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]=ℏqT(k)q and [J±,T(k)q]=T(k)q±1ℏ√k(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=ℏω(a†xax+a†yay+a†zaz+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†=(a†x,a†y,a†z) and considering the product representation VqV†q′, with Vq,V†q′ the spherical components of V and V†. Explicitly:
{V1=−ax+iay√2V0=azV−1=ax−iay√2 and {V†1=−a†x−ia†y√2V†0=a†zV†−1=a†x+ia†y√2
First Question: what exactly is meant by the product representation VqV†q′?
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,qy⟨j1↓kxj2↓ky;m1↓qxm2↓qy|j1↓kxj2↓ky⏟not needed;J↓kM↓q⟩X(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∈{|kx−ky|,|kx−ky|+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,q2C110q1q20Vq1V†q2 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±=ℏ√2(−V±1V†0−V0V†∓1) 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−+l−l+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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