Max.

marks: 23 Time Allowed: 75 minutes

Quiz 3: PHY-212/PHY-513

Name: Roll no:

Attempt all questions.

1. A magnetic field is pointing in the z-direction corresponding to a hamiltonian o Sz .

A spin-1 particle is placed inside the field. Its initial state, written in the eigenbasis
of Sz , is:

1/2

| = 1/ 2 .

1/2

Given

0 1 0 0 1 0
~ ~

Sx = 1 0 1 ,

Sy = 1 0 1 .

2 2i
0 1 0 0 1 0

(a) What is the state after at a time t? Dont forget to mention your basis if you
write a matrix representation. [8 Marks]

(b) After time t the component Sx is measured. What is the probability of obtaining
zero as the measurement outcomes? [7 Marks]

Answer

(a) We can write the given state as,

 1  1  1 
| = |1, 1 + |1, 0 + |1, 1
2 2 2
So the state after some later time t will be,
 
iHt/~
 iHt/~ 1  1  1 
e | = e |1, 1 + |1, 0 + |1, 1 ,
2 2 2
1 1  1
= eiHt/~ |1, 1 + eiHt/~ |1, 0 + eiHt/~ |1, 1 ,
 
2 2 2
1 io t/2  1  1 +io t/2 
= e |1, 1 + |1, 0 + e |1, 1 ,
2 2 2

Date: 20 November, 2015 1

Max. marks: 23 Time Allowed: 75 minutes

(b) Lets find the eigenbasis of Sx ,

 
 1 0 
 
~  
 1 1  = 0,

2 
 0 1 


~
= (2 1) 1() ,


2
~
= () 2 1 1 ,


2
~
= () 2 2 = 0,


2
So we get from this equation = 0, ~. Now the eigenvalue equation will be,

0 1 0 a a
~
1 0 1 b = b ,

2
0 1 0 c c
~
b = a,
2
~
(a + c) = b,
2
~
b = c,
2
For = ~
~
b = ~a,
2
~
(a + c) = ~b,
2
~
b = ~c,
2

1 1

1
This will leads to 2 , which will be normalized to 2 .

2

1 1
For = 0
~
b = 0,
2
~
(a + c) = 0,
2
~
b = 0,
2

Date: 20 November, 2015 2

Max. marks: 23 Time Allowed: 75 minutes

1 1
This will leads to 0 , which will be normalized to 1 0 .

2
1 1
For = ~

~
b = ~a,
2
~
(a + c) = ~b,
2
~
b = ~c,
2

1
1

1
This will leads to 2 , which will be normalized to 2 2
.


1 1

Eigenstates Eigenvalues

|1 = 12 |1, 1 + 2|1, 0 +|1, 1
   

~
 1  

|2 = 2 |1, 1 +|1, 1 0
 1   

|3 = 2 |1, 1 2|1, 0 +|1, 1 ~
So the probability of find the zero as the measurement out come will be,

 2
  
 2 |(t)i =  1 1, 1| + 1, 1| 1 eio t/2 |1, 1 + 1 |1, 0 + 1 e+io t/2 |1, 1  ,

2 


 
 2 2 2 2 
 2
 1 1
=  eio t/2 + eio t/2  ,

2 2 2 2
1
= |2i sin(o t/2)|2 .
8
1 2
= sin (o t/2)
2

2. The Hamiltonian of a three level system is

E 0 A
o
0 Eo 0


A 0 Eo
  
when written in the {|1 , |2 , |3 } basis in the same order. If the system is in the state
  
|3 at time t = 0, how long will it take to convert to |1 ? |2 ? [8 Marks]

Date: 20 November, 2015 3

Max. marks: 23 Time Allowed: 75 minutes

Answer
First of all lets diagonalize this Hamiltonian,
 
 Eo
 
0 A 
 
 0 E1 0 =0
 
 
 A 0 Eo 
 

We get the eigenvalues and eigenstates, tabulated below.

Eigenstates Eigenvalues
|1 = 12 |1 +|3
  

Eo + A
 
|2 = |2 E1
 1  

|3 = 2 |1 +|3 Eo A

So the Hamiltonian in its eigenbasis is given as,

E +A 0 0
o
H = 0 E1 0 ,


0 0 Eo A

Now the time evolved state will be,

|(t) = eiHt/~ |3
 

1
= eiHt/~ |1 +|3 ,
 

2
1 1
= eiHt/~ |1 +eiHt/~ |3 ,
 
2 2
1 1
= ei(Eo +A)t/~ |1 +ei(Eo A)t/~ |3 ,
 
2 2
1 1
= ei(Eo +A)t/~ |1 +|3 + ei(Eo A)t/~ |1 +|3 .
 
 

2 2

To determine after how long it will come in state |1 , we will calculate its probability of

being in state |1 . That will be,
 
i(Eo +A)t/~ 1 i(Eo A)t/~ 1


 
 

1|(t)i = 1| e |1 +|3 + e |1 +|3 ,
2 2
1 i(Eo +A)t/~
ei(Eo A)t/~ ,


= e
2
1 iEo t/~ iAt/~
e+iAt/~ ,


= e e
2

Date: 20 November, 2015 4

Max. marks: 23 Time Allowed: 75 minutes

  
 1|(t)i2 =

 1 iEo t/~ iAt/~ +iAt/~

1 iEo t/~ iAt/~ +iAt/~
e e e e e e ,
2 2
1 iAt/~
e+iAt/~ eiAt/~ eiAt/~ ,



= e
4
1
1 + 1 (eiAt/~ + eiAt/~ ) ,


=
4
1
= (1 + 1 2 cos(At/~)) ,
4
1
= (1 cos(At/~)) ,
2

So the required time is,

m~
t=
A

where m is an integer.

Furthermore, the system will never go into the state |2 , since we see from the Hamiltonian
 
there is no coupling between state |3 and state |2 .

Date: 20 November, 2015 5