Physics 443, Solutions to PS 5

1. Angular Momentum

(a) Since l = 1 and m = ±1, 0, we have that

   
2 0 0 1 0 0
2 2
L = h̄  0 2 0  , and Lz = h̄  0
 
0 0 .
0 0 2 0 0 −1
 √   
0 2 √0 0 0 0
 √
L+ = h̄  0 0 2  , and L− = h̄  2 √0 0  .
  

0 0 0 0 2 0

Then
L2 χm = h̄2 l(l + 1)χm = h̄2 2χm
where l = 1.
Lz χm = h̄mχm .
and q
L± χm = h̄ l(l + 1) − m(m ± 1)χm±1
To calculate Ly , we use that
√    
0 2 0 0 1 0
L+ − L− h̄  √ √  h̄  h̄
Ly = =  − 2 0 2  = √  −1 0 1  = J.

2i 2i √ i 2 i
0 − 2 0 0 −1 0

(b) Using that Ry (θ) = exp(iLy θ/h̄) = exp(Jθ), and doing a Taylor
expansion we find that
1 1 1
= I + θJ + θ2 J 2 + θ3 J 3 + θ4 J 4 ...
2 3! 4!
1 2 2 1 3 1 4 2
= I + θJ + θ J − θ J − θ J ...
2 3! 4!
= I + J cos θ + J 2 (1 − cos θ)
 √ 
1√+ cos θ 2 sin θ 1√− cos θ
1
=  − 2 sin θ 2√cos θ 2 sin θ  .

2
1 − cos θ − 2 sin θ 1 + cos θ

where we have used the fact that J 3 = −J and J 4 = −J 2 .

2. Griffiths 4.19.

1
(a)

[Lz , x] = [xpy − ypx , x] = [xpy , x] − [ypx , x] = −y[px , x] = ih̄y

[Lz , y] = [xpy − ypx , y] = [xpy , y] − [ypx , y] = x[py , y] = −ih̄x
[Lz , z] = [xpy − ypx , z] = [xpy , z] − [ypx , z] = 0

[Lz , px ] = [xpy − ypx , px ] = [xpy , px ] − [ypx , px ] = py [x, px ] = ih̄py

[Lz , py ] = [xpy − ypx , py ] = [xpy , py ] − [ypx , py ] = −px [y, py ] = −ih̄px
[Lz , pz ] = [xpy − ypx , pz ] = [xpy , pz ] − [ypx , pz ] = 0

(b)

[Lz , Lx ] = [Lz , ypz − zpy ]

= y[Lz , pz ] + [Lz , y]pz − z[Lz , py ] − [Lz , z]py
= 0 − ih̄xpz + ih̄zpx + 0
= ih̄(zpx − xpz ) = ih̄Ly

(c)

[Lz , r2 ] = [Lz , x2 ] + [Lz , y 2 ] + [Lz , z 2 ]

= x[Lz , x] + [Lz , x]x + y[Lz , y] + [Lz , y]y + z[Lz , z] + [Lz , z]z
= i2h̄xy − i2h̄yx + 0
= 0

[Lz , p2 ] = [Lz , p2x ] + [Lz , p2y ] + [Lz , p2z ]

= px [Lz , px ] + [Lz , px ]px + py [Lz , py ] + [Lz , py ]py + pz [Lz , pz ] + [Lz , pz ]pz
= i2h̄px py − i2h̄py px + 0
= 0

(d)
p2
[H, L] = [ , L] + [V (r), L]
2m
1 
= [p2 , Lx ]x̂ + [p2 , Ly ]ŷ + [p2 , Lz ]ẑ
2m
+ [V (r), Lx ]x̂ + [V (r), Ly ]ŷ + [V (r), Lz ]ẑ
= 0

In the last step we take advantage of the fact that if [Lz , p2 ] =

0, then the same must be true for Lx , and Ly . The x,y and z

2
 components of the angular momentum operator can be written as
differential operators that are functions only of θ and φ. Since the
operator does not have an r dependence it will commute with a
function V (r) that depends only on r.
3. Griffiths 4.20. From the Equation of Motion, we have that
d i
hLi = h[H, L]i.
dt h̄
We can calculate this commutator as follows
p2
[H, L] = [ , L] + [V, r x p]. (1)
2m
We showed in problem in problem 2 (Griffiths 4.19), that [Lz , p2 ] = 0.
The same is true for Lx and Ly so the first term vanishes. . Then
[V, r × p] = −r × [V, p] − [V (r), r] × p
The second commutator is zero since V (r) is a function of r. For the
second term, you can write p = −ih̄∇. Then
r × [V, p] = −ih̄r × [V, ∇] = ih̄r × ∇V
It follows that
d
hLi = r × (−∇V (r)).
dt
For a potential that depends only on the magnitude of r, we see that
the gradient of V (|r|) is in the r̂ direction, and r × r̂ = 0 giving us that
the angular momentum is conserved.
4. Griffiths 4.22. Being a state of maximum Lz , we get that L+ Yll = 0.
To get the functional form,we write L+ as a differential operator,
!
iφ ∂ ∂
L+ = h̄e + i cot θ .
∂θ ∂φ
Then
0 = L+ Yll
!
∂ ∂
= h̄eiφ + i cot θ Y l (θ, φ)
∂θ ∂φ l
!
1 ∂ ∂
→0 = +i Y l (θ, φ)
cot θ ∂θ ∂φ l

