4. Quantum Harmonic Oscillator
Reading time: ~45 minutes | Pages: 12
Your Progress
Course: 0% complete
The quantum harmonic oscillator is the most important exactly solvable problem in quantum mechanics - it appears everywhere from molecular vibrations to quantum field theory.
Video Lecture
Quantum Harmonic Oscillator - MIT OCW
Prof. Allan Adams presents the complete solution of the quantum harmonic oscillator using ladder operators, demonstrating why this system is so fundamental to modern physics.
💡 Tip: Watch at 1.25x or 1.5x speed for efficient learning. Use YouTube's subtitle feature if available.
The Hamiltonian
Potential energy (parabolic well):
Hamiltonian:
Harmonic Oscillator Potential & Energy Levels
Harmonic Oscillator
Legend:
- Blue curve - Potential energy V(x)
- Cyan line - Selected energy level
- Green curve - Wave function ψ(x) at that energy
- Gray dashed - Other energy levels
Algebraic Method: Ladder Operators
Define raising (†) and lowering operators:
Commutation relation:
Deriving the Ladder Operator Algebra
Assumptions:
- Canonical commutation: [x̂,p̂] = iℏ
- Ladder operators: â and ↠as defined above
- Both operators are adjoints: (â)† = â†
Starting with:
Energy Eigenvalues & Eigenstates
Energy spectrum (equally spaced!):
Energy eigenstates constructed by ladder:
where |0⟩ is the ground state: â|0⟩ = 0
Harmonic Oscillator Wave Function Evolution
Quantum Harmonic Oscillator
Note: Time evolution shows the oscillating phase of the quantum state.
- Wave function ψ(x,t) oscillates with frequency ω = E/ℏ
- Probability density |ψ|² remains constant in time (stationary state)
- Higher quantum numbers have higher energies and faster oscillations
Harmonic Oscillator Energy Calculator
Calculate energy levels for molecular vibrations
Formula:
Notes:
- Ground state (n=0) has zero-point energy E₀ = ℏω/2
- Energy spacing ΔE = ℏω is constant between levels
- Typical molecular vibrations: ω ~ 10¹³-10¹⁴ rad/s
Zero-Point Energy of a Diatomic Molecule
BASICProblem: Calculate the zero-point energy of an H₂ molecule vibrating at ω = 8.28 × 10¹⁴ rad/s.
Given:
- Angular frequency: ω = 8.28 × 10¹⁴ rad/s
- Ground state quantum number: n = 0
- ℏ = 1.055 × 10⁻³⁴ J·s
Find: Zero-point energy E₀ in eV
Ladder Operator Action
INTERMEDIATEProblem: If a harmonic oscillator is in state |n⟩, what state results from applying â†|n⟩?
Given:
- Initial state: |n⟩
- Raising operator: â†
- Ladder operator property: â†|n⟩ = √(n+1)|n+1⟩
Find: The resulting state and its normalization
Video Lecture
Quantum Harmonic Oscillator Applications - Stanford
Prof. Leonard Susskind discusses why the harmonic oscillator appears everywhere in physics - from atoms to quantum fields.
💡 Tip: Watch at 1.25x or 1.5x speed for efficient learning. Use YouTube's subtitle feature if available.
Self-Check Question
Why does the quantum harmonic oscillator have a non-zero ground state energy (zero-point energy)?
Self-Check Question
What is special about the energy level spacing in the harmonic oscillator?
Self-Check Question
What does the lowering operator â do to the ground state |0⟩?
Why the Harmonic Oscillator is Everywhere
1. Molecular Vibrations
SpectroscopyChemical bonds behave as quantum harmonic oscillators, enabling infrared and Raman spectroscopy for molecular identification.
Examples:
- FTIR spectroscopy - identifying chemical compounds
- Raman spectroscopy - non-destructive material analysis
- Atmospheric monitoring - greenhouse gas detection
- Medical diagnostics - cancer tissue identification
Impact: Fundamental tool in chemistry, materials science, and medicine
2. Phonons in Solids
Condensed MatterQuantized lattice vibrations (phonons) explain thermal and acoustic properties of materials.
Examples:
- Superconductivity - phonon-mediated Cooper pairing
- Thermal management - heat sinks, thermoelectrics
- Acousto-optic modulators - laser control systems
- Brillouin scattering - material characterization
Impact: Essential for understanding solid-state physics and devices
3. Quantum Field Theory
Fundamental PhysicsHarmonic oscillator provides the foundation for quantum field theory - each field mode is a quantum harmonic oscillator.
