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arXiv:2303.14862

New derivation of Time-Independent Perturbation Theory

Alexander N. Kvinikhidze, Boris Blankleider

Published Mar 27, 2023• 0 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We propose a new derivation of Time-Independent Perturbation Theory (PT) that has a fundamental advantage over the usual derivations presented in textbooks on Quantum Mechanics (QM): it is simpler and much shorter. As such, it can provide an easier and quicker way for students to learn PT, than afforded by current methods. In spite of that, our approach does not require the potentials to be energy independent or the inverse free Green function $G_0^{-1}(E)$ to be a linear function of energy $E$, as is the case in QM, and can be applied directly to various extensions of QM including Relativistic QM, the Bethe-Salpeter equation, and all kinds of quasipotential approaches in Quantum Field Theory.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.2303.14862

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We propose a new derivation of Time-Independent Perturbation Theory (PT) that has a fundamental advantage over the usual derivations presented in textbooks on Quantum Mechanics (QM): it is simpler and much shorter. As such, it can provide an easier and quicker way for students to learn PT, than afforded by current methods. In spite of that, our approach does not require the potentials to be energy independent or the inverse free Green function G0−1(E)G_0^{-1}(E)G0−1​(E) to be a linear function of energy EEE, as is the case in QM, and can be applied directly to various extensions of QM including Relativistic QM, the Bethe-Salpeter equation, and all kinds of quasipotential approaches in Quantum Field Theory.
We present a new derivation of Time-Independent Perturbation Theory (PT) that is shorter and more general than the usual ones presented in Quantum Mechanics (QM) texts. Expressing the task of PT in terms of Green's functions, the key to our approach is to write the bound-state equation for the perturbed wave function directly in terms of the unperturbed Green's function. Not only does this greatly simplify the derivation of PT expressions for energies and wave functions, but it does so without using the orthogonality or completeness properties of unperturbed Hamiltonian eigenstates, which form the basis of standard derivations of PT. As a result, our approach does not require the potentials to be energy independent as is required in standard derivations, nor does it require the inverse free Green's operator G0−1(E) to be a linear function of energy, as is the case in QM. Consequently, our approach is applicable not only to QM but also to various extensions of QM, including Quantum Field Theory. For students, our approach provides an easy-to-understand introduction to the use of Green's functions in QM while at the same time presenting a description of PT that is shorter and more fundamental than the standard ones currently advocated.
Exactly solvable models in quantum mechanics are very rare.However, perturbation theory is a powerful tool to research the complex quantum systems and is widely used in theoretical physics and chemistry.For the particle weakly perturbed by the surrounding environment, its energy eigenstate and eigenvalue are separately calculated up to the first-order and second-order perturbation approximations in the undergraduate textbook of quantum mechanics.Whereas in reality, we have to calculate the high-order perturbation correction terms occasionally.Along the same lines of the low-order perturbation correction terms of energy eigenvalues and eigenstate for stationary state perturbation theory in the non-degenerate case, the third-order and fourth-order perturbation correction terms are strictly attained in this paper.Moreover, it points out the essence of perturbation theory and provides its derivation ideas.Students are no longer afraid of tedious derivation and can derive any-order perturbation correction.These results can serve as an extension and supplement for the quantum mechanics textbooks.Furthermore, it is very helpful for students to deeply understand quantum perturbation theory.
Abstract We derive the formulas for the energy and wavefunction of the time-independent Schrödinger equation with perturbation in a compact form. Unlike the conventional approaches based on Rayleigh–Schrödinger or Brillouin–Wigner perturbation theories, we employ a recently developed approach of matrix-valued Lagrange multipliers that regularizes an eigenproblem. The Lagrange-multiplier regularization makes the characteristic matrix for an eigenproblem invertible. After applying the constraint equation to recover the original equation, we find the solutions of the energy and wavefunction consistent with the conventional approaches. This formalism does not rely on an iterative way and the order-by-order corrections are easily obtained by taking the Taylor expansion. The Lagrange-multiplier regularization formalism for perturbation theory presented in this paper is completely new and can be extended to the degenerate perturbation theory in a straightforward manner. We expect that this new formalism is also pedagogically useful to give insights on the perturbation theory in quantum mechanics.
In all the applications of the formalism of quantum theory, we have considered mainly time-independent potential functions, V ( r , t ) = V ( r ). Such potentials made it easier to solve exactly the Schrodinger's equation or by solving the Schrodinger's equation approximately by using perturbation theory. The solution of the Schrodinger equation for time-independent potentials is obtained by using method of separable variables. The solution of time-independent Schrodinger gives stationary states, and the time dependence of the wave function is obtained by adding a phase factor to the stationary state. The schematic that follows describes such an approach ( Figure 7.1 ).
Rayleigh-Schrödinger time-independent perturbation theory is a key method in quantum mechanics for solving problems where the Hamiltonian of a quantum system cannot be exactly solved. By expanding the solutions in series, this method allows one to obtain approximations for quantum states and eigen-energies, especially for systems where the interactions or perturbing forces are small compared to the principal part of the Hamiltonian. This is crucial for understanding complex phenomena, predicting the behaviours of atomic and molecular systems, and calculating corrections to basic theoretical models, thereby improving the accuracy of quantum predictions. In this work, we will show that using the unitary operators, we arrive at the equations giving the different order of corrections of both energy as well as wave functions of the time-independent perturbation theory. Our approach closely mirrors the famous formalism of Rayleigh-Schrodinger perturbation theory (RSPT). The use of unitary operators simplifies the derivation of higher-order corrections, making the process more accurate and accessible to researchers. This technique harnesses the potential of unitary operators within a perturbation series framework. By combining these two powerful techniques, we offer a comprehensive framework for addressing normalization challenges in quantum mechanical calculations. This methodology not only facilitates a deeper understanding of perturbation theory but also serves as a pedagogical stepping stone, encouraging postgraduate researchers to apply their foundational knowledge and acquired skills in practical problem-solving situations with confidence. This is therefore a second proof or a new method to derive the fundamental equations of Rayleigh Schrodinger perturbation Theory RSPT using the unitary transformations.
The starting point in a quantum mechanical problem is the construction of a Schrödinger equation. We try to solve it exactly to obtain wave function. A Schrödinger equation is exactly solvable only for a certain number of simple potentials. In most of the cases the Schrödinger equation cannot be solved exactly. The solution of the Schrödinger equation for the real systems is usually complicated and often exact solutions are very difficult to find or solutions not exist. Examples include as anharmonic oscillator, hydrogen atom in an electric field, a plane rotator in the presence of an applied electric field and so on. Therefore, we need to rely on approximation methods. The simple and most interesting and powerful approximate method is the perturbation theory developed by Schrödinger in 1926 [1]. Earlier Lord Rayleigh [2] analysed harmonic vibrations of a string perturbed by small inhomogeneities. The work of Rayleigh was pointed out by Schrödinger. Consequently, the method is also called Rayleigh-Schrödinger perturbation theory. This method is powerful for determining the changes in the discrete energy values and the associated eigenfunctions of a system due to a weak perturbation, provided the eigenpairs of the undisturbed system are available. The approximations obtained from the perturbation theory are used to calculate energy level diagrams and to understand the splitting and assignments of atomic and molecular spectra [35]. The perturbation theory has been proven to be useful in several fields of theoretical physics and also in chemistry. It provides considerable insight into various phenomena. The main disadvantage of this method is that in certain problems the perturbation series converges slowly or diverges.