353 Phys - CH7 part3

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The Time independent Schr

Schrdinger Equation

h2 2

+V = i h
2m
t
TimeTime-dependent Schr
Schrdinger wave eq

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353 Phys - CH7 part3

TimeTime-independent Schr
Schrdinger equation

stationary .
V

) V ( x, t ) = V ( x
:

h2 2
=
+ V ( x)
t
2m x 2

)(1

) (RHS
) x t

ih

) (LHS
t

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separation of variables
) ( x , t ) = ( x )T ( t

) (x ) T(t .
:

)(2

h2 2

]) [ ( x)T (t )] + V ( x) ( x)T (t ) = ih [ ( x)T (t

2m x 2
t
etc

Total
partial derivative

)(3

Page 4

2
d 2
=

(
x
)
T
(
t
)
T
(
t
)
[
]
dx 2
x 2

h
d
dT
T 2 + V ( x) T = ih
2m dx
dt
2

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353 Phys - CH7 part3

)(4

h 2 d 2
dT

T 2 + V ( x ) T = ih
2m dx
dt

1 dT
h 2 1 d 2

+ V ( x) = ih
2
T dt
2m dx
x t

x t E) E (

)(5

)(6

1 dT
=E
T dt

ih

h 2 1 d 2

+V (x ) = E
2m dx 2

.
E
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dt

iE
t
h
)(7

dT iE
=
T
h

= ln T

1 dT
=E
T dt
dT iE
T = h dt

ih

T (t ) = e i ( E / h )t

) (E/ .
:
(E/) 1/s
unit of E=unit of /s =J.s/s=J
J.s/s=J
E )(J
E
E=

)(8

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T (t ) = e iEt / h = e i t
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353 Phys - CH7 part3

)(6

h 2 1 d 2

+V (x ) = E
2m dx 2

) (6 :

)(9

h 2 d 2

+V (x ) = E
2m dx 2

) (TISE :

)(10

)(11
)(12

d 2 2m
+
[ E V (x )] = 0
dx 2 h 2
2m
[ E V (x , y , z )] (x , y , z ) = 0
h2

2 (x , y , z ) +

H = E

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) (TDSE :

( x, t ) = ( x )T (t ) = ( x )e iEt / h

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353 Phys - CH7 part3

SUMMARY

)(TISE

h2 2

+ V ( x, t ) = ih
2
2m x
t

P ( x, t ) dx = ( x, t ) dx = * ( x, t ) ( x, t ) dx
2

Probability

normalization

=1

)(TISE

) dx ( x, t

= ) dx P ( x, t

h 2 d 2
)+ V ( x) ( x) = E ( x
2m dx 2

( x, t ) = ( x )T (t ) = ( x )e iEt / h
:


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TISE

d 2 2m
+
[ E V (x )] = 0
dx 2 h 2
)V(x
) (1 V(x) = V0 = 0

d 2 2m
+
E = 0
dx 2 h 2
:

2mE / h 2

N .

(x) = Ne i

) (2 V0 E > V0

(x) = Ae ikx + Be -ikx = A ' sin kx + B ' cos kx

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) 2m (V o E
h2

= k

A, B, A .
A, B
B
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353 Phys - CH7 part3

) (2 V0 E > V0

d 2 2m
+
[ E V (x )] = 0
dx 2 h 2
) 2 m ( E V o
d 2
= k
+ k 2 = 0
2
h2
dx
(x) = Ae ikx + Be -ikx = A ' sin kx + B ' cos kx

A, B, A .
A, B
B

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) (3 V0 E < V0

d 2m
+
[V 0 E ] = 0
dx 2 h 2
2

) 2 m ( E V o
h2

= k

d 2
k 2 = 0
2
dx

( x ) = Ce k 2x + De k 2 x
C,D .

