Show that the spontaneous emission rate (Equation 9.56) for a transition from n,lton',l' in hydrogen is

e2ω2l23πo0hc3˙×{l+12l+1ifl'=l+1l2l-1ifl'=l-1

where

l=0r3Rnl(r)Rn'J'(r)dr

(The atom starts out with a specific value of m, and it goes toamyof the state’s mconsistent with the selection rules:m'=m+1,m or m -1 . Notice that the answer is independent of m .) Hint: First calculate all the nonzero matrix elements of x,y,and z between role="math" localid="1658313179553" |n|m>andn'l'm'>for the case . From these, determine the quantity

|n'.1+1.m+1rn|m|2+|n'.1+1,mr|nm|2+|n'.1+1,m-1r|nm|2

Then do the same forl'=l-1.

Short Answer

Expert verified

Hence showed that A=q2ll-12ω033o0πhc3˙l+12l+1and A=q2ll-12ω033o0πhc3˙l+12l-1.

Step by step solution

01

Define Spontaneous emission rate.

The spontaneous emission rate for a charge q, in a starting stateψa>decaying to the state is given by,

A=ω03||230πhc3… (1)

Here, the matrix element of the diploe moment,=q<ψbrψa>… (2)

The hydrogen wave function is given by, ψnlm=Rn(r)Ylm(θ,ϕ)… (3) Here,Rnis a radial function and Ylmis a spherical hormonic.

02

Obtain the transition using the integrals of spherical harmonics.

The transitions are allowed from a state nlm>only for ll±1and mm,m±1for the hydrogen atom (the selection rule). Suppose that the starting state is nlm>and finishing state is n'l'm'>.

For l'=l+1, work out the transition rates to all possible final values of m', for m'=m+1and m'=m-1.

Use the integrals of spherical harmonics to get:

02x0πYlmθϕY00θϕYl-mθϕdθdϕ=14π02x0πYlmθϕY10θϕYl+1-mθϕdθdϕ=34π(l+m+1)(l-m+1)(2l+1)(2l+3)02x0πYlmθϕY10θϕYl-1-(m+1)θϕdθdϕ=38π(l+m+1)(l-m+2)(2l+1)(2l+3)02x0πYlmθϕY10θϕYl-1-(m+1)θϕdθdϕ=38π(l-m)(l-m-1)(2l-1)(2l+1)And02x0πYl1m1θϕYl2m2θϕYl2-m2θϕdθdϕ=0,m1+m2m3

03

Find <ψbxψa>,<ψbyψa>and <ψb|z|ψa> .

In spherical coordinates, the values are:

x=rsin(θ)cosϕy=rsin(θ)sinϕz=rcosθ

In terms of the spherical harmonics as:

x+iy=rsinθeiϕ=-r8π3Y11x-iy=r8π3Y1-1z=r8π3Y10

The only non-zero matrix elements by using equation (4) are:

localid="1658318624067" n,l+1,mznlm=1l,11l+1,m4π3Y10om˙=ll+14π302π0πYlvnθϕY10θϕYl+1mθϕdθdϕ=ll+1(l+m+1)(l-m+1)(2l+1)(2l+3) ……(5)

localid="1658376948601" a¨=-ll+18π302π0πYtmθϕ˙Y11θϕYl+1-(m+1)θϕdθdϕ=-ll+1(l+m+1)(l+m+2)(2l+1)(2l+3)......(6)=nlmx+iyn,l+1,m-1*=-ll+18π302π0πYl+1m-1θφ˙Y11θϕ˙Yl-mθϕ˙dθdϕ=-ll+1(l+1-(m-1)(l+1-(m-1)-1)(2(l+1)(2(l+1)+1)=-ll+1(l-m+2)(l-m+1)(2l+1)(2l+3)...(7)

Here,localid="1658376877539" a˙=n',l+1+m+1x+iynlm°=n',l+1+m-1x-iynlm. And also,.

ll+1=0r3Rnl(r)Rn(l+1)(r)dr.

To separate x and y, in (6) and (7), note that:

localid="1658376981160" n',l+1+m-1x-iynlm=ll+18π302π0πYl+1m-1θφ˙Y11θϕ˙Yl-mθϕ˙dθdϕ=0

As it is zero, add it to (6) and subtracted also from (6), so separate x and y to get:

localid="1658378320569" n',l+1+m+1xnlm=-12lln(l+m+1)(l+m+2)(2l+1)(2l+3) ……. (8)

localid="1658378337745" n',l+1+m+1ynlm=-12ll1(l+m+1)(l+m+2)(2l+1)(2l+3) ……. (9)

By adding it to (7) and also subtracted from (7), so separate and to get:

localid="1658378363128" n',l+1+m-1xnlm=-12lL+1(l-m+1)(l-m+2)(2l+1)(2l+3) ……. (10)

localid="1658378375668" n',l+1+m-1ynlm=-12ll+1(l-m+2)(l-m+1)(2l+1)(2l+3) ……. (11)

04

Find the value of A.

