Commuting and Noncommuting Operators

! Commutation relations
! Heisenberg uncertainty principle
! The Stern-Gerlach Experiment
Commutation Relations
In classical mechanics, there is no limit to what
can be known deterministically about a system (x,
p, Etotal, Ekinetic)

In quantum mechanics, two observables can be

known deterministically only if none of the
measurements changes the state of the system.
! An operator doesnt change the state of the system only
if the wave function is an eigenfunction of the operator,
( x) = af ( x)
Af

! Does x change the state of the system?

Commutation Relations
Two observables can be known deterministically
only if they have a common set of eigenfunctions
! The outcome of the measurements is independent of the
order in which they are conducted
A B ( x ) = Ab
( x ) = ab ( x )

B A ( x ) = Ba
( x ) = ba ( x )

A B ( x ) = B A ( x )
Commutation Relations
Two operators that have a common set of
eigenfunctions are said to commute
! A , B = AB
BA
is call the commutator

( x ) B Af
A Bf ( x ) A , B f ( x )

Commutation Relations
Do E kinetic and p x commute?
() ( ) ()
Ekinetic , px f x = Ekinetic px px Ekinetic f x

=
2 d 2
i
()
df x
i
( )
df x 2
()
d2 f x

2 2
2m dx dx dx 2m dx

= i
3 d f x
3
() +i
3
()
3 d f x
3
2m dx 2m dx 3
=0

! Momentum and kinetic energy CAN be determined

deterministically
Commutation Relations
Do p x and x commute?
() ( ) ()
px , x f x = px x xpx f x

d
()
= i xf x + ix
df x ()
dx dx

()
= if x xi
df x ()
+ ix
df x ()
dx dx
= if x ()
! Momentum and position CAN NOT be determined
deterministically
Heisenberg uncertainty principle
Because px , x ( x ) = i ( x ) 0, cant know
momentum and position deterministically.

Example 1: free quantum particle

! Wave function ( x ) = 1 eikx normalized over
2L L < x < L
! Momentum exactly known
d 1 ikx
()
p x = i
dx 2L
e = k x

()
! Position completely uncertain
1 1 dx
( ) () ()
P x0 dx = * x x dx = e ikx e ikx dx =
2L
2L 2L
Heisenberg uncertainty principle
Example 2: particle with limited certainty in
momentum
1 ik x 1 m i(k +nk ) x
! Wave function ( x ) = Ae + A e , with k = k0
0 0

2 2 n = m
! Momentum known somewhere in range
( ) (
k0 mk p k0 + mk )
! Position is no longer
completely unknown
Heisenberg uncertainty principle
Generalized uncertainty principle
1
AB * A, B dV
2
Heisenberg uncertainty principle

px
2
Other uncertainty relation

Et
2
Heisenberg uncertainty principle
The world fastest racket sport is ????. The fastest smash
ever recorded is 332km/hour. What is the uncertainty in
the ??s position if the uncertainty in relative momentum is
1%? (?? weighs 5g)