Lecture 25

Spherical Potential Well

December 6, 2010
Lecture 25
Review: Spherical Harmonics
For spherically symmetric potential: V (r)
r|Elm =
Elm
(r, , ) = R
El
(r)Y
m
l
(, )
Y
m
l
(, ) = |lm
Y
m
l
(, ) = (1)
m
1
2
l
l!

(2l + 1)!(l +m)!

4(2l)!(l m)!

1/2
e
im
(sin )
m

d
lm
d(cos)
lm
(sin )
2l
= (1)
m

(2l + 1)(l m)!

4(2l)!(l +m)!

1/2
e
im
P
m
l
(cos )
Z
Y
m

(, )Y
m
l
(, ) d =
l

m
Lecture 25 1
Review: Spherical Harmonics
| =
ZZ
|r

| r

2
dr

| =
X
l
X
m
|r

lmr

lm| r

2
dr

r| = (r, , ) =
Z
X
l
X
m
r|r

lmr

lm| r

2
dr

=
X
l
X
m
Y
m
l
(, )rlm| =
X
l
X
m
Y
m
l
(, )C
lm
(r)
rlm| = C
lm
(r) =
ZZ
rlm|r

| r

2
dr

=
Z
Y

m
l
(

)r

| d

=
Z
Y

m
l
(, )(r,

) d

Lecture 25 2
Probabilities
P
rob
(r, , ) = |r||
2
=
X
l
X
m
|Y
m
l
(, )|
2
|C
lm
(r)|
2
P
rob
(, ) =
Z
X
l
X
m
|Y
m
l
(, )|
2
|C
lm
(r)|
2
r

2
dr

=
X
l
X
m
|Y
m
l
(, )|
2
c
lm
P
rob
(r, l, m) = |rlm||
2
= |C
lm
(r)|
2
=
ZZ
|Y
m
l
(, )|
2
|(r, , )|
2
d
P
rob
(lm) =
Z
|C
lm
(r)|
2
r
2
dr
Lecture 25 3
Schrodinger Equation for a Spherically Symmetric
Potential
"
h
2
2m

2
+ V (r) E
#

Elm
(r, , ) = 0
with
Elm
(r, , ) = R
El
(r)Y
m
l
(, )
Take the expression for the Laplacian in spherical coordinates that
you derived in homework 6.

2
=

2
r
2
+
2
r

r
+
1
r
2

2
+
cot
r
2

+
1
r
2
sin
2

2
It is not dicult to show that this can be written as:

2
=
1
r
2

r
2

r

+
1
r
2
"
1
sin

sin

+
1
sin
2

2
#
But we know that: r, , |

L
2
|E, l, m
= h
2
"
1
sin

sin

+
1
sin
2

2
#

Elm
(r, , )
= h
2
"
1
sin

sin

+
1
sin
2

2
#
R
El
(r)Y
m
l
(, )
= h
2
l(l + 1)R
El
(r)Y
m
l
(, )
Lecture 25 4
The Radial Solutions
"

h
2
2m
1
r
2
d
dr

r
2
d
dr

+
l(l + 1) h
2
2mr
2
+V (r) E
#

Elm
(r) = 0
The angular dependent part of the energy eigenstates for any
spherically symmetric potential, V (r) is given by the spherical
harmonics. So that part of the work is already done for us. The
remaing task for a given V (r) is to solve for R
El
(r).
"

h
2
2m
1
r
2
d
dr

r
2
d
dr

+
l(l + 1) h
2
2mr
2
+V (r) E
#
R
El
(r) = 0
It will help to make a change of function:
R
El
(r)

El
(r)
r
"

h
2
2m
d
2
dr
2
+
l(l + 1) h
2
2mr
2
+V (r) E
#

El
(r) = 0
This is a one-dimensional Schrodinger equation with an angular
momentum barrier.
Lets look at the asymptotic solutions.
Lecture 25 5
Asymptotic Solution for Small r
Assume that r
2
V (r) 0 as r 0
"

h
2
2m
d
2
dr
2
+
l(l + 1) h
2
2mr
2
#

El
(r) = 0

El
(r) =
l(l + 1)
r
2

El
(r)
Try the trial solution:
El
(r) r

( 1) = l(l + 1)
= l (irregular solution) or = l+1 (regular solution)
Lecture 25 6
l = 0 Case

El
(r) r
l
R
EL
(r) r
(l+1)
|R
EL
(r)|
2

1
r
(2l+2)
This is not normalizable.

Z
0
|R
EL
(r)|
2
r
2
dr

Z
0
r
2l
dr = r
2l+1

0
=
only
El
(r) r
l+1
is allowed
R
EL
(r) r
l
R
EL
(r) = 0 if l = 0
This is the eect of the angular momentum barrier term.
Lecture 25 7
l = 0 Case

El
(r) r
0
a constant
R
EL
(r)
1
r
so normalization is OK
But from electrostatics we know that: =
q
r
is a solution to:

2
= 4 with = q
3
(r)
R
EL
(r)
1
r
would require a function potential at r = 0.

