The document discusses tensor operators and the Wigner-Eckart theorem. It begins by classifying operators as scalar or vector based on how their expectation values transform under rotation. It then examines the matrix elements of vector operators and derives selection rules based on angular momentum algebra. Finally, it generalizes the discussion to tensor operators of arbitrary rank and introduces spherical tensor operators, which transform irreducibly under rotation.
The document discusses tensor operators and the Wigner-Eckart theorem. It begins by classifying operators as scalar or vector based on how their expectation values transform under rotation. It then examines the matrix elements of vector operators and derives selection rules based on angular momentum algebra. Finally, it generalizes the discussion to tensor operators of arbitrary rank and introduces spherical tensor operators, which transform irreducibly under rotation.
The document discusses tensor operators and the Wigner-Eckart theorem. It begins by classifying operators as scalar or vector based on how their expectation values transform under rotation. It then examines the matrix elements of vector operators and derives selection rules based on angular momentum algebra. Finally, it generalizes the discussion to tensor operators of arbitrary rank and introduces spherical tensor operators, which transform irreducibly under rotation.
The document discusses tensor operators and the Wigner-Eckart theorem. It begins by classifying operators as scalar or vector based on how their expectation values transform under rotation. It then examines the matrix elements of vector operators and derives selection rules based on angular momentum algebra. Finally, it generalizes the discussion to tensor operators of arbitrary rank and introduces spherical tensor operators, which transform irreducibly under rotation.
Under a roatation, a state vector is transformed as:
|αi −→ |α0 i = D̂(R)|αi
Operators may be classified according to how their expectation value is affected by the rotation.
• scalar operators are those operators whose expectation value w.r.t. to an arbitrary state is not affected by rotation, i.e., hα0 |Â|α0 i = hα|Â|αi. This can only be true if
D̂† (R) Â D̂(R) = Â
Since D̂(R) = e−iĴ·n̂φ/~ , the above condition is equivalent to
[Â, Ĵ] = 0
Examples of scalar operators are: Jˆ2 , r̂, p̂2 , r · p.
• vector operators are those operators whose expectation value w.r.t. to an arbitrary state transforms like a ordinary vector under rotation. For a vector operator V̂ = (V̂x , V̂y , V̂z ), X D̂† (R) V̂i D̂(R) = Rij V̂j i,j
where Rij form the 3 × 3 matrix representing the rotation. By considering an infinitesimally small rotation, one can show that the above consition is equivalent to the following commutation relation:
[V̂i , Jˆj ] = i~²ijk V̂k
Examples of vector operators include r̂, p̂, Ĵ.
II. MATRIX ELEMENTS OF VECTOR OPERATOR
Consider a vector operator V̂ = (V̂x , V̂y , V̂z ). We may define
V̂± ≡ V̂x ± iV̂y
The following comutation relations can be easily proved:
Consider a complete set of ket states |α, j, mi. Here the j’s and m’s denote the usual angular momentum eigenstates and the α’s are nonangular quantum numbers, such as those for radial states. We shall evaluate matrix elements of V̂ w.r.t. these states. From the commutation relations between V̂ and Ĵ, one can show the following:
hα, j, m + 2|Jˆ+ |α, j, m + 1i hα, j, m + 1|V̂+ |α, j, mi = hα, j, m + 2|V̂+ |α, j, m + 1i hα, j, m + 1|Jˆ+ |α, j, mi
or hα, j, m + 1|V̂+ |α, j, mi hα, j, m + 2|V̂+ |α, j, m + 1i = = k+ (α, j) ˆ hα, j, m + 1|J+ |α, j, mi hα, j, m + 2|Jˆ+ |α, j, m + 1i Clearly, the ratio k+ is independent of m. Therefore, we conclude:
hα, j, m + 1|V̂+ |α, j, mi = k+ (α, j) hα, j, m + 1|Jˆ+ |α, j, mi
Since if m + 1 in hα, j, m + 1| is changed to other values, both sides will be zero, we can simply replace it by m0 , i.e.,
hα, j, m0 |V̂+ |α, j, mi = k+ (α, j) hα, j, m0 |Jˆ+ |α, j, mi (1)
Similarly, from [Jˆ− , V̂− ] = 0, we can derive
hα, j, m0 |V̂− |α, j, mi = k− (α, j) hα, j, m0 |Jˆ− |α, j, mi (2)
Again, k− is a constant independent of m.
