Chapter 1 Introduction
Particle on a 1 - D Lattice
Ñ2 ¶2
HHxL = - + VHxL
2 m ¶ x2
with
VH x + n b L = VHxL n = 0, ±1, ±2, ¼
Translational Symmetry
Consider the translation operation Tn defined by the coordinate transformation
x x ' = Tn x = x + n b
Let Tn be the corresponding Hilbert space operator, we have
x \ x ' \ = Tn x \ = x + n b \ = Tn x \
X x¤ X x '¤ = X x + n b ¤ = X x ¤ Tn Ö
Since
X x x \=1 " x
we have
Y x ' x ' \ = Y x ¡ Tn Ö Tn É x ] = 1 " x
X x¤ x \ = Y x ' ¡ Tn Tn É x ' ] = 1
Ö
" x'
Therefore
Tn Ö Tn = Tn Tn Ö = I
ie., Tn is unitary. This is a general feature of all symmetry operators.
Defining
Ψ\ Ψ ' \ = Tn Ψ \
ΨHxL = X x Ψ \
we have
Ψ ' H x ' L = Y x ' Ψ ' \ = Y x ¡ Tn Ö Tn É Ψ ] = X x Ψ \ = ΨHxL
The last equality serves to define the transformation Tn of an arbitrary function, ie.
f f ' = Tn f
with
f HxL = f ' H x ' L = f ' H x + n b L = Tn f H x ' L
so that
f ' H x L = f H x - n b L = Tn HxL f H x L = f I Tn -1 x M
The explicit form of Tn HxL can be found by Taylor expanding f H x - n b L:
d f HxL
d 2 f HxL
Tn HxL f H x L = f HxL - n b + H n b L2
1
-¼
dx 2 d x2
= :1-nb + H n b L2 - ¼ > f HxL
d 1 d2
dx 2 d x2
= â H -n b Lm f HxL
dm
m=0 d xm
f HxL
d
-n b
= e dx
so that
Tn HxL = e
d
-n b
dx
or
i
- n b p
Tn = e Ñ
In this form, we say that the momentum operator is the generator of the translation operator. It is straightforward to show that
the angular momentum & the hamiltonian operators are generators of the rotation & time displacemnt operators, respectively.
dx 2 dx
= â H -n b Lm f HxL
dm
m=0 d xm
2 1._Introduction.nb
f HxL
d
-n b
= e dx
so that
Tn HxL = e
d
-n b
dx
or
i
- n b p
Tn = e Ñ
In this form, we say that the momentum operator is the generator of the translation operator. It is straightforward to show that
the angular momentum & the hamiltonian operators are generators of the rotation & time displacemnt operators, respectively.
The transformation of operators can be found in a similar fashion.
Let
A Ψ \ = Φ \
Tn A Ψ \ = Tn A Tn Ö Tn Ψ \ = Tn A Tn Ö Ψ ' \
= Tn Φ \ = Φ ' \
Comparing with the definition
A ' Ψ ' \ = Φ ' \
we have
A ' = Tn A Tn Ö
In the x - representation
X x x ' \ = ∆H x - x ' L
X x¤ p \=
1 i
px
eÑ
2ΠÑ
X x p¤ x ' \ = -i Ñ ∆H x - x ' L
¶
¶x
X x AÈΨ \ = X x Φ \
= à d x 'X x A x ' \X x ' Ψ \
For local operators that are functions of x & p ,
X x AH x , p L ¤ x ' \ = ∆H x - x ' L X x AH x , p L ¤ x \ = ∆H x - x ' L A x , -i Ñ
¶
¶x
¶
For convenience, we'll write A x , -i Ñ simply as AHxL so that
¶x
X x A¤ Ψ \ = X x Φ \ = AHx L X x Ψ \
or
AHxL ΨHxL = ΦHxL
The transformation under Tn then gives
Y x Tn A È Ψ \ = Y x ¡ Tn A Tn Ö Tn ¥ Ψ ] = Y x ¡ Tn A Tn Ö ¥ Ψ ' ]
= X x Tn È Φ \ = X x Φ ' \
Tn HxL AHxL ΨHxL = Tn HxL ΦHxL = Φ ' HxL = A ' HxL Ψ ' HxL
Thus
ΦI Tn -1 xM = AI Tn -1 x M ΨI Tn -1 xM
The effect of Tn on H is therefore
HHxL HI Tn -1 x M = HH x - n b L
Writing
y = Tn -1 x
we see that
¶2 ¶2
= VHyL = VHxL
¶ y2 ¶ x2
so that
HHyL = HHxL
as expected.
Writing
y = Tn -1 x
we see that 1._Introduction.nb 3
¶2 ¶2
= VHyL = VHxL
¶ y2 ¶ x2
so that
HHyL = HHxL
as expected.
This invariance of the hamiltonian can of course be expressed as
Tn H Tn Ö = H
or
Tn H = H Tn
@ Tn , H D = 0
which means the eigenstates of Tn are also that of H. This is basis of the usefulness of group theory in quantum mechanics.
