Overlap of nth QHO excited state and momentum-shifted QHO ground state

In summary, the conversation discusses the computation of the overlap between a momentum-shifting operator and an excited state in the quantum harmonic oscillator. The use of the Baker-Campbell-Hausdorff formula is mentioned and there is a question about the validity of moving the exponential of the momentum operator. The suggestion to use the equation for coherent states to find the overlap is also brought up.
  • #1
HBHSU
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##\newcommand{\ket}[1]{|#1\rangle}##
##\newcommand{\bra}[1]{\langle#1|}##
I have a momentum-shifting operator ##e^{i\Delta p x/\hbar}## acting on the ground state ##\ket{0}## of the QHO, and I want to compute the overlap of this state with the n##^{th}## excited QHO state ##\ket{n}##. Given ##\hat{a}^\dagger=\sqrt{\dfrac{m\omega}{2\hbar}}x-ip\sqrt{\dfrac{1}{2m\omega\hbar}}##, I let ##c=i\Delta p\sqrt{\dfrac{2}{m\omega\hbar}}## and obtain ##e^{c\hat{a}^\dagger}\ket{0}=\sum_{m=0}^\infty\dfrac{c^m(\hat{a}^\dagger)^m}{m!}\ket{0}=\sum_{m=0}^\infty\dfrac{c^m}{\sqrt{m!}}\ket{m}##. Then ##\bra{n}e^{c\hat{a}^\dagger}\ket{0}=\bra{n}e^{\frac{i\Delta px}{\hbar}+\frac{p\Delta p}{m\omega\hbar}}\ket{0}=\bra{n}e^{\frac{i\Delta px}{\hbar}}e^{\frac{p\Delta p}{m\omega\hbar}}e^{\frac{-(\Delta p)^2}{\hbar m\omega}}\ket{0}=\dfrac{(i\Delta p\sqrt{\frac{2}{m\omega\hbar}})^n}{\sqrt{n!}},## using the Baker-Campbell-Hausdorff formula. Now I write ##\bra{n}e^{c\hat{a}^\dagger}\ket{0}=\dfrac{(i\Delta p\sqrt{\frac{2}{m\omega\hbar}})^n}{\sqrt{n!}}e^{-\frac{p\Delta p}{m\omega\hbar}}e^{\frac{(\Delta p)^2}{\hbar m\omega}}##. Is this valid? I have concerns about moving the exponential of the momentum operator out of the inner product. Might I instead write ##\ket{n}## in terms of coherent states in order to find the overlap?
 
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  • #2
I think, it's much simpler to use yhour equation for the coherent state and just pick out the coefficient of ##|n \rangle## in its expansion in terms of number eigenstates, which you already have!
 

1. What is the overlap between the nth excited state of a quantum harmonic oscillator (QHO) and a momentum-shifted ground state of a QHO?

The overlap between the nth excited state of a QHO and a momentum-shifted ground state is given by the integral of their wave functions over all space. This overlap is dependent on the specific values of the energy and momentum of the two states and can be calculated using mathematical techniques such as perturbation theory or variational methods.

2. How does the overlap between these two states change with increasing energy and momentum?

As the energy and momentum of the states increase, the overlap between them generally decreases. This is because the wave functions become more spread out in space and are less likely to overlap significantly. However, the exact behavior of the overlap depends on the specific values of the energy and momentum and may not always decrease with increasing values.

3. What is the physical significance of the overlap between these two states?

The overlap between the nth excited state and a momentum-shifted ground state of a QHO is a measure of how similar or related these two states are. A larger overlap indicates a stronger connection between the two states and may have implications for the behavior or properties of the system under study.

4. Can the overlap between these two states be experimentally measured?

Yes, the overlap between the nth excited state and a momentum-shifted ground state of a QHO can be experimentally measured using techniques such as spectroscopy or scattering experiments. These methods involve exciting the system to the desired state and then measuring the probability of finding the system in the momentum-shifted ground state.

5. How does the overlap between these two states relate to the uncertainty principle?

The uncertainty principle states that there is a fundamental limit to the precision with which certain pairs of physical quantities, such as position and momentum, can be known simultaneously. The overlap between the nth excited state and a momentum-shifted ground state is affected by this principle, as the more precisely one quantity is known, the less precisely the other can be known. This means that as the overlap between these two states increases, the uncertainty in their respective energy and momentum values also increases.

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