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The quantum harmonic oscillator is the quantum-mechanical analog of the classical harmonic oscillator. Because an arbitrary smooth potential can usually be approximated as a harmonic potential at the vicinity of a stable equilibrium point , it is one of the most important model systems in quantum mechanics.
The Hamiltonian of a system represents the total energy of the system; that is, the sum of the kinetic and potential energies of all particles associated with the system. . The Hamiltonian takes different forms and can be simplified in some cases by taking into account the concrete characteristics of the system under analysis, such as single or several particles in the system, interaction ...
The quantum harmonic oscillator; The quantum harmonic oscillator with an applied uniform field [1] The Inverse square root potential [2] The periodic potential The particle in a lattice; The particle in a lattice of finite length [3] The Pöschl–Teller potential; The quantum pendulum; The three-dimensional potentials The rotating system The ...
An example of a time-independent Hamiltonian system is the harmonic oscillator. Consider the system defined by the coordinates = ˙ and =. Then the Hamiltonian is given by = +. The Hamiltonian of this system does not depend on time and thus the energy of the system is conserved.
In the context of the quantum harmonic oscillator, one reinterprets the ladder operators as creation and annihilation operators, adding or subtracting fixed quanta of energy to the oscillator system. Creation/annihilation operators are different for bosons (integer spin) and fermions (half-integer spin).
The Hamiltonians to which we know exact solutions, such as the hydrogen atom, the quantum harmonic oscillator and the particle in a box, are too idealized to adequately describe most systems. Using perturbation theory, we can use the known solutions of these simple Hamiltonians to generate solutions for a range of more complicated systems.
Step response of a damped harmonic oscillator; curves are plotted for three values of μ = ω 1 = ω 0 √ 1 − ζ 2. Time is in units of the decay time τ = 1/(ζω 0). The value of the damping ratio ζ critically determines the behavior of the system. A damped harmonic oscillator can be:
In these terms, an example of zero-point energy is the above E = ħω / 2 associated with the ground state of the quantum harmonic oscillator. In quantum mechanical terms, the zero-point energy is the expectation value of the Hamiltonian of the system in the ground state. If more than one ground state exists, they are said to be ...