Tutorial based on Time independent perturbation theory
Quantum Mechanics
September, 2023
Tutorial:1
TA: Chandra Shekhar Lohani and Hari Sadhan Ghosh
IIT Kharagpur, West Bengal
1. Two identical spin-zero Bosons are placed in an infinite square well. They interact weakly with one
another, via the potential
V(x1 ,x2 )= −aV0 δ(x1 − x2 )
(where V0 is a constant with the dimensions of energy, and a is the width of the well).
(a) In the absence of interaction, find the ground state and first excited state wave functions along with
associated energies.
(b) Using first-order perturbation theory to estimate the effect of the particle-particle interaction on
the energies of the ground state and the first excited state.
2. Two identical particles of spin 1/2 are enclosed in 1-D box potential of length L with walls at x = 0 and
x = L.
(a) Find the energies of the 3 lowest states.
(b) Then, subjecting the particles to a perturbation
Ĥp (x1 , x2 ) = −V0 L2 δ(x1 − L2 )δ(x2 − L3 ),
calculate its ground state energy using first-order time-independent perturbation theory.
3. Consider the cold emission of electrons from metal in the presence of external electric field E , the
potential seen by an electron is (
0 if x < 0,
V (x) =
V0 − eE x if x > 0.
Find the work function of the metal and the transmission coefficient. Is there any threshold energy
required to escape for the electrons?
4. A particle of mass m moves one-dimensionally in the oscillator potential V (x) = 21 mω 2 x2 .In the non-
relativistic limit, where the kinetic energy T and momentum p are related by T = p2 /2m, the ground
state energy is well-known to be 12 ~ω. Allow for relativistic corrections in the relation between T and p
and compute the ground-state level shift ∆E to order 1/c2 (c =speed of light).
5. Consider a particle of mass m moves freely on a circle of radius R.
(a) Calculate the stationary states and energy eigenvalues.
0
(b) Now suppose we introduce the perturbation H = V0 [δ(θ) + δ(θ − π/2)]. Find the first-order
correction to En .
6. A mass m is attached by a massless rod of length l to a pivot P and swings in a vertical plane under the
influence of gravity.
(a) In the small angle approximation, find the system’s energy levels.
(b) Find the lowest order correction to the ground state energy resulting from the small angle approx-
imation inaccuracy.
7. A particle is initially in its ground state in a box with infinite walls at 0 and L. The wall of the box at
x = L is suddenly moved to x = 2L.
(a) Calculate the probability that the particle will be found in the ground state of the expanded box.
(b) Find the state of the expanded box most likely to be occupied by the particle.
(c) Suppose the walls of the original box [0, L] are suddenly dissolved and that the particle was in the
ground state. Construct the probability distribution for the momentum of the freed particle.
8. Consider a particle of mass m that is bouncing vertically and elastically on a reflecting hard floor where
(
mgz if z > 0
V (z) =
+∞ otherwise
and g is the gravitational constant.
(a) Use the variational method to estimate the ground state energy of the particle.
(b) Use the WKB method to estimate the ground state energy of the particle.
(c) Compare these results with exact ground state energy.
9. Use the WKB approximation to calculate the energy levels of a spinless particle of mass m moving in a
1-D box with walls at x = 0 and x = L.
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