Loading [MathJax]/jax/output/HTML-CSS/jax.js
Skip to main content
Library homepage
 

Text Color

Text Size

 

Margin Size

 

Font Type

Enable Dyslexic Font
Physics LibreTexts

4.8: Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle

( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\)

Consider a real-space Hermitian operator O(x). A straightforward generalization of Eq. (193) yields

ψ1(Oψ2)dx=(Oψ1)ψ2dx

where ψ1(x) and ψ2(x) are general function 

Let f=(AA)ψ, where A(x) is an Hermitian operator, and ψ(x) a general wavefunction. We have

|f|2dx=ffdx=[(AA)ψ][(AA)ψ]dx

Making use of Eq. (222), we obtain

|f|2dx=ψ(AA)2ψdx=σ2A

where σ2A is the variance of A [see Eq. (160)]. Similarly, if g=(BB)ψ, where B is a second Hermitian operator, then

|g|2dx=σ2B

Now, there is a standard result in mathematics, known as the Schwartz inequality, which states that

|baf(x)g(x)dx|2ba|f(x)|2dxba|g(x)|2dx

where f and g are two general functions. Furthermore, if z is a complex number then

|z|2=[Re(z)]2+[Im(z)]2[Im(z)]2=[12˙1(zz)]2

Hence, if z=fgdx then Eqs. (224)-(227) yield

σ2Aσ2B[12i(zz)]2

 

However,
z=[(AA)ψ][(BB)ψ]dx=ψ(AA)(BB)ψdx

where use has been made of Eq. (222). The above equation reduces to

z=ψABψdxAB

 

Furthermore, it is easily demonstrated that
z=ψBAψdxAB

Hence, Eq. (228) gives

σ2Aσ2B(12i[A,B])2

where

[A,B]ABBA

Equation (232) is the general form of Heisenberg's uncertainty principle in quantum mechanics. It states that if two dynamical variables are represented by the two Hermitian operators A and B , and these operators do not commute (i.e.ABBA ), then it is

impossible to simultaneously (exactly) measure the two variables. Instead, the product of the variances in the measurements is always greater than some critical value, which depends on the extent to which the two operators do not commute.

For instance, displacement and momentum are represented (in real-space) by the operators x and pi/x, respectively. Now, it is easily demonstrated that 

[x,p]=i

 

Thus,
σxσp2

which can be recognized as the standard displacement-momentum uncertainty principle (see Sect. 3.14). It turns out that the minimum uncertainty (i.e., σxσp=/2) is only achieved by Gaussian wave packets (see Sect. 3.12): i.e.,

ψ(x)=e+ip0x/(2πσ2x)1/4e(xx0)2/4σ2xϕ(p)=eipx0/(2πσ2p)1/4e(pp0)2/4σ2p

where ϕ(p) is the momentum-space equivalent of ψ(x).

Energy and time are represented by the operators Hi/t and t, respectively. These operators do not commute, indicating that energy and time cannot be measured simultaneously. In fact,

[H,t]=i

so

σEσt2

 

This can be written, somewhat less exactly, as
ΔEΔt

where ΔE and Δt are the uncertainties in energy and time, respectively. The above expression is generally known as the energy-time uncertainty principle.

For instance, suppose that a particle passes some fixed point on the $x$-axis. Since the particle is, in reality, an extended wave packet, it takes a certain amount of time Δt for the particle to pass. Thus, there is an uncertainty, Δt,  in the arrival time of the particle. Moreover, since E=ω, the only wavefunctions which have unique energies are those with unique frequencies: i.e., plane waves. Since a wave packet of finite extent is made up of a combination of plane waves of different wavenumbers, and, hence, different frequencies, there will be an uncertainty ΔE in the particle's energy which is proportional to the range of frequencies of the plane waves making up the wave packet. The more compact the wave packet (and, hence, the smaller Δt) , the larger the range of frequencies of the constituent plane waves (and, hence, the large ΔE), vice versa. To be more exact, if ψ(t) is the wavefunction measured at the fixed point as a function of time, then we can write

ψ(t)=12πχ(E)eiEt/dE

In other words, we can express ψ(t) as a linear combination of plane waves of definite energy E. Here, χ(E) is the complex amplitude of plane waves of energy E in this combination. By Fourier's theorem, we also have

χ(E)=12πψ(t)e+iEt/dt

For instance, if ψ(t) is a Gaussian then it is easily shown that χ(E) is also a Gaussian: i.e.,

ψ(t)=eiE0t/(2πσ2t)1/4e(tt0)2/4σ2tχ(E)=e+iEt0/(2πσ2E)1/4e(EE0)2/4σ2E

where σEσt=/2. As before, Gaussian wave packets satisfy the minimum uncertainty principle σEσt=/2. Conversely, non-Gaussian wave packets are characterized by σEσt>/2.


This page titled 4.8: Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle is shared under a not declared license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Richard Fitzpatrick.

  • Was this article helpful?

Support Center

How can we help?