | 1, 0 . 1 2

4. Clebsch-Gordan coefficients [from Merzbacher Chapter 17, Exercise 17.12] Derive the following recursion relation for C-G coefficients: j m j m 1 j 1 , j 2 , m 1 , m 2 | j 1 , j 2 , j, m 1 j 1 m 1 j 1 m 1 1 j 1 , j 2 , m 1 1, m 2 | j 1 , j 2 , j, m j 2 m 2 j 2 m 2 1 j 1 , j 2 , m 1 , m 2 1 | j 1 , j 2 , j, m .

Hint: do this by applying raising and lowering operators to the basic relation | j 1 , j 2 , j, m

| j 1 , j 2 , m 1 , m 2 j 1 , j 2 , m 1 , m 2 | j 1 , j 2 , j, m .
m 1 ,m 2

Note: in the notation of our 2/26 lecture notes (pages 14-15), | j 1 , j 2 , m 1 , m 2 | j 1 , m 1 | j 2 , m 2 , | j 1 , j 2 , j, m | j, m . Consider the raising/lowering operators J 1 , J 2 , and J J 1 J 2 . Using the general rule J | j, m we have J | j 1 , j 2 , j, m j m j m 1 | j 1 , j 2 , j, m 1
m 1 ,m 2

j m j m 1 | j, m 1 ,

J 1 J 2

| j 1 , j 2 , m 1 , m 2 j 1 , j 2 , m 1 , m 2 | j 1 , j 2 , j, m

m 1 ,m 2

j 1 m 1 j 1 m 1 1 | j 1 , j 2 , m 1 1, m 2 j 1 , j 2 , m 1 , m 2 | j 1 , j 2 , j, m j 2 m 2 j 2 m 2 1 | j 1 , j 2 , m 1 , m 2 1 j 1 , j 2 , m 1 , m 2 | j 1 , j 2 , j, m .

m 1 ,m 2

It follows that in the J case (which pulls out m 1 m 1 1, m 2 m 2 1 from the RHS sum) j m j m 1 j 1 , j 2 , m 1 , m 2 | j 1 , j 2 , j, m 1 j 1 m 1 1 j 1 m 1 j 1 , j 2 , m 1 1, m 2 | j 1 , j 2 , j, m j 2 m 2 1 j 2 m 2 j 1 , j 2 , m 1 , m 2 1 | j 1 , j 2 , j, m , and in the J case (which pulls out m 1 m 1 1, m 2 m 2 1 from the RHS sum) j m j m 1 j 1 , j 2 , m 1 , m 2 | j 1 , j 2 , j, m 1 j 1 m 1 1 j 1 m 1 j 1 , j 2 , m 1 1, m 2 | j 1 , j 2 , j, m j 2 m 2 1 j 2 m 2 j 1 , j 2 , m 1 , m 2 1 | j 1 , j 2 , j, m . Combining these with / notation yields the desired recursion relation.