5.

73 Lecture #2

2-1

free particle V(x)=V0

Last Time:

general solution

= Aeikx + Beikx

A,B are complex constants, determined by boundary conditions

k=

p
h

(from e ikx , eigenfunction of p, and the real number, p, is the eigenvalue)

1/2

2m
k = (E V0 ) 2

probability

for E V0

P( x ) = * = |1
A4
|2 2
+4
| B4
|2 + 21Re
( A * B) cos 2 kx2
+ 4444444
2 Im( A * B)sin 23
kx
4
3
4444444
const.

distribution

wiggly

only get wiggly stuff when 2 or

more different values of k are
superimposed. In this special
case we had +k and k.
TODAY

and
1. infinite box
2. (x) well
3. (x) barrier

and

5.73 Lecture #2

2-2

What do we know about (x) for physically realistic V(x)?

( ) = ?
* ( x) ( x) for all x?

* ( x) ( x)dx ?

Continuity of and d /dx ?

Computationally convenient potentials have steps and flat regions.

infinite step

finite step

infinitely high but infinitely thin step, -function

continuous
d d 2
,
not continuous for infinite step, and not for -function
dx dx 2
d
is continuous for finite step
dx

More warm up exercises

1.

Infinite box
V(x)
0

( x) = Ae ikx + Be ikx = C cos kx + D sin kx

[C=A+B, D=iA iB]

(0) = 0 C = 0
(L) = 0 kL = n

n = 1, 2 ,

( why not n

= 0?)

5.73 Lecture #2
recall

2-3

2m n 2 2
= 2
V0 = 0
L
h2
Insert kL = n boundary condition.
k 2 = ( E V0 )

En = n2

h2 2
2 h
2
2 = n
mL
2 mL
8

here.
En is integer multiple
of common factor, E1.
Important for
# of bound levels wavepackets!
n = 0 would be
empty box

E1

normalization (P=1 for 1 particle in well)

L
|D|= (2 / L)1/2
1 =| D |2 dx sin 2 ( nx)
0

n ( x) = (2 / L )1/ 2 sin( nx)

because

L
2
0 sin ( nx)dx = L / 2

i
D = (2 / L)1/2 e{
arbitrary
phase
factor

cartoons of n(x): what happens to {n} and {En} if

we move well:
left or right in x?
up or down in E?

Infinite well was easy: 2 boundary conditions plus normalization requirement.

Generalize to stepwise constant potentials: in each V(x)=constant region,
need to know 2 complex coefficients and, if the particle is confined within a
finite range of x, there is quantization of energy.
* boundary and joining conditions
* normalization
* overall phase arbitrariness
So next step is to deal with case where boundary conditions are not so
obvious. (x) well and barrier.

5.73 Lecture #2

2-4
0

V(x)

V(x) = a (x)

a has units Energy x Length

(because, as we will see, (x) has
units of reciprocal length)

a>0

= 0 everywhere except V(0) = a

strength of the -function well

Schrdinger
Equation
Integrate:

2m
d2
(3
E4
+2
a4
x) 2
2 = (1
dx
E V( x ) h

2 mE
2 ma

dx
dx
x
x
x
lim
=

lim

(
)
+

(
)

(
)

h2

0
0
dx2
h2

d
d
=
LHS =

size of discontinuity
dx x =+ dx x =
+

d2

in

d
at x = 0
dx

RHS = 0

because
2mE
(0)
h2
is finite and integral
over region of length
2 0.

2ma

h2

(0)

because, by the definition of a fn

(x)(x)dx = (0)
or, more generally

(x a)(x)dx = (a)

5.73 Lecture #2

2-5

Since the potential has even symmetry wrt

x x, (x) must be even or odd (not a
mixture) with respect to x x, thus (x) = (x). If (x) is even, there must be a
cusp in (x) at x = 0
(x) is

(x)

continuous
0
OR

BUT NOT

(x) is not
continuous
at x = 0
So what happens
when (x)
is an odd function?
d(+) d()
2ma

= 2 (0)
dx
dx
h

The new
boundary condition

since there is + reflection symmetry for an even (x)

d(+)
d()
=
dx
dx
ma
d()
= m 2 (0)
dx
h

Now find the eigenfunctions and eigenvalues. Standard procedure: divide

space into regions and match and d/dx across boundaries.

