Ph 601 (Lecture 4b): Walaa. M.

Seif 2015

(2.3) Harmonic Oscillator

The harmonic oscillator illustrates many of the basic concepts and methods of quantum
mechanics. We can use it as a good approximation to describe the dynamic of small fluctuations
around a minimum of a given potential. Any potential well can be approximated by a harmonic
oscillator. However, it can be used to describe phenomena from nuclear structure to molecular
vibrations. Also, it is a starting point for much of quantum field theory.

Energy Eigenkets and Energy Eigenvalues by the operator method:

Consider the Hamiltonian of the form

Here,
is the angular frequency of the classical oscillator. It is given in terms of the spring
constant k (Hooke's law) as
. The operators x and p are Hermitian.

We begin by defining non-Hermitian annihilation (a) and creation (a+) operators,

As seen, these operators are Hermitian conjugate of each other. The Hermitian number operator
(
) becomes
(

)(

)[

Thus, the Hamiltonian operator is related linearly to the number operator as

(

N and H can be then diagonalized simultaneously.

We can use the canonical commutation relations of x and p to obtain,
[

We also have
[

Similarly, we obtain

In terms of the energy eigenket of N, | , and its eigenvalue, n, the eigenvalue equation reads
|

According to Eq. (2), we have

|

|
(

The energy eigenvalues are given as

We can use Eqs. (4) and (5) to show that
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Ph 601 (Lecture 4b): Walaa. M. Seif 2015

|
[
]
|
|
|
and
| and | are also eigenkets of N. The eigenvalue corresponding to
Consequently,
increases by one and the energy increases by
. On the other hand, the eigenvalue of
decreases by one and the energy decreases by
. Now, we can write
|
|

. We also have,
The constant c is determined from the normalization of | and |
|
| | |
represents the number operator, then
| |
However, c is a real positive constant. Equations (6) and (7) yield
| |

In the same manner we obtain

|
|

|
|

Keep applying the annihilation operator to Eq. (8a)

|
|

Starting with a positive integer n, this sequence terminates with n=0. This is confirmed from the
positivity of the norm of | ,
| | ( |
| )
The ground state of the harmonic oscillator (n=0) has an energy eigenvalue

Keep applying the creation operator (Eq. (8b)) to the ground state | , we get
|
|
|

( )|

( )|

+|

+|
+|

Now, we constructed simultaneous eigenkets of N and H which have energy eigenvalues

(

Energy Eigenfunctions:
Using Eqs. (8a) and 8(b), and the orthonormality of {| }, we express the matrix elements
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Ph 601 (Lecture 4b): Walaa. M. Seif 2015

| |
|

With

and Eq. (10), we obtain the matrix elements of the x and p operators as
| |

| |

As noticed, neither x nor p is diagonal in the N representation. This is because x and p do not
commute with N.
To get the energy eigenfunction in the position space using the operator method, we consider
the ground state
|
In the x representation, it reads
| |

| (

)|

Using the representation of the momentum operator in the position basis (Lecture 3),
| |

we obtain
| |
where

[ | |

| ]

The normalized solution of the differential equation,

[

] |

gives the ground state eigenfunction as

|

( ) +

To find the energy eigenfunctions for excited states, we evaluate

|

] |

] |

Ph 601 (Lecture 4b): Walaa. M. Seif 2015

) [

] |

For the general expression, we obtain

|

)[

( ) +

The first three

wavefunctions
(n=0,1,2)
for the
harmonic
oscillator.

To find an expression for the expectation values of x2 and p2, we start with
(

Similarly, we obtain

However, the expectation values of the kinetic and potential energies are expressed, respectively,
as

and

From Eq. (12) we obtain, for the ground and excited states,

However, the uncertainty relation is satisfied. The minimum uncertainty become

For the excited states, we can show that the uncertainty becomes larger

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Reference: "Modern Quantum Mechanics" Second edition. By J. J. Sakurai and Jim Napolitano, Ch. 2.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------These notes are just helping you to study the material presented in our text book that you must refer to it.
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