Quantum Mechanics – Driven Quantum Harmonic Oscillator

coherent-statesharmonic-oscillatorquantum mechanicsschroedinger equationtime evolution

Consider the Hamiltonian
$$
H = \frac{p^2}{2} + \frac{ x^2}{2} – F(t) x.
$$

This is essentially a time dependent shifted harmonic oscillator, which can be represented as

$$
H' = \frac{p^2}{2} + \frac{1}{2} (x – F(t))^2- \frac{F^2(t)}{2}.
$$

Will the ground state eigenfunction for this driven oscillator be just $\psi(x,t) = \exp\left(-(x- F(t))^{2}\right)$, a function of parameter $t$, such that at instant $t_{0}$ this acts as the instantaneous ground state of the Hamiltonian $H(t_{0})$ with energy eigenvalue (using $\hbar = 1$)
$$
E(t_{0}) = \frac{1}{2} – \frac{F^2(t_{0})}{2}?
$$

Given a coherent state of the driven oscillator at some instant of time $t_{0}$ of the Hamiltonian $H(t_{0})$, will it remain a coherent state of $H(t_{0})$ under time evolution to some time $t_{1} > t_{0}$ under $H(t)$?

PS: This is not a homework question, I am simply curious about this system.

Best Answer

+1 for non-dimensionalizing $\hbar=1$ and the rest superfluous parameters.

Define $K\equiv \frac{1 }{2}(p^2 + x^2)$. Then you see that the canonical transformation $x\mapsto x-F(t), \qquad p\mapsto p$ preserves the commutation relations; and hence shifts the spectrum of K, to that of H, $$ e^{-ipF} K e^{ipF}=H+ F^2/2, $$ so the spectrum of H is $n+(1 -F^2)/2$.

It is then evident, as you surmised (but for an exponent factor of 1/2), that the unnormalized "ground" state of H is a plain Gaussian, $$ \tfrac{1}{2} ( -\partial^2+x^2 -2Fx) e^{-(x-F)^2/2}= {(1-F^2)\over 2} e^{-(x-F)^2/2}, $$ etc, for the excited states, mutatis mutandis....

When you diagonalize to Dirac creation and annihilation operators, $\sqrt{2} a(t)\equiv x-F(t)+ip$, you hardly see substantial traces of the shift, beyond the ferocious dependence of all former "constants" on time, $H(t)=a^\dagger (t) a(t) + (1-F(t)^2)/2$.

You may then address your problem, the TDSE, $$ \Bigl (i\partial_t - n-(1-F(t)^2)/2\Bigr )~~ \psi_n(x,t)=0, $$ ... it is not trivial to solve.$^\natural$


$^\natural$For instance, it is evidently impossible to solve for facile Ansätze such as $e^{-(x-F(t))^2+ G(t)}$, etc. You might have to devise very special Fs, but perhaps I have missed your desideratum.

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