PHYSICS LECTURE SERIES

QUANTUM MECHANICS
D- III (Hons)
Paper-V Group-A
Topic- Commutation Relations

( Gopal Prasad Choudhary)

Assoc. Prof. Department of Physics
R.D. & D. J. College, Munger
Munger University, Munger

In this video we shall discuss regarding the following commutation

relations:

(i) [x, p] = h
(ii) [xn , p𝑥 ] = 𝑛𝑖ℏ𝑥 𝑛−1
(iii) (ii) [H,P]=0, for free particle
(iv) [Lx , Ly ] = iℏLz
Commutation Relations between position and momentum
Let us suppose that we have to find the commutation of 𝑥 and px , where px =
∂
−iℏ , the x- component linear momentum operator, we have
∂x

[x, p𝑥 ] = (x, px − px x)
∂ ∂
= x (−iℏ ) − (iℏ ) x
∂x ∂x
∂ ∂
= −iℏ (x − x)
∂x ∂x
If ψ is a continuous function of x, then

[x, p𝑥 ]ψ = (x, px − px x)ψ ………… (1)

∂ ∂
= −iℏ (x − x) ψ
∂x ∂x
∂ψ ∂
= −iℏ [x − (xψ)]
∂x ∂x

∂ψ ∂ψ
= −iℏ [x −x − ψ]
∂x ∂x
= iℏψ …………….(2)
From eqns.(1) and (2) we find that
(x, px − px x)ψ = iℏψ

Further [x, p𝑥 ]ψ = iℏψ

or [x, p𝑥 ] = iℏ ……………………. (3)

This result shows that position and linear momentum operator do not commute
as [x, p𝑥 ] ≠ 0

Also [x2, p𝑥 ] = x[x, p𝑥 ]

 = [x, p𝑥 ]x + [xx, p𝑥 ]

= [xp𝑥 − px x]x + [xpx − px x]

= iℏ ∙ x + x ∙ iℏ
= 2iℏx ……….(4)

Similarly, [x3 , p𝑥 ] = [xx 2 , p𝑥 ] = 𝑥[x2 , p𝑥 ] + [x, px ]x 2

= x ∙ 2iℏx + iℏx 2
= 3iℏx 2 …………… (5)
Therefore by induction, we have

[xn, p𝑥 ] = 𝑛𝑖ℏ𝑥 𝑛−1 ……………. (6)

Commutation Relation between Momentum and Hamiltonian:

The Hamiltonian for a particle is given by
𝑝̂𝑥2
̂=
𝐻 + 𝑉̂ (𝑥 )
2𝑚

Where, 𝑝̂𝑥 is momentum operator and 𝑉̂ (𝑥 ) is potential energy operator. The

commutator of H and 𝑝𝑥 is
2
̂ , p̂x ] = [ 𝑝̂𝑥 + 𝑉̂ (𝑥 ) , p̂x ]
[𝐻
2𝑚

𝑝̂𝑥2
=[ , p̂ ] + [𝑉̂ (𝑥 ) , p̂x ]
2𝑚 x
1
= [𝑝̂𝑥2, p̂x ] + [𝑉̂ (𝑥 ) , p̂x ]
2𝑚
= 0 + [𝑉̂ (𝑥 ) , p̂x ] Since [p̂x , p̂x ] = 0
̂ , p̂x ] on 𝜓(𝑥 ), we have
Now consider the operation of [𝐻
̂ , p̂x ]𝜓(𝑥 ) = {𝑉̂ (𝑥 ) , p̂x − p̂x 𝑉̂ (𝑥 ) } 𝜓(𝑥 )
[𝐻
 ∂𝜓(𝑥 ) ∂
= 𝑉̂ (𝑥 ) (−iℏ ) − (−iℏ 𝑉 (𝑥 )𝜓(𝑥 ))
∂x ∂x

∂𝜓(𝑥 ) ∂𝜓(𝑥 ) ∂𝑉 (𝑥 )
= 𝑉̂ (𝑥 ) {−iℏ } − {−iℏ𝑉 (𝑥 ) } − {−iℏ𝜓 (𝑥 ) }
∂x ∂x ∂x
∂𝑉 (𝑥 )
= − {−iℏ 𝜓(𝑥 )}
∂x
∂𝑉(𝑥)
̂ , p̂x ] = iℏ
∴ [𝐻
∂x

̂ , p̂x ]
Case (i): If the particle is free, then V(x)=0, so [𝐻 =0
𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑙𝑒

Case (ii) : If momentum operator is three dimensional and potential energy

function is V=V(r),
̂ , 𝑝̂ ] = 𝑖ℏ∇V
i.e. 𝑝̂ = −𝑖ℏ∇, then [𝐻

Angular Momentum Operator in Position Representation

Consider a particle of mass m, momentum p ⃗ and position vector r (with respect to
a fixed origin, r = 0). In classical mechanics, the particle’s angular momentum is
given by a vectorL ⃗ , defined by

⃗L = r × p
⃗ …………….(1)
The angular momentum has three components as given by
Lx = yPz − z py

Ly = zPx − x pz …….(2)

Lz = xPy − ypx

Where r = îx + ĵy + k̂z and p

⃗ the linear momentum of the particle along X, Y, Z
axes respectively. Angular momentum of classical mechanics is called orbital
angular momentum in quantum mechanics. It does not mean that the particle is
moving in an orbit.
ℏ
In quantum mechanics, p
⃗ is replaced by the differential operator ⃗ = ∇=
p
i
−iℏ∇
Thus the angular momentum operator is
⃗ =r×p
L ⃗ = r × (−iℏ∇) = −iℏr × ∇ …….. (3)

⃗ then
If Lx , Ly and Lz are the components of angular momentum operator L
eqn. (3) will take the form
∂ ∂ ∂
îLx + ĵLy + k̂Lz = −iℏ(îx + ĵy + k̂z) × (î + ĵ + k̂ )
∂x ∂y ∂z

î ĵ k̂
x y z
= −iℏ || |
∂ ∂ ∂|
∂x ∂y ∂z
Comparing coefficients ofî, ĵ and k̂ on either sides,the components of angular
momentum operator can be explicitly written as

∂ ∂
Lx = −iℏ (y −z )
∂z ∂y
∂ ∂
Ly = −iℏ (z −x ) …………………… (4)
∂x ∂z
∂ ∂
And Lz = −iℏ (x −y )
∂y ∂x

In a more compact form, this can be written as a vector operator,

⃗ = −iℏ(r × ∇
L ⃗)

Using these commutation relations derived for r and p

⃗ it is easy to show that Lx ,
Ly andLz satisfy the following commutation relations
[Lx , Ly ] = iℏLz

[Ly , Lz ] = iℏLx

And [Lz , Lx ] = iℏLy

Commutation Relations between the Different Components of ⃗L
[Lx , Ly ] = [(ypz − zpy ), (zpx − xpz )]

= [ypz , zpx ] + [zpy , xpz ] − [ypz , xpz ] − [zpy , zpx ] …….(4)

Since y and px commute with each other and with z and pz , the first term reads
[ypz , zpx ] = ypz zpx − zpx ypz = ypx [pz , z] = −iℏypz

Similarly the second commutator gives

[zpy , xpz ] = zpy xpz − xpz zpy = xpy [z, pz ] = iℏxpy

The third and fourth commutators vanish; we thus find that

[Lx , Ly ] = iℏ (xpy − ypz ) = iℏLz

In a similar way, it is straightforward to show that

[Ly , Lz ] = iℏLx
[Lz , Lx ] = iℏLy

The three equations are equivalent to the vectorial commutation relation:

⃗L × ⃗L = iℏL
⃗.