- #1
meanyack
- 20
- 0
Homework Statement
Actually the original question is too long but I need help for this tiny part that confuses me. I'll be done if I can show that
[a+,[a+,a]]=0 and similarly
[a,[a+,a]]=0
[a,[a,a+]]=0 etc
where a+ is the raising and a is the lowering ladder operator in quantum oscillator.
Homework Equations
I tried the formulas
[A,[B,C]]= -[C,[A,B]] -[B,[C,A]] and
a[tex]\psi[/tex]n=[tex]\sqrt{n}[/tex][tex]\psi[/tex]n-1
a+[tex]\psi[/tex]n=[tex]\sqrt{n+1}[/tex][tex]\psi[/tex]n+1
The Attempt at a Solution
When I use the formula I found
[a+,[a+, a]]= -[a,[a+,a+]]- [a+,[a,a+]]
On the rhs, first term is zero but I have no idea about the second
Also I tried to use [tex]\psi[/tex]n for this operator but it gives something like
[a,[a,a+]][tex]\psi[/tex]n=(n3/2+1)[tex]\psi[/tex]n-(n3/2+n1/2)[tex]\psi[/tex]n-1
which does not seem to be zero, trivially.