Harvard University

Physics 143b: Quantum Mechanics II

Problem Set 7 due Friday November 8 1. We use units with h = c = 1. Consider the Dirac equation for a particle of mass m in one spatial dimension i + m = i x t (1)

(a) Show that there are solutions for Dirac conditions using 2 2 matrices and , so that is a two component wavefunction. Use the Pauli matrices as solutions = z and = x . (b) Find plane wave solutions with energy E = k,+ (x, t) = c1 c2 k 2 + m2 with eikxiEt (2)

Determine c1 and c2 so that |c1 |2 + |c2 |2 = 1. (c) Similarly nd the solution k, with energy E = k 2 + m2 . (d) Take the non-relativistic limit of the above solutions, |k | one component of the wavefunction is large in this limit. (e) Write down the form of the solutions in the massless limit, m = 0, where the particles travel at the velocity of light. (Neutrinos are examples of such (nearly) massless particles). 2. Show that the following continuity equation is satised for the free Dirac equation in three spatial dimensions: +J =0 t where is the probability density, and J is the probability current density = , J = c (4) (3) m. Show that only

3. Electrons in graphene are described by the two-dimensional Dirac equation with mass m = 0, and a velocity c which is about 1% of the velocity of light. Remarkably, a combination of the non-relativistic Schr odinger equation and the potential created 1

by the carbon atoms in a hexagonal lattice becomes equivalent to the massless Dirac equation in the low energy limit (this you will have to accept here without proof). We will consider a thin strip of graphene in which the electronic motion is along only one dimension (x), and so is described by m = 0 limit of the one-dimensional Dirac equation considered in problem 1 above. External electrodes are used to create a potential V (x) acting on the graphene strip, so that the electrons are now described by the equation i + V (x) = i , x t (5)

where = x , and we use units with h = c = 1. Take V (x) in the form of a step at x = 0: V (x) = 0 , x<0 V0 , x > 0 (6)

with V0 > 0. We will consider the reection and transmission of a wave coming in from the left with energy E > 0. For x < 0, we can use the solutions in 1e above, to write down in the incoming and reected wave as = k,+ + r k,+ where r is the reection co-ecient and k = E . (a) Show that for x > 0 there are 2 independent solutions with energy E , which appear at the wavevectors k = |E V0 |. Write the solutions in the form (2), and determine c1,2 for the 4 cases (i ) k > 0, E > V0 , (ii ) k < 0, E > V0 , (iii ) k > 0, 0 < E < V0 , (iv ) k < 0, 0 < E < V0 . (b) We will now match the solutions for x < 0 and x > 0 at x = 0. Because the equation has only a single spatial derivative, we need only require that both components of the wavefunction are continuous at x = 0. For E > V0 , nd a solution for x > 0 so that r = 0. So there is perfect transmission for any barrier height! (c) Can you nd a solution for 0 < E < V0 for x > 0 so that r = 0? Use the expressions for the current in question 2 to give a physical interpretation of such a solution. , x<0 (7)