Suppose we perturb the infinite cubical well (Equation 6.30) by putting a delta function “bump” at the point(a/4,a/2,3a/4):H'=a3V0δ(x-a/4)δ(y-a/2)δ(z-3a/4).

Find the first-order corrections to the energy of the ground state and the (triply degenerate) first excited states.

Short Answer

Expert verified

The first order correction to the energy of the ground state areWab=8V0sin2(π4)sin(π2)sin(π)sin(3π2)sin(3π4)=0.Wac=8V0sin(π4)sin(π2)sin2(π2)sin(3π2)sin(3π4)=8V0(12)(1)(1)(-1)(12)=-4V0.Wbc=8V0sin(π4)sin(π2)sin(π)sin(π2)sin2(3π4)=0.

Step by step solution

01

Definition of first order correction energy

The anticipated value of the perturbation in the unperturbed state is the first order adjustment to the energy.

02

Finding the first order corrections to the energy of the ground state and the first excited states

Ground state is non degenerate; Eqs. 6.9⇒

En'=ψn0H'ψn0 …(6.9).

localid="1658148464503" E1=2a3a3V0a0sin2πaxsin2πaysin2πazδx-a4δy-a2δz-3a4dxdydz.=8V0sin2π4sin2π2sin23π4=8V012(1)12=2V0

First excited states:

Waa=8V0sin2πaxsin2πaysin22πazδx-a4δy-a2δz-3a4dxdydz.=8V012(1)(1)=4V0.

Wbb=8V0sin2πaxsin22πaysin2πazδx-a4δy-a2δz-3a4dxdydz.=8V012(0)12=0.

Wcc=8V0sin22πaxsin2πaysin2πazδx-a4δy-a2δz-3a4dxdydz.=8V0(1)(1)12=4V0.

Wab=8V0sin2π4sinπ2sin(π)sin3π2sin3π4=0.

Wbc=8V0sinπ4sinπ2sin(π)sinπ2sin23π4=0.

W=4V010-1000-101=4V0D;det(D-λ)=1-λ0-10-λ0-101-λ=-λ(1-λ)2+λ=0

λ=0,or(1-λ)2=11-λ=±1λ=0.

So the first-order corrections to the energies are 0,8V0.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Question: The exact fine-structure formula for hydrogen (obtained from the Dirac equation without recourse to perturbation theory) is 16

Enj=mc2{1+an-j+12+j+122-a22-12-1}

Expand to order α4(noting that α1), and show that you recoverEquation .

Question: Consider the Stark effect (Problem 6.36) for the states of hydrogen. There are initially nine degenerate states, ψ3/m (neglecting spin, as before), and we turn on an electric field in the direction.

(a) Construct the matrix representing the perturbing Hamiltonian. Partial answer: <300|z|310>=-36a,<310|z|320>=-33a,<31±1|z|32±1>=-(9/2)a,,

(b) Find the eigenvalues, and their degeneracies.

The Feynman-Hellmann theorem (Problem 6.32) can be used to determine the expectation values of1/rand1/r2for hydrogen.23The effective Hamiltonian for the radial wave functions is (Equation4.53)

22md2dr2+22ml(l+1)r2-e24π01r

And the eigenvalues (expressed in terms ofl)24are (Equation 4.70)

En=-me432π202h2jmax+l+12

(a) Use λ=ein the Feynman-Hellmann theorem to obtain 1/r. Check your result against Equation 6.55.

(b) Use λ=lto obtain 1/r2. Check your answer with Equation6.56.

Van der Waals interaction. Consider two atoms a distanceapart. Because they are electrically neutral you might suppose there would be no force between them, but if they are polarizable there is in fact a weak attraction. To model this system, picture each atom as an electron (mass m , charge -e ) attached by a spring (spring constant k ) to the nucleus (charge +e ), as in Figure. We'll assume the nuclei are heavy, and essentially motionless. The Hamiltonian for the unperturbed system is

H0=12mp12+12kx12+12mp22+12kx22[6.96]

The Coulomb interaction between the atoms is

H'=14πϵ0(e2R-e2R-x1-e2R+x2+e2R-x1+x2 [6.97]

(a) Explain Equation6.97. Assuming that localid="1658203563220" |x1| and |x2|are both much less than, show that

localid="1658203513972" H'-e2x1x22πϵ0R3 [6.98]

(b) Show that the total Hamiltonian (Equationplus Equation) separates into two harmonic oscillator Hamiltonians:

H=[12mp+2+12(k-e22πϵ0R3x+2]+[+12mp-2+12(k+e22πϵ0R3x-2] [6.99]

under the change of variables

x±12(x1±x2) Which entails p±=12(p1±p2) [6.100]

(c) The ground state energy for this Hamiltonian is evidently

E=12(ω++ω-) Where ω±=k(e2/2πϵ0R3)m [6.101]

Without the Coulomb interaction it would have been E0=ħω0, where ω0=k/m. Assuming that, show that

ΔVE-E0-8m2ω03(e22πϵ0)21R6. [6.102]

Conclusion: There is an attractive potential between the atoms, proportional to the inverse sixth power of their separation. This is the van der Waals interaction between two neutral atoms.

(d) Now do the same calculation using second-order perturbation theory. Hint: The unperturbed states are of the form ψn1(x1)ψn2(x2), where ψn(x)is a one-particle oscillator wave function with mass mand spring constant k;ΔVis the second-order correction to the ground state energy, for the perturbation in Equation 6.98 (notice that the first-order correction is zero).

Question: Consider a quantum system with just three linearly independent states. Suppose the Hamiltonian, in matrix form, is

H=V0(1-o˙0000o˙0o˙2)

WhereV0is a constant, ando˙is some small number(1).

(a) Write down the eigenvectors and eigenvalues of the unperturbed Hamiltonian(o˙=0).

(b) Solve for the exact eigen values of H. Expand each of them as a power series ino˙, up to second order.

(c) Use first- and second-order non degenerate perturbation theory to find the approximate eigen value for the state that grows out of the non-degenerate eigenvector ofH0. Compare the exact result, from (a).

(d) Use degenerate perturbation theory to find the first-order correction to the two initially degenerate eigen values. Compare the exact results.

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