Paper 4, Section II, 33B

Principles of Quantum Mechanics | Part II, 2021

(a) A quantum system has Hamiltonian H=H0+V(t)H=H_{0}+V(t). Let {∣n⟩}n∈N0\{|n\rangle\}_{n \in \mathbb{N}_{0}} be an orthonormal basis of H0H_{0} eigenstates, with corresponding energies En=ℏωnE_{n}=\hbar \omega_{n}. For t<0t<0, V(t)=0V(t)=0 and the system is in state ∣0⟩|0\rangle. Calculate the probability that it is found to be in state ∣1⟩|1\rangle at time t>0t>0, correct to lowest non-trivial order in VV.

(b) Now suppose {∣0⟩,∣1⟩}\{|0\rangle,|1\rangle\} form a basis of the Hilbert space, with respect to which

(⟨0∣H∣0⟩⟨0∣H∣1⟩⟨1∣H∣0⟩⟨1∣H∣1⟩)=(ℏω0ℏvΘ(t)eiωtℏvΘ(t)e−iωtℏω1)\left(\begin{array}{cc} \langle 0|H| 0\rangle & \langle 0|H| 1\rangle \\ \langle 1|H| 0\rangle & \langle 1|H| 1\rangle \end{array}\right)=\left(\begin{array}{cc} \hbar \omega_{0} & \hbar v \Theta(t) e^{i \omega t} \\ \hbar v \Theta(t) e^{-i \omega t} & \hbar \omega_{1} \end{array}\right)

where Θ(t)\Theta(t) is the Heaviside step function and vv is a real constant. Calculate the exact probability that the system is in state ∣1⟩|1\rangle at time tt. For which frequency ω\omega is this probability maximized?

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