From [Jˆ− , V̂+ ] = −2~V̂z , we have
−2hα, j, m|V̂z |α, j, mi = hα, j, m|(Jˆ− V̂+ − V̂+ Jˆ− |α, j, mi
p p = j(j + 1) − m(m + 1) hα, j, m + 1|V̂+ |α, j, mi − j(j + 1) − m(m − 1) hα, j, m|V̂+ |α, j, m − 1i p = j(j + 1) − m(m + 1) k+ (α, j) hα, j, m + 1|Jˆ+ |α, j, mi p − j(j + 1) − m(m − 1) k+ (α, j) hα, j, m|Jˆ+ |α, j, m − 1i p p = j(j + 1) − m(m + 1) k+ (α, j) ~ j(j + 1) − m(m + 1) p p − j(j + 1) − m(m − 1) k+ (α, j) ~ j(j + 1) − m(m − 1) = −2m~k+ (α, j)
hα, j, m0 |V̂i |α, j, mi = k(α, j) hα, j, m0 |Jˆi |α, j, mi
or we may write
hα, j, m0 |V̂|α, j, mi = k(α, j) hα, j, m0 |Ĵ|α, j, mi (5)
3
The equation is a manifestation of the Wigner-Echart theorem (to be discussed later) for the vector operator. It tells us that, for given α and j, we only need to calculate one (non-zero) matrix element of V̂i to obtain k(α, j), then all other matrix elements V̂j will be obtained automatically. We may go further to obtain k(α, j). To this end, we calculate hα, j, m|V̂ · Ĵ|α, j, mi. Inserting the identity operator X 1̂ = |α, j, m0 ihα, j, m0 | m0
between V̂ and Ĵ. (We restrict ourselves in the subspace defined by the given α and j, hence we do not sum over these two quantum numbers.) Using Eq. (5), we have
Since V̂ · Ĵ is a scalar operator (it commutes with Ĵ), the expectation value hα, j, m|V̂ · Ĵ|α, j, mi must be m- independent. Sometimes people write this as
hα, j, m|V̂ · Ĵ|α, j, mi = hV̂ · Ĵiα,j
then we have hV̂ · Ĵiα,j V̂ = Ĵ j(j + 1)~2
III. TENSOR OPERATORS
A tensor is a generalization of a such a vector to an object with more than one suffix, such as, for example, T̂ij or T̂ijk (having 9 and 27 components respectively in three dimensions) with the requirement that these components mix among themselves under rotation by each individual suffix following the vector rule, for example XXX T̂ijk −→ T̂i0 j 0 k0 i0 j0 k0
The number of suffix is the rank of the tensor. Such tensors are called Cartesian tensors. If Û and V̂ are two vectors, then we can construct a rank 2 Cartesian tensor whose elements are given by
Tij = Ui Vj
The problem with this tensor is that it is reducible. That is to say, combinations of the elements can be arranged in sets such that rotations operate only within these sets. To study the rotation properties, it is more convenient to work with irreducible spherical tensors. A spherical tensor of rank k has (2k + 1) elements labelled as
Tq(k) , q = −k, −k + 1, ..., k
(Scalars and vectors can be regarded as rank 0 and 1 tensors, respectively.) A spherical tensor is defined through its properties under rotation: k X (k) (k) D̂(R) Tq(k) D̂† (R) = Dq0 q (R) Tq0 q 0 =−k
(k) where Dq0 q (R) = hk, q 0 |D̂(R)|k, qi is the matrix element of the rotation operator. Again, using an infinitesimal rotation, one can show that the above is equivalent to the following commutation relations: p (k) [Jˆz , Tq(k) ] = q~ Tq(k) , [Jˆ± , Tq(k) ] = ~ (k ∓ q)(k ± q + 1) Tq±1 4
One can show that for a vector operator, if we define
V̂+ V̂ (1) V̂z = T0 , (1) − √ = T+1 , √− = T−1 (1) 2 2 then the above commutation relation is satisfied. Hence a vector operator can be regarded as a spherical tensor with rank 1. (k ) (k ) Given two spherical tensors Xq1 1 and Zq2 2 with ranks k1 and k2 , respectively, one can construct k1 X k2 X Tq(k) = Ckkq1 k2 ;q1 q2 Xq(k1 1 ) Zq(k2 2 ) q1 =−k1 q2 =−k2
which is a spherical tensor with rank k. Here Ckkq1 k2 ;q1 q2 are the C-G coefficients.
IV. WIGNER-ECKART THEOREM FOR SPHERICAL TENSORS
First, it can be readily shown
hα0 , j 0 , m0 |Tq(k) |α, j, mi ∝ δm0 ,m+q
which is the selection rule for spherical tensors.
The Wigner-Eckart Theorem states that the matrix elements of tensor operators w.r.t. angular-momentum eigen- states satisfy:
0 j m 0 hα0 , j 0 ||T (k) ||α, ji hα0 , j 0 , m0 |Tq(k) |α, j, mi = Cjk;mq √ 2j + 1 √ The denominator 2j + 1 is the conventional normalization of the double-bar matrix element. The proof of this theorem is given in Sakurai. The basic point of the WignerEckart theorem is that the angular dependence of these matrix elements can be factored (k) out, and it is given by the Clebsch-Gordan coefficients. To evaluate hα0 , j 0 , m0 |Tq |α, j, mi with various combinations 0 0 0 of m, m and q (for a given set of α, α , j and j ), it is sufficient to know just of the them; all others can be related through the C-G coefficients!