:
) (1 discrete energy states
.
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353 Phys - CH7 part3

Applications: simple systems

Potential wells
Stationary states
atoms (crude model)
electrons in metals (surprisingly good model)

Potential barriers
Tunnelling
radioactive decay

Potential steps
Scattering
Boundary conditions at a potential discontinuity

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Boundary conditions at a potential discontinuity

(1) The wavefunction,
wavefunction, , is continuous
(2) The gradient , d/dx,
/dx, is continuous
(x )

=0
when x = 0

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x =0

x =L

=0
when x = L

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353 Phys - CH7 part3

The Infinite Square Well potential

V ( x) =

x < -a/2 or x > a/2

-a/2 < x < a/2

For a/2 < x < a/2 the general solution is still

(x) = Asinkx + Bcoskx

k=

where

2mE
h

(x) = 0 at x = a/2

What are the boundary conditions ?

Asin(-ka/2) + Bcos(-ka/2) = 0
Asin(ka/2) + Bcos(ka/2) = 0

adding, we find

2Bcos(ka/2) = 0

subtracting we find

2Asin(ka/2) = 0

Since we require that A or B be different from zero, we get two classes of solutions:
Class One: A = 0, cos(ka/2) = 0

Class Two:B = 0, sin(ka/2) = 0

(x) = Bcos(kx)
ka/2 = /2, 3/2, 5/2,
kn = n/a, n odd

(x) = Asin(kx)
ka/2 = n
kn = n/a, n even 0.
En =

p n2 h 2 k n2 2 h 2 n 2
=
=
2m
2m
2 ma 2

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En =

p n2 h 2 k n2 2 h 2 n 2
=
=
2m
2m
2 ma 2

consider E1: This is the lowest energy the particle

cannot have zero energy basically due to the uncertainty
principle. Equivalently, there must be zero-point energy
because there must be zero-point motion

Note alternating parity! (again)

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compare classical (dashed) with QM

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The Square Well potential

V ( x) =

V0

x < -a/2 or x > a/2

-a/2 < x < a/2

What do we expect classically ?

If E < V0 then classically (i) the particle will be bound
to the well, if E V0 particle is free
Many systems can be approximated with a square well
potential (i.e. many closely space ions in a line)
The general solution of Schrdingers equation inside the well is

( x ) = Ae ik x + Be ik x
I

2mE
h

k1 =

where

Alternatively, the two independent solutions can be written as

(x) = BcoskIx and (x) = AsinkIx

so the general solution is

(x) = AsinkIx + BcoskIx

Outside the well, for E < V0, we have

II

( x ) = Fe
What can we immediately say about D and F ?
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II x

x < -a/2

k II x

x > a/2

( x ) = Ce k x + De k
k II x

+ Ge

k II =

2m(V0 E )
h

Both zero
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353 Phys - CH7 part3

As usual, the relations between A, B, C, and G are determined by the continuity of and
d/dx at x = a/2
So, we now have 4 equations and only 4 unknowns this is a problem. Why ?
We need to leave one constant free for amplitude (and so we can satisfy the normalization condition)
To solve this, we treat the total energy as an additional constant that can be adjusted as necessary
(where we will find that E can only take on certain values )
The general solution to the square-well potential is quite complex and involves a transcendental
equation see Appendix H
three bound eigenvalues

three bound eigenfunctions

Note alternating parity!

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Before moving onto the next section, it is instructive to consider what happens as we let V0 becomes
very large

moderate height

infinite height

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353 Phys - CH7 part3

The Barrier potential

V ( x) =

So whats a barrier potential ?

V0

0<x<a

x < 0, x > a

Classically what do we expect for particle traveling in the +x direction towards x = 0 ?

If E < V0, particle bounces back, if E > V0, particle passes barrier, slow down in 0 < x < a, speed up x > a
Quantum mechanically we find tunneling through the barrier when E < V0, with a probability which
(a) increases as E - V0 increases and (b) decreases as a increases.
(b) We will also find that inside the barrier (x) decays exponentially.
In the next section we will consider several tunneling phenomena in detail
in this section we solve Schrdingers equation for (x)
Looking first at the regions x < 0 and x > a, what are the general solutions ?