5.73 Lecture #2

2-6

Region I

Region II
0

L = I = A L e + x + BL e x

(8 unknowns, because A and B can

be complex numbers)

V(x)
|x|>0
E= |E|

Let E < 0

R = II = A R e + x + BR e x
1/ 2

| E | 2m
=
h 2

(THIS IS WHAT WE DO WHEN k

WOULD BE IMAGINARY)

(+
)=0

AR = 0

unknowns
determined
(2)

(
)=0

BL = 0

(2)

L()=
R(+)0

AL = BR A

(2)

arbitrary phase

(1)

normalization

(1)
(8)

d R ( + )
ma
= Ae 0 = 2 A(0)
h
dx
=

ma
h2

d L ()
+ ma
= + Ae +0 = 2 A
(0)
h
dx

again

ma
= 2
h

L = Ae x
R = Ae x

Done!

required discontinuity in d/dx at

x = 0.

5.73 Lecture #2

2-7

Only one acceptable value of one value of E < 0

2 2
2
ma

ma
h
= 2 |E|=
=
= E
2
h
2m
2h

E=

ma
2h 2

Actually, the above solution was specifically for an even (x). What
about odd (x)? No calculation is needed. Why?
Normalization of

1 = | |2 dx

R = Ae max/ h

1 = 2 | A |2 e

ma
A = 2
h

2 ma h 2 x

h2
dx = 2 | A |2

2 ma
see Gaussian
Handout

1/ 2

ma
= 2
h

1/2

e ma|x|/h

only one bound

level, regardless
of magnitude of a

large a, narrower and taller

There is a continuum of s possible for E > 0. Since the particle

is free for E > 0, specific form of must reflect specific problem:
e.g., particle probability incident from x < 0 region. It is even
more interesting to turn this into the simplest of all barrier
scattering problems. See Non-Lecture pp. 2-8, 9, 10.

5.73 Lecture #2

2-8

Nonlecture
Consider instead scattering off V(x) = + (x)

a>0

V(x) = +(x)
x

0
L = A L e ikx + BL e ikx

2mE
k= 2
h

R = A R e ikx + BR e ikx

1/2

In this problem we have flux entering exclusively from left.

The entering probability flux is |AL|2.
Two things can happen:
1.

transmit through barrier

|AR|2

2.

reflect at barrier

|BL|2

There is no way that BR can become different from 0. Why?

2

Our goal is to determine A R and BL vs. E

L(0) = R(0)

continuity of

A L + BL = AR + B R

but BR = 0

A L + BL = AR

2ma
d R (+0) d L (0)

= + 2 (0)
dx

dx
h
2ma
R(0)
ikA R (ikA L ikBL ) = 2 A R
h
AR = AL + BL
2ma
ik( A L + BL ) ik(A L BL ) = 2 ( A L + BL )
h
L(0)

5.73 Lecture #2

2-9

2ma
( A L + BL )
h2
2ma 2ma

BL 2ik 2 = 2 A L

h
h

2ikBL =

h2
2ma ikh 2
AL
=
1
2ik 2 =
BL 2ma
ma
h

+1 =

ikh 2
ma

B
A R = A L + BL = A L L + BL = BL + BL = BL ( + 1)
BL
= AL/BL

ikh 2
A R = BL

ma
Transmission is

T=

AR
AL

Reflection is

R=

BL
AL

2
2
2
2

What is T(E), R(E)?

AR

= BL

k 2h 4
2 2

m a

= BL

2mE h 4
h

2 2

m a

= BL

2h 2 E
ma 2

ikh 2 ikh 2
AL AL
1
1

=
BL BL
ma
ma

k 2h4
2h 2 E + ma 2
2 = 2 2 +1 =
m a
ma 2
BL

AL

2h 2 E
ma 2
R(E) = 2
=
+ 1

2h E + ma 2 ma 2

decreasing to zero as E increases

ma 2

2h 2 E
T(E) = 2
=
+
1

.
2h E + ma 2 2h 2 E
R(E) + T(E) = 1

increasing to one as E increases

5.73 Lecture #2
Note that:

2 - 10

R(E) starts at 1 at E = 0 and goes to 0 at E

T(E) starts at 0 and increases monotonically to 1 as E increases.

Note also that, at E =

ma 2
2h 2

R as E approaches ma2/2h2 from above and

then changes sign as E passes through ma2/2h2 !

This is the energy of the bound state in the (x)-function well

problem.

See CTDL Chapter 1 Problem #3b (page 87) for a

related problem