Wednesday, January 25, 2017

quantum mechanics - Spherical Tensor Operators and the isotropic harmonic oscillator


I am studying Spherical Tensor Operators. In Sakurai's book ("Modern Quantum Mechanics") there is a theorem which can be used as the definition of spherical tensor operators. I will state it here for completeness, so that you know what I mean by a spherical tensor operator.



Theorem: T(k) is a spherical tensor operator if and only if [Jk,T(k)q]=qT(k)q and [J±,T(k)q]=T(k)q±1k(k+1)q(q±1)




I now want to solve a problem about the isotropic harmonic oscillator using spherical tensor operators.


Considering the Hamiltonian for the isotropic harmonic oscillator: H=ω(axax+ayay+azaz+32)


The problem: I want to identify the representations of the angular momentum present in the first three energy levels of the isotropic harmonic oscillator, and write the states J=0 on the |nx,ny,nz basis. This must be solved using the vector operators V=(ax,ay,az) and V=(ax,ay,az) and considering the product representation VqVq, with Vq,Vq the spherical components of V and V. Explicitly:


{V1=ax+iay2V0=azV1=axiay2 and {V1=axiay2V0=azV1=ax+iay2


First Question: what exactly is meant by the product representation VqVq?


My attempt:


As far as I understand from what I read in Sakurai's and Baym's books, we can state the following as a theorem:



Theorem: Let X(kx) and Y(ky) be spherical tensors of ranks kx and ky, respectively. Then, T(k)q=qx,qyj1kxj2ky;m1qxm2qy|j1kxj2kynot needed;JkMqX(kx)qxY(ky)qy=q1,q2Ckxkykq1q2qX(kx)q1Y(ky)q2 is a spherical tensor of rank k




This theorem lets us construct tensor operators from two. Notice that the values for k will not be arbitrary, since the only Clebsch Gordan Coefficients which can be non-zero are the ones with k{|kxky|,|kxky|+1,...,kx+ky}. For the same reason, q{k,k+1,...,k}.


Second Question: Is this completely correct?


I can thus construct the spherical tensor operators which span the so called J=0 representation using the rank-1 spherical tensor operators given. in fact, it's just one and it's of the form T(0)Q=M=0=q1,q2C110q1q20Vq1Vq2 This is easy to determine using a CG coefficients table.


I think I must use this in order to get my answer. Second question: How?


Another idea: I know how to construct the ladder operators l+ and l using the creation and destruction operators. A little bit of manipulation lets me write l±=2(V±1V0V0V1) Now, we also know how to write lz in terms of the reaction and destruction operators and so also in terms of the spherical tensors. Since l2=l+l+ll+2+l2z, we can write l2 in terms of the spherical tensors. Again, I think I must use this. Third question: How?


NOTE: If the question is still not clear, please tell me and I will try and edit it. Maybe my attempt is completely missing the point - please tell me if that is the case.




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