( x) =

Ae ik1 x + Be ik1 x
Ce ik1x + De ik1x

x<0

where

x>a

k1 =

2mE
h

And since there is no particle moving in x > a towards x < a, what can we say about D ?

D=0

What info do we need before we can write down the general solution for the region 0 < x < a ?
Whether E < V0 or E > V0

Weve already examined both cases lets start with E < V0

So whats the general solution in the region 0 < x < a with E < V0 ?

( x) = Fe k x + Ge + k x
2

k2 =

where

2m(V0 E )
h

What are our continuity conditions ?

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A+B=F+G
ik1(A - B) = k2(-F + G)

Ce ik1a = Fe k2 a + Ge + k 2 a

ik1Ce ik1a = k 2 {Ge + k 2 a Fe k 2 a }

As expected, we have indeed 4 linear equations in the 5 unknowns A, B, C, F, and G.
To solve, first express F and G in terms of A and B, then C in terms of A and B, then finally B in terms of A

What does * look like ?

For T we find T =

v1C * C
e k2a e k2a
= 1 +

v1 A * A 16 ( E / V0 )(1 E / V0 )

and if k2a >> 1 then

T 16

sinh 2 k 2 a
= 1 +

4( E / V0 )(1 E / V0 )

E
E
1 e 2 k 2 a
V0 V0

T decreases exponentially with increasing barrier width a. The last two results provide the
essence of barrier penetration or tunneling phenomena, which are purely quantum mechanical

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353 Phys - CH7 part3

The Step potential: energy > step height

First question: what happens to a classical particle ?
A particle moving in the +x direction will simply slow
down at x = 0, from v1 = p1/m = [2E/m]1/2 to
v2 = p2/m = [2(E - V0)/m]1/2
What happens to a wave ?
A wave traveling in the +x direction and passing from the first medium to the second medium will be
partially reflected and partially transmitted
So, the quantum mechanical interpretation for a particle would be ?
The particle has a certain probability T of being transmitted and a probability R = 1 T of being reflected
The general solution here is, of course, the same as for the x < 0 part of the E < V0 case, who remembers ?

( x) =

Ae ik1 x + Be ik1x
Ce ik 2 x + De ik 2 x

x<0
x>0

where

k1 =

Noting - the physical meaning of each term

- that the particle is moving from x <0 towards x > 0
- that there is no particle moving in x > 0 towards x < 0

2mE
h

and k 2 =

2m( E V0 )
h

What can we say about D ?

D=0?

And from the continuity of (x) at x = 0 what constraint do we have ? A + B = C

What do we get from the continuity of d(x)/dx at x = 0 ? ik1(A B) = ik2C

A B = k2/k1 C

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Adding these two equations we get

k C k +k C
A = 1 + 2 = 1 2
k1 2 k1 2

C=

2k1
A
k1 + k 2

And subtracting

k C k k C
B = 1 2 = 1 2
k1 2 k1 2

B=

k1 k 2
A
k1 + k 2

For x 0, what does the first term represent ?

incident particle
and the second term ?

( x) =

reflected particle
For x 0, what does the only term represent ?
transmitted particle
So, what does P(x,t) = * look like ?

k1 k 2 ik1 x
e
k1 + k 2
2 k1 ik 2 x
A
e
k1 + k 2

Ae ik1 x + A

x0
x0

choosing
k1 = 2k2

x 0: combination of a traveling plane wave

+ oscillatory standing wave
x 0: traveling plane wave
The reflection coefficient R is
R=

B * B k1 k 2

=
A * A k1 + k 2

is < 1 when k2 < k1 (E > V0 )

353 PHYS

The transmission probability is

woops! Why doesnt T equal

T = 1 R =

4k1k 2

(k1 + k 2 )2

C *C
A* A

C *C
?
A* A
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353 Phys - CH7 part3

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353 Phys - CH7 part3

GOOD LUCK FOR EVERY 106 Phys
STUDENTS
106

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