Examples:
- Photon creation/annihilation in QED
- Particle physics - quantum chromodynamics
- Casimir effect - vacuum energy manifestation
- Hawking radiation - black hole thermodynamics
Impact: Cornerstone of modern theoretical physics
Video Lecture
Harmonic Oscillator and Molecular Vibrations - Yale
Prof. Ramamurti Shankar connects the quantum harmonic oscillator to spectroscopy and real molecular systems.
💡 Tip: Watch at 1.25x or 1.5x speed for efficient learning. Use YouTube's subtitle feature if available.
Related Topics & Learning Path
From: Quantum Harmonic Oscillator
Classical Harmonic Motion
Review classical oscillator before quantization
Ladder Operators
Algebraic solution method using â and â†
Infinite Square Well
Simpler system to understand before oscillator
Coherent States
Minimum uncertainty states of the oscillator
📝 Chapter Summary
Key Equations
Key Concepts
- Equally-spaced energy levels (ΔE = ℏω)
- Zero-point energy E₀ = ℏω/2 (quantum fluctuations)
- Ladder operators create/destroy quanta
- Algebraic solution (no differential equations!)
- Foundation for quantum field theory
- Appears in all small oscillations
- Coherent states minimize uncertainty
The harmonic oscillator is the most important model system in all of physics. Its algebraic solution via ladder operators is elegant and powerful, serving as the foundation for quantum field theory where every field mode is a harmonic oscillator. Understanding this system deeply unlocks advanced quantum mechanics and beyond.
Computational Example
Let's numerically compute the wave functions using Hermite polynomials and visualize the quantum oscillator:
Quantum Harmonic Oscillator: Wave Functions via Hermite Polynomials
Calculate and visualize the first few energy eigenstates using the analytic solution
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
from scipy.special import hermite
from scipy.special import factorial
# Physical constants
hbar = 1.055e-34 # J·s
m = 1.67e-27 # proton mass (kg)
omega = 1e14 # angular frequency (rad/s)
# Characteristic length scale
x0 = np.sqrt(hbar / (m * omega))
# Position array (in units of x0)
x = np.linspace(-5, 5, 1000) * x0
def psi_n(n, x_vals):
"""Wave function for quantum harmonic oscillator state n"""
# Normalization constant
N_n = 1 / np.sqrt(2**n * factorial(n)) * (m*omega/(np.pi*hbar))**(1/4)
# Hermite polynomial of order n
H_n = hermite(n)
# Dimensionless position
xi = x_vals / x0
# Wave function
return N_n * H_n(xi) * np.exp(-xi**2 / 2)
# Calculate energies
def E_n(n):
"""Energy of nth level"""
return hbar * omega * (n + 0.5)
# Display energies
print("Quantum Harmonic Oscillator")
print(f"m = {m:.2e} kg, ω = {omega:.2e} rad/s")
print(f"Characteristic length x₀ = {x0*1e12:.3f} pm")
print("=" * 60)
print("Energy Levels:")
for n in range(5):
E = E_n(n)
E_eV = E / 1.602e-19
print(f" n = {n}: E = {E:.3e} J = {E_eV:.4f} eV")
print(f" E_{n}/E_0 = {(n + 0.5) / 0.5:.1f}")
# Plot wave functions and probability densities
fig, (ax1, ax2) = plt.subplots(1, 2, figsize=(14, 5))
# Plot wave functions
colors = ['blue', 'red', 'green', 'purple']
for n in range(4):
psi = psi_n(n, x)
# Offset by energy level for clarity
offset = E_n(n) / (hbar * omega)
ax1.plot(x/x0, psi*5 + offset, label=f'n={n}', color=colors[n])
# Draw energy level line
ax1.axhline(y=offset, color=colors[n], linestyle='--', alpha=0.3, linewidth=1)
# Plot potential
x_pot = np.linspace(-5, 5, 100)
V = 0.5 * x_pot**2
ax1.plot(x_pot, V, 'k-', linewidth=2, label='V(x)')
ax1.set_xlabel('Position (x/x₀)')
ax1.set_ylabel('Energy (ℏω)')
ax1.set_title('Wave Functions with Energy Levels')
ax1.legend(fontsize=9)
ax1.grid(True, alpha=0.3)
ax1.set_ylim(-0.5, 5)
# Plot probability densities
for n in range(4):
psi = psi_n(n, x)
prob = np.abs(psi)**2
ax2.plot(x/x0, prob*x0, label=f'n={n}', color=colors[n])
ax2.set_xlabel('Position (x/x₀)')
ax2.set_ylabel('|ψ(x)|²')
ax2.set_title('Probability Densities')
ax2.legend()
ax2.grid(True, alpha=0.3)
plt.tight_layout()
plt.savefig('harmonic_oscillator.png', dpi=150, bbox_inches='tight')
print("\nPlot saved as 'harmonic_oscillator.png'")💡 This example demonstrates the computational approach to solving physics problems