How do you derive Slater determinant from creation operator?

In summary, the conversation discusses the derivation of the Slater determinant for N fermions by starting with the vacuum state and the creation operators with anticommutation equations. It is mentioned that Gordon Baym's book, "Lectures on Quantum Mechanics," has a good explanation of this, with a minor typo to watch out for.
  • #1
Amentia
110
5
Hello,

Could someone provide me with a good proof or explain me here how we can derive Slater determinant for N fermions by starting with the vacuum state and the creation operators with anticommutation equations. I see that the idea of both these structures is similar but I cannot work it out rigorously.

Thank you.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Amentia said:
Hello,

Could someone provide me with a good proof or explain me here how we can derive Slater determinant for N fermions by starting with the vacuum state and the creation operators with anticommutation equations. I see that the idea of both these structures is similar but I cannot work it out rigorously.

Thank you.
Gordon Baym's book Lectures on Quantum Mechanics covers this in the chapter on Second Quantization. His treatment of it is quite good, other than on occasion he does have a ## \sqrt{n!} ## that should be simply a ## \sqrt{n} ## or similar minor typo. I think the book is currently out of print but very good reading if you can get a copy of it.
 
  • #3
Thank you, I will take a look at this chapter.
 

Related to How do you derive Slater determinant from creation operator?

1. What is a Slater determinant?

A Slater determinant is a mathematical expression that represents the wave function of a system of electrons in quantum mechanics. It is used to describe the antisymmetric properties of the wave function, which is necessary in order to account for the Pauli exclusion principle.

2. What is a creation operator?

A creation operator is a mathematical operator used in quantum mechanics to create a new state from a given state. It is represented by the symbol a and is used to describe the creation of a particle in a particular energy state.

3. How do you derive a Slater determinant from a creation operator?

The derivation involves applying the creation operator to the vacuum state, which represents the state with no particles present. This results in a state with one particle, which can be written as a linear combination of all possible single-particle states. This linear combination is known as a Slater determinant.

4. Why is the Slater determinant important?

The Slater determinant is important because it is used to describe the quantum state of a system of electrons in an antisymmetric manner, taking into account the Pauli exclusion principle. It is also used in the calculation of many important quantities in quantum chemistry, such as energy and electron density.

5. Are there any limitations to using a Slater determinant?

Yes, there are limitations to using a Slater determinant. It is only applicable to systems of non-interacting electrons, and cannot be used to describe systems with strong electron-electron interactions. In addition, it is only an approximation and does not take into account the full complexity of quantum systems.

Similar threads

Replies
9
Views
2K
Replies
2
Views
1K
  • Quantum Physics
Replies
15
Views
2K
  • Quantum Physics
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • Advanced Physics Homework Help
Replies
2
Views
1K
  • Quantum Physics
Replies
2
Views
3K
Replies
16
Views
1K
Replies
1
Views
3K
  • Quantum Physics
Replies
2
Views
1K
Replies
1
Views
1K
Back
Top