From 6ce0bb9a8f9fd7d169cbb414a9537d68c5290aae Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Prefetch Date: Fri, 14 Oct 2022 23:25:28 +0200 Subject: Initial commit after migration from Hugo --- source/know/concept/fermis-golden-rule/index.md | 86 +++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 86 insertions(+) create mode 100644 source/know/concept/fermis-golden-rule/index.md (limited to 'source/know/concept/fermis-golden-rule') diff --git a/source/know/concept/fermis-golden-rule/index.md b/source/know/concept/fermis-golden-rule/index.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f64e9df --- /dev/null +++ b/source/know/concept/fermis-golden-rule/index.md @@ -0,0 +1,86 @@ +--- +title: "Fermi's golden rule" +date: 2021-07-10 +categories: +- Physics +- Quantum mechanics +- Two-level system +- Optics +layout: "concept" +--- + +In quantum mechanics, **Fermi's golden rule** expresses +the transition rate between two states of a system, +when a sinusoidal perturbation is applied +at the resonance frequency $\omega = E_g / \hbar$ of the +energy gap $E_g$. The main conclusion is that the rate is independent of +time. + +From [time-dependent perturbation theory](/know/concept/time-dependent-perturbation-theory/), +we know that the transition probability +for a particle in state $\Ket{a}$ to go to $\Ket{b}$ +is as follows for a periodic perturbation at frequency $\omega$: + +$$\begin{aligned} + P_{ab} + = \frac{|V_{ba}|^2}{\hbar^2} \frac{\sin^2\!\big((\omega_{ba} - \omega) t / 2\big)}{(\omega_{ba} - \omega)^2} +\end{aligned}$$ + +Where $\omega_{ba} \equiv (E_b - E_a) / \hbar$. +If we assume that $\Ket{b}$ irreversibly absorbs an unlimited number of particles, +then we can interpret $P_{ab}$ as the "amount" of the current particle +that has transitioned since the last period $2 \pi n / (\omega_{ba} \!-\! \omega)$. + +For generality, let $E_b$ be the center +of a state continuum with width $\Delta E$. +In that case, $P_{ab}$ must be modified as follows, +where $\rho(E_x)$ is the destination's +[density of states](/know/concept/density-of-states/): + +$$\begin{aligned} + P_{ab} + &= \frac{|V_{ba}|^2}{\hbar^2} \int_{E_b - \Delta E / 2}^{E_b + \Delta E / 2} + \frac{\sin^2\!\big((\omega_{xa} - \omega) t / 2\big)}{(\omega_{xa} - \omega)^2} \:\rho(E_x) \dd{E_x} +\end{aligned}$$ + +If $E_b$ is not in a continuum, then $\rho(E_x) = \delta(E_x - E_b)$. +The integrand is a sharp sinc-function around $E_x$. +For large $t$, it is so sharp that we can take out $\rho(E_x)$. +In that case, we also simplify the integration limits. +Then we substitute $x \equiv (\omega_{xa}\!-\!\omega) / 2$ to get: + +$$\begin{aligned} + P_{ab} + &\approx \frac{2}{\hbar} |V_{ba}|^2 \rho(E_b) \int_{-\infty}^\infty \frac{\sin^2(x t)}{x^2} \:dx +\end{aligned}$$ + +This definite integral turns out to be $\pi |t|$, +so we find, because clearly $t > 0$: + +$$\begin{aligned} + P_{ab} + &= \frac{2 \pi}{\hbar} |V_{ba}|^2 \rho(E_b) \: t +\end{aligned}$$ + +The transition rate $R_{ab}$, +i.e. the number of particles per unit time, +then takes this form: + +$$\begin{aligned} + \boxed{ + R_{ab} + = \pdv{P_{ab}}{t} + = \frac{2 \pi}{\hbar} |V_{ba}|^2 \rho(E_b) + } +\end{aligned}$$ + +Note that the $t$-dependence has disappeared, +and all that remains is a constant factor involving $E_b = E_a \!+\! \hbar \omega$, +where $\omega$ is the resonance frequency. + + + +## References +1. D.J. Griffiths, D.F. Schroeter, + *Introduction to quantum mechanics*, 3rd edition, + Cambridge. -- cgit v1.2.3