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We try separating variables and write Yll (θ, φ) = g(θ)h(φ) and then
!
1 ∂ ∂
0 = +i g(θ)h(φ)
cot θ ∂θ ∂φ
1 ∂ i ∂
→ g(θ) = − h(φ) = k
cot θg(θ) ∂θ h(φ) ∂φ
As usual since all of the θ dependence is on the left and all of the φ
dependence on the right, then both are equal to a constant, k. Then
dh(φ)
= ikdφ → h = (constant)eikφ
h

Also
dg Z
= k cot θg → ln(g) = k cot θdθ
g
= k ln sin θ + constant
⇒ g = c sink θ
And so Yll (θ, φ) = c sink θeikφ . We use the fact that Yll is an eigenstate
of Lz with eigenvalue h̄l to determine k.
∂
Lz Yll = h̄ c sink θeikφ
∂φ
h̄l = h̄kc sink θeikφ
⇒k = l
We fix the normalization constant by integrating.
Z 2π Z π
2
1 = |c| sin2l θ sin θdθdφ
0 Z 0
2
1 = 2π|c| sin2l+1 (θ) dθ.

We use that π
Z
2 Γ(p)Γ(q)
sin2p−1 cos2q−1 =
0 2Γ(p + q)
In our case, q = 1/2, and p = l + 1. Putting it all together, we have
that √
2 Γ(l + 1) π
1 = 4π|c|
2Γ(l + 3/2)

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 In the particluar case that l = 3, we have
v s s
Γ(l + 3/2) 7!! 35
u
u
c= t √ = =
Γ(l + 1)2π π 3!π25 64π

5. Griffiths, 4.27. An electron is in the spin state

3i
 
χ=A .
4

(a) Determine the normalization constant A.

3i
 
[χ† χ = 1 = |A|2 ( −3i 4 ) = |A|2 (25)
4
1
⇒A = ]
5
(b) Find the expectation values of Sx , Sy , and Sz .
h̄ 0 1 3i
  
† 2
[hSx i = = χ Sx χ = |A| ( −3i 4 )
2 1 0 4
1 h̄ 4
 
= ( −3i 4 )
25 2 3i
= 0

h̄ 0 −i 3i
  
2
hSy i = |A| ( −3i 4 )
2 i 0 4
1 h̄ −4i
 
= ( −3i 4 )
25 2 −3
24 h̄
= −
25 2

h̄ 1 0 3i
  
hSz i = |A|2 ( −3i 4 )
2 0 −1 4
1 h̄ 3i
 
= ( −3i 4 )
25 2 −4
7 h̄
= − ]
25 2

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 (c) Find the ”uncertainties” σSx , σSy , and σSz . (N ote : These sigmas
are standard deviations, not Pauli matrices!) [Remember that
σSi2 = hSi2 i − hSi i2 , and also that Si2 = 31 S 2 . Then

h̄2 h̄2
σS2 x = hSx2 i − hSx i2 = (1 − 0) =
4 4
2
h̄2 7 2
 2
h̄ 24
 
σS2 y = hSy2 i − hSy i2 = (1 − )=
4 25 4 25
h̄2 h̄2 24 2
 2
7
 
2
σS2 z 2
= hSz i − hSz i = (1 − )= ]
4 25 4 25

(d) Confirm that your results are consistent with all three uncertainty
principles, namely
h̄
σSx σSy ≥ |hLz i|
2
and its cyclic permutations.
!2  ! !2 
h̄ 7 h̄ h̄ 7
 
[σSx σSy = ≥ hSz i =
2 25 2 2 25
!2 !
h̄ 7 24 h̄
σSy σSz = ≥ hSx i = 0
2 25 25 2
!2 ! !2
h̄ 24 h̄ h̄ 24
σSz σSx = ≥ hSy i = ]
2 25 2 2 25

6. Griffiths 4.28. For the most general normalized spinor χ where

a
 
χ= = aχ+ + bχ− ,
b

with
1 0
   
χ+ = , and χ− = ,
0 1
compute hSx i, hSy i, hSz i, hSx2 i, hSy2 i, and hSz2 i. Check that hSx2 i+hSy2 i+
hSz2 i = hS 2 i

h̄ ∗ 0 1 a h̄ ∗
  
[hSx i = (a ∗
b ) = (a b + b∗ a)
2 1 0 b 2

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 h̄ ∗ 0 −i a −ih̄ ∗
  
hSy i = (a ∗
b ) = (a b − b∗ a)
2 i 0 b 2
h̄ ∗ 1 0 a h̄
  
hSz i = (a ∗
b ) = (|a|2 − |b|2 )
2 0 −1 b 2

Since Sx2 = Sy2 = Sz2 = 31 S 2 , it follows that

1 1
hSx2 i = hSy2 i = hSz i2 = hS 2 i = h̄2
3 4