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Hal Hollis
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but is there some other reason for calling it momentum space?

The canonical commutation relation for the position and momentum operators is (in one dimension)

$$[X, P]|\psi\rangle = (XP - PX)|\psi\rangle = i\hbar|\psi\rangle$$

On the position basis, this is

$$[x,P]\psi(x) = (xP - Px)\psi(x) = i\hbar\psi(x)$$$$[x,P_x]\psi(x) = (xP_x - P_xx)\psi(x) = i\hbar\psi(x)$$

and it follows that a position basis representation of the momentum operator is

$$P_x = -i\hbar\partial_x$$


A wavefunction with definite momentum $p$ is then

$$\psi_p(x) = e^{\frac{i}{\hbar}px} = \langle x|p\rangle$$

such that

$$P_x\psi_p(x) = -i\hbar\partial_x\,e^{\frac{i}{\hbar}px} = pe^{\frac{i}{\hbar}px} = p\psi_p(x)$$

Now, if we write

$$k = \frac{p}{\hbar}$$

then

$$\psi_p(x) = e^{ikx}$$


The momentum space wavefunction $\psi(p)$ is just the ket $|\psi\rangle$ projected onto the momentum basis:

$$\psi(p) = \langle p | \psi\rangle = \int\mathrm{d}x\, \langle p | x\rangle\langle x | \psi\rangle$$

where I have used the completeness relation

$$1 = \int\mathrm{d}x\,|x\rangle\langle x | $$ but

$$\psi(x) = \langle x | \psi\rangle$$

and

$$e^{-\frac{i}{\hbar}px} = \langle p| x\rangle$$

thus

$$\psi(p) = \int\mathrm{d}x\,\psi(x)\,e^{-\frac{i}{\hbar}px}$$

or, finally

$$\psi(k) = \int\mathrm{d}x\,\psi(x)\,e^{-ikx} $$

but is there some other reason for calling it momentum space?

The canonical commutation relation for the position and momentum operators is (in one dimension)

$$[X, P]|\psi\rangle = (XP - PX)|\psi\rangle = i\hbar|\psi\rangle$$

On the position basis, this is

$$[x,P]\psi(x) = (xP - Px)\psi(x) = i\hbar\psi(x)$$

and it follows that a position basis representation of the momentum operator is

$$P_x = -i\hbar\partial_x$$


A wavefunction with definite momentum $p$ is then

$$\psi_p(x) = e^{\frac{i}{\hbar}px} = \langle x|p\rangle$$

such that

$$P_x\psi_p(x) = -i\hbar\partial_x\,e^{\frac{i}{\hbar}px} = pe^{\frac{i}{\hbar}px} = p\psi_p(x)$$

Now, if we write

$$k = \frac{p}{\hbar}$$

then

$$\psi_p(x) = e^{ikx}$$


The momentum space wavefunction $\psi(p)$ is just the ket $|\psi\rangle$ projected onto the momentum basis:

$$\psi(p) = \langle p | \psi\rangle = \int\mathrm{d}x\, \langle p | x\rangle\langle x | \psi\rangle$$

where I have used the completeness relation

$$1 = \int\mathrm{d}x\,|x\rangle\langle x | $$ but

$$\psi(x) = \langle x | \psi\rangle$$

and

$$e^{-\frac{i}{\hbar}px} = \langle p| x\rangle$$

thus

$$\psi(p) = \int\mathrm{d}x\,\psi(x)\,e^{-\frac{i}{\hbar}px}$$

or, finally

$$\psi(k) = \int\mathrm{d}x\,\psi(x)\,e^{-ikx} $$

but is there some other reason for calling it momentum space?

The canonical commutation relation for the position and momentum operators is (in one dimension)

$$[X, P]|\psi\rangle = (XP - PX)|\psi\rangle = i\hbar|\psi\rangle$$

On the position basis, this is

$$[x,P_x]\psi(x) = (xP_x - P_xx)\psi(x) = i\hbar\psi(x)$$

and it follows that a position basis representation of the momentum operator is

$$P_x = -i\hbar\partial_x$$


A wavefunction with definite momentum $p$ is then

$$\psi_p(x) = e^{\frac{i}{\hbar}px} = \langle x|p\rangle$$

such that

$$P_x\psi_p(x) = -i\hbar\partial_x\,e^{\frac{i}{\hbar}px} = pe^{\frac{i}{\hbar}px} = p\psi_p(x)$$

Now, if we write

$$k = \frac{p}{\hbar}$$

then

$$\psi_p(x) = e^{ikx}$$


The momentum space wavefunction $\psi(p)$ is just the ket $|\psi\rangle$ projected onto the momentum basis:

$$\psi(p) = \langle p | \psi\rangle = \int\mathrm{d}x\, \langle p | x\rangle\langle x | \psi\rangle$$

where I have used the completeness relation

$$1 = \int\mathrm{d}x\,|x\rangle\langle x | $$ but

$$\psi(x) = \langle x | \psi\rangle$$

and

$$e^{-\frac{i}{\hbar}px} = \langle p| x\rangle$$

thus

$$\psi(p) = \int\mathrm{d}x\,\psi(x)\,e^{-\frac{i}{\hbar}px}$$

or, finally

$$\psi(k) = \int\mathrm{d}x\,\psi(x)\,e^{-ikx} $$

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Hal Hollis
  • 2.1k
  • 9
  • 16

but is there some other reason for calling it momentum space?

The canonical commutation relation for the position and momentum operators is (in one dimension)

$$[X, P]|\psi\rangle = (XP - PX)|\psi\rangle = i\hbar|\psi\rangle$$

On the position basis, this is

$$[x,P]\psi(x) = (xP - Px)\psi(x) = i\hbar\psi(x)$$

and it follows that a position basis representation of the momentum operator is

$$P_x = -i\hbar\partial_x$$


A wavefunction with definite momentum $p$ is then

$$\psi_p(x) = e^{\frac{i}{\hbar}px} = \langle x|p\rangle$$

such that

$$P_x\psi_p(x) = -i\hbar\partial_x\,e^{\frac{i}{\hbar}px} = pe^{\frac{i}{\hbar}px} = p\psi_p(x)$$

Now, if we write

$$k = \frac{p}{\hbar}$$

then

$$\psi_p(x) = e^{ikx}$$


The momentum space wavefunction $\psi(p)$ is just the ket $|\psi\rangle$ projected onto the momentum basis:

$$\psi(p) = \langle p | \psi\rangle = \int\mathrm{d}x\, \langle p | x\rangle\langle x | \psi\rangle$$

where I have used the completeness relation

$$1 = \int\mathrm{d}x\,|x\rangle\langle x | $$ but

$$\psi(x) = \langle x | \psi\rangle$$

and

$$e^{-\frac{i}{\hbar}px} = \langle p| x\rangle$$

thus

$$\psi(p) = \int\mathrm{d}x\,\psi(x)\,e^{-\frac{i}{\hbar}px}$$

or, finally

$$\psi(k) = \int\mathrm{d}x\,\psi(x)\,e^{-ikx} $$