Other One-dimensional Systems
Owen L. de Lange, R. E. Raab
Abstract
Abstract We discuss the application of operator methods to one-dimensional systems other than the harmonic oscillator. In Section 3.1 the method of ‘oneway factorization’ is used to obtain generalized quantum harmonic potentials. In Section 3.2 factorization and shift operators for an arbitrary one-dimensional potential are considered, and a classification is presented of the problems that can be treated by this method [1]. The use of the hypervirial theorem in the calculation of expectation values for one-dimensional systems is discussed in Section 3.3. In Sections 3.4–3.7 four examples are used to illustrate the applications of the preceding material. In these examples we consider in some detail how shift operators for energy can be derived and we also use these shift operators to calculate wavefunctions. Supersymmetric quantum mechanics and shape invariance are discussed in Sections 3.8 and 3.9.