Physics II Notes

July 2, 2014

Importance of Harmonic Oscillator

Any system in which something executes small vibrations about an equilibrium position behaves very much like a SHO
Any restoring force which is a function of x can be expressed in a series about the equllibrium position x0
F (x) = F (x0 ) +

dF
1 d3 F
1 d2 F
2
|
(x

x
)
+
|x=x0 (x x0 )3 +
|x=x0 +
x=x
0
0
dx
2 dx2
6 dx3

Since x = x0 is the equilibrium position F (x0 ) = 0

Also for small x, the values x2 , x3 , are very small compared to x, so 3rd and higher terms of the series can be neglected.
Hence only term of significance when x is small is the second one.
F (x) =

dF
|x=x0 (x x0 )
dx

Hooke0 sLaw
The potential energy function U(x) corresponding to Hookes law :
Z x
U (x) =
F (x)dx
x0

2 Wave mechanics : Preliminaries

postulates
probability current

3 Schrodinger equation in 1D
SE

2 d2 (x)
h
+ V (x)(x) = E(x)
2m dx2

hand waving
wave functions
potentials

4 Particle in a Box

4.1

Particle in a box in 1D

The Eigenfunction is
r
n (x) =

2
nx
sin(
)
L
L

for 0 x L and 0 otherwise

Corresponding eigenvalues are
En (x) =

n2 2 h2
2mL2

Comments :
1. Energy eigenvalues are only allowed energies.
2. Energy is quantized.
3. Zero-point energy
4. de-Broglie wave must fit in the well
Eigenstates are "stationary states" i.e. time independent |(x, t)|2
n (x, t) = n (x)ei

En t
h

Expectation value

hxi =
=

2
L
L
2

2
L

xsin2 (

nx
)dx
L

(4.1)
(4.2)

Also
hx2 i =
=

4.2

x2 sin2 (

L2

2n2 2 3
6n2 2

Particle in a box in 2 dimensions

5 Potential step and reflection

x

6 Potential barrier tunneling

x

nx
)dx
L

(4.3)
(4.4)

6.1

Application : tunneling and

6.2

nuclear - decay
x

6.3

STM
x

6.4

RTD

7 Quantum harmonic oscillator

Some eigenfunctions (u) for the simple harmonic oscillator potential

8 SHO2

9 SHO3

10

10 Angular Momentum

11

11 Angular Momentum2

12

12 Quantum theory of the hydrogen atom

possible ml values

cap

13

13

14

14

15

15 Radiative transitions and selection rules

x

16

16 Electron spin : Stern-Gerlach experiment

x

17

17 Spin-orbit coupling
x

18

18 Zeeman effect
x

19

19 Exclusion principle : symmetric and antisymmetric wave functions

20

20 Electron configurations in many electron atoms

x

21

21 X-ray spectra
x