El
(r) r
l+1
for all l
R
El
(r) r
l
for all l

El
(0) = 0
Lecture 25 8
Asymptotic Solution for Large r
Assume that rV (r) 0 as r
Note that this excludes the case of a Coulomb potential. Well
come back to this later when we discuss the hydrogen atom.
"

h
2
2m
d
2
dr
2
E
#

El
(r) = 0
For E > 0, this is the equation for a one-dimensional free particle.

El
(r) = Ae
ikr
+ Be
ikr
k =

2mE/ h
It is subject to the boundary condition
El
(0) = 0. This
determines, f, the ratio of B to A, and there is one free constant
left, A that is then xed by the normalization.
R
El
(r) = A

e
ikr
+ fe
ikr
r
!
For E < 0,

El
(r) = Ae
Kr
+ Be
Kr
K =
q
2m|E|/ h
Here we must require that B = 0 so that R
El
(r) does not blow
up at r = . Again, there is one free constant left, A, that is
xed by the normalization
R
El
(r) =
Ae
Kr
r
Lecture 25 9
Spherical Potential Well
V (x) =
8
<
:
0 if r < a (Region I)
V
0
if r > a (Region II)
Firtst solve for Region I.

h
2
2m

2
E
!

Elm
(r, , ) = 0

2
+
2mE
h
2

Elm
(r, , ) = 0

2
+ k
2

Elm
(r, , ) = 0 with k =
s
2mE
h
2
This is the Helmhotz equation. The radial part is:
"
d
2
dr
2
+
2
r
d
dr

l(l + 1)
r
2
+ k
2
#
R
El
(r) = 0
Set = kr
"
d
2
d
2
+
2

d
d

l(l + 1)

2
+ 1
#

R
El
() = 0
Lecture 25 10
Spherical Bessel Functions
"
d
2
d
2
+
2

d
d

l(l + 1)

2
+ 1
#

R
El
() = 0
This looks like the Bessel equation except that l(l + 1) is not the
square of an integer. The solutions are the spherical Bessel functions
j
l
(kr) =

2kr

1/2
J
l+1/2
(kr)
j
0
(kr) =
sin kr
kr
j
1
(kr) =
sin kr
(kr)
2

cos kr
kr
j
2
(kr) =

3
(kr)
3

1
kr

sin kr
3
(kr)
2
cos kr
as r 0 j
l
(kr)
(kr)
l
(2l + 1)!!
as r j
l
(kr)
sin(kr l/2)
kr
Lecture 25 11
Spherical Neumann Functions
The spherical Neumann functions are also solutions
n
l
(kr) = (1)
l+1

2kr

1/2
J
l1/2
(kr)
n
0
(kr) =
cos kr
kr
n
1
(kr) =
cos kr
(kr)
2

sin kr
kr
n
2
(kr) =

3
(kr)
3

1
kr

cos kr
3
(kr)
2
sin kr
as r 0 n
l
(kr)
(2l 1)!!
(kr)
l+1
as r n
l
(kr)
cos(kr l/2)
kr
The general solution with quantum number l in region I is
Aj
l
(kr) + Bn
l
(kr)
Lecture 25 12
Overall Solution
For E > V
0
, the general solution in Region II with quantum
number l is
Cj
l
(k

r) + Dn
l
(k

r) with k

=
p
2m(E V
0
)
h
The overall solution is then
Aj
l
(kr) + Bn
l
(kr) for r < a
Cj
l
(k

r) + Dn
l
(k

r) for r > a
There are three boundary conditions
at the origin: R
El
(r) r
l
as r 0 B = 0
at r = a: continuity of the wavefunction and its derivative
There is also a normalization condition.
These together exactly use up the four available constants and there
is no constraint on the energy. The energy spectrum is continuous.
Lecture 25 13
Spherical Hankel Functions
Spherical Hankel functions
h
l
(kr) = l
l
(kr) + in
l
(kr)
h

l
(kr) = l
l
(kr) in
l
(kr)
The solution for r > a can then be written as
Eh
l
(k

r) + Fh

l
(k

r)
As r
h
l
(kr)
e
[ikr(l+1)/2]
kr
h

l
(kr)
e
[ikr(l+1)/2]
kr
These are outgoing and incoming spherical plane waves, respectively.
Lecture 25 14
Bound State Solutions
For E < V
0
the solution is
Aj
l
(kr) for r < a
Ch
l
(Kr) + Dh

l
(Kr) for r > a
K =
p
2m(V
0
E)
h
as r the asymptotic solution is
1
Kr

Ce
Kr
+ De
Kr

The boundary condition at r = requires that D = 0

There are still two boundary conditions that must be satised.
Continuity of the wavefunction and its derivative at r = a as
well as the normalization condition. But there are only two free
constants left. It is over constrained leading do a constraint on
the allowable energies. The energies, as for all bound states, are
quantized.
Lecture 25 15