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p3rry
Oct23-09, 12:45 PM
Hello!

I need help with this typical quantum problem:

I have a quantum rotor in 2 dimensions. And a perturbation along the x direction:

Here's the unperturbed Sch equation:

-\frac{\hbar^{2}}{2M}\frac{\partial^{2}}{\partial \phi^{2}}\psi(\phi)=E\psi(\phi)

And here's the perturbation

H_{1}=-\epsilon \cos(\phi)

The text asks me about the eigenstates and their eigenvalues, I suppose it means at the first perturbative order.

I get involved into integrals that seems to be too complicated (I got it from a phd test in which a single exercise it's supposed not to take much time in calculations).

Thank you very much

P3rry

Avodyne
Oct23-09, 02:23 PM
Start by writing down the unperturbed eigenvalues and eigenfunctions.

p3rry
Oct24-09, 11:10 AM
The unperturbed eigenstates are:
\psi_{m}(\phi)=\frac{1}{\sqrt{2\pi}}\mathrm{e}^{\m athrm{i}m\phi}

where m=0,1 \ldots
and the spectrum is
E_{m}=-\frac{\hbar^{2}m^{2}}{2M}

Now, as I said, I got problems in calculating the perturbed spectrum...

Avodyne
Oct24-09, 01:40 PM
where m=0,1 \ldots
You're missing some of the states ...

p3rry
Oct24-09, 01:43 PM
Sorry
where m=0,\pm1,\pm2 \ldots

Avodyne
Oct25-09, 12:41 AM
OK, so states with positive m and negative m are degenerate. So you need to use degenerate perturbation theory, which means that you have to "diagonalize the perturbation in the degenerate subspace". Do you know how to do that?

p3rry
Oct25-09, 07:52 AM
Ok, but I get 0 for every matrix element:

\left\langle m |H_{1}|m\right\rangle = \frac{1}{2\pi}\int_{0}^{2\pi}\mathrm{d}\phi\mathrm {e}^{-im\phi}(-\epsilon \cos (\phi))\mathrm{e}^{im\phi}=0
and the off diagonal elements are equally 0
\left\langle m |H_{1}|-m\right\rangle = \frac{1}{2\pi}\int_{0}^{2\pi}\mathrm{d}\phi\mathrm {e}^{-im\phi}(-\epsilon \cos (\phi))\mathrm{e}^{-im\phi}=-\frac{\epsilon}{4\pi}\left\{\int_{0}^{2\pi}\mathrm {d}\phi\mathrm{e}^{-i(2m-1)\phi}+\int_{0}^{2\pi}\mathrm{d}\phi\mathrm{e}^{-i(2m+1)\phi}\right\{=0
Is that right?
I doubt I have to perform the calculation at the second order. What do you think?