Put all these results together into the square modules of the dipole moment to get:

P2q2=n',l+1,mznlm2+n',l+1,m+1xnlm2+n',l+1,m+1ynlm2+n',l+1,m-1xnlm2+n',l+1,m-1ynlm2

Substitute from (8), (9), (10) and (11) into this equation to get:

2=q2ll+12(l+m+1)(l-m+1)+12(l+m+1)(l+m+2)+(l-m+1)(2l+1)(2l+3)=q2ll+12l+12l+1

Substitute into (1) to get:

role="math" localid="1658382762842" A=q2ll+12ω03300πhc3˙l+12l+1

05

Find the non-zero matrix element.

Follow the same method for l'=l-1.

n'l-1,mznlm=n',l,mzn,l-1,m*=ll-1(l+m)(l-m)(2l-1)(2l+1) ……. (12)

role="math" localid="1658381942976" n'l-1,m-1x-iynlm=nlmx+iyn',l-1,m-1=-ll-1(l+m-1)(l+m)(2l-1)(2l+1)....(13)n'l-1,m+1x+iynlm=-ll-1(l-m-1)(l-m)(2l-1)(2l+1).......(14)

Separate and to get:

n'l-1,m-1xnlm=-12ll-1(l+m-1)(l+m)(2l-1)(2l+1)....(15)n'l-1,m-1ynlm=-12ll-1(l+m-1)(l+m)(2l-1)(2l+1).......(16)

n'l-1,m+1xnlm=-12ll-1(l-m-1)(l-m)(2l-1)(2l+1)....(17)n'l-1,m-1ynlm=-12ll-1(l-m-1)(l-m)(2l-1)(2l+1).......(18)

Put all these results to get the dipole moment:

role="math" localid="1658382683044" 2=q2ll+12(l+1)(l-m)+12(l+m-1)(l+m)+(l-m-1)(l-m)(2l-1)(2l+1)=q2ll-12l2l-1

Substitute into (1) we get:

A=q2ll-12ω033o˙0πhc3l2l-1

Hence proved.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

The half-life of (t1/2)an excited state is the time it would take for half the atoms in a large sample to make a transition. Find the relation betweenrole="math" localid="1658300900358" t1/2andT(the “life time” of the state).

A hydrogen atom is placed in a (time-dependent) electric fieldE=E(t)k.calculateallfourmatrixelementsHij,oftheperturbationH,=eEzbetween the ground state (n = 1 ) the (quadruply degenerate) first excited states (n = 2 ) . Also showthatHii,=0 for all five states. Note: There is only one integral to be done here, if you exploit oddness with respect to z; only one of the n = 2 states is “accessible” from the ground state by a perturbation of this form, and therefore the system functions as a two-state configuration—assuming transitions to higher excited states can be ignored.

Suppose you don’t assumeH'aa=H'aa=0

(a) Findca(t)andcb(t)in first-order perturbation theory, for the case

ce(0)=1,cb(0)=0.show that |ca(1)(t)|2+|cb(1)(t)|2=1, to first order inH^' .

(b) There is a nicer way to handle this problem. Let

daeih0tHaac(tc)dtc0ca,dbei20tHbbc(tc)dtc0cb.

Show that

role="math" localid="1658561855290" d-a=-iheiϕH'abe-iω0tdb;db-=-iheiϕH'bae-iω0tda

where

ϕ(t)1h0l[H'aa(t')-H'bb(t')]dt'.

So the equations fordaanddbare identical in structure to Equation 11.17 (with an extra role="math" localid="1658562498216" eiϕtackedontoH^')

ca-=-ihH'abe-iω0tcb,cb-=-ihH'baeiω0tca

(c) Use the method in part (b) to obtainrole="math" localid="1658562468835" ca(t)andcb(t)in first-order
perturbation theory, and compare your answer to (a). Comment on any discrepancies.

A particle of mass m is initially in the ground state of the (one-dimensional) infinite square well. At time t = 0 a “brick” is dropped into the well, so that the potential becomes

V(x)={V0,0xa/20,a/2<xa;,otherwise

where V0E1After a time T, the brick is removed, and the energy of the particle is measured. Find the probability (in first-order perturbation theory) that the result is nowE2 .

You could derive the spontaneous emission rate (Equation 11.63) without the detour through Einstein’s A and B coefficients if you knew the ground state energy density of the electromagnetic field P0(ω)for then it would simply be a case of stimulated emission (Equation 11.54). To do this honestly would require quantum electrodynamics, but if you are prepared to believe that the ground state consists of one photon in each classical mode, then the derivation is very simple:

(a) Replace Equation 5.111by localid="1658381580036" N0=dkand deduce P0(ω) (Presumably this formula breaks down at high frequency, else the total "vacuum energy" would be infinite ... but that's a story for a different day.)

(b) Use your result, together with Equation 9.47, to obtain the spontaneous emission rate. Compare Equation 9.56.

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