Qualifying Examination

Quantum Mechanics

(Friday, September 20, 2002)

Solve any Five of the Six Problems

1. Take a two level system with a Hamiltonian

H=

h g
g h

where h and g are constants.

(a) Find the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of this Hamiltonian
(b) Suppose at t = 0 the system was in state
(0) =

1
0

Find the expansion coefficients, a(t) and b(t), of the state

(t) =
at an arbitrary time, t.

a(t)
b(t)

2. Consider a two dimensional infinite potential well of width L (in both dimensions),
0 x, y L, with an added perturbation
H 0 = g sin

2y
2x
sin
.
L
L

(a) Calculate the first order perturbation to the ground state energy eigenvalue.
(b) Calculate the first order perturbation to the first excited state energy eigenvalue.

3. Suppose a particle is in the angular momentum state l = 1 and projection m (m =

1, 0) along the z-axis. Suppose the z axis makes an angle with the z-axis. Calculate
f, m), to find this particle with a projection m
f along the ze-axis.
the probabilities, w (m

Hint: blez = lbz cos + bly sin cos + lbx sin sin , where is the asimuthal angle. Use
this relationship to calculate hlbez i and hlbez2 i and then evaluate the same quantities in
f, m), as well.
terms of the probabilities w (m

4. Find the approximate value of the ground state energy of a spherical harmonic oscillator
V (r) =

kr 2
2

using the following trial wave functions:

(a)
(r) = C exp (r)
(b)
(r) =

C (a r) ,
0,

if r < a,
if r > a,

where C, and a are constants.

Explain qualitatively why one approximation is better than the other.
Hint:
pbr = i
h

1
r
r r

5. Suppose the spin of a particle is s = 1/2. Consider a direction in space defined by the
b = {sin cos , sin sin , cos }.
unit vector n
b.
(a) Find the operator sbn of the spin projection along n

(b) What is the mean value of the projection along n in states with definite sz , that
is sz = 1/2 and sz = 1/2?
(c) What is the probability to have spin projections sn = 1/2 and sn = 1/2 in such
states?
(d) Show that
cos 2
sin 2 ei

is the normalized eigenfunction of sbn . Use this to find the eigenfunctions for states
such that sx = 1/2, and sy = 1/2.
You will need Pauli matrices:
= {x , y , z } =

0 1
1 0

0 i
i 0

1 0
0 1

!)

6. Consider a particle scattered on the potential barrier

V (x) = [ (x) + (x a)] , > 0.
Find the (transcendental) equation for the energy of the particle at which there is no
reflection from the barrier.