1

Physics 316 Solution for homework 10 Spring 2005

Cornell University
I. EXERCISE 1
A.
A particle in an innite square well extending between x = 0 and x = L has the wave function
(x, t) = A
_
2 sin
_
x
L
_
e
i
E1
h
t
+ sin
_
2x
L
_
e
i
E2
h
t
_
, En = n
2
h
2

2
2mL
2
. (1.1)
Choose A so that the wave function is normalized to 1.
Lets rst nd A such that (x, t) is normalized. We know (rst question of Quiz no. 2) that it suces to show
that (x, 0) is normalized.
1 = | =
_
A

_
L
2
(2 1| + 2|)
__
A
_
L
2
(2 |1 + |2)
_
=
|A|
2
L
2
(4 + 1), (1.2)
and we get A =
_
2
5L
(up to an arbitrary phase factor). Hence, the normalized state is:
| = |1
2

5
e
i
E1
h
t
+ |2
1

5
e
i
E2
h
t
. (1.3)
B.
If a measurement of the energy is made, what are the possible results of the measurement, and what is the probability
associated with each?
Recall that for a system described by a state vector of the form
| =

n
|n An, (1.4)
the probability Pn of nding the system in state |n is given by
Pn = |An|
2
. (1.5)
From Eq. (1.3), we then see that the two possible outcomes of an energy measurement are E1 or E2, such that
P1 =

5
e
i
E1
h
t

2
=
4
5
, P2 =

5
e
i
E2
h
t

2
=
1
5
, (1.6)
and Pn = 0, for all other values of n.
C.
When the energy is measured for many particles, each having been prepared in this state, what would the average
energy be. This average is called the expectation value.
When a quantity X can take on a discrete set of values Xn, each with probability Pn, its expectation value is
dened to be X =

n
PnXn. Here we have
E =
4
5
E1 +
1
5
E2 =
8
5
E1, (1.7)
since, because En n
2
for the innite well, we have E2 = 4E1.
2
II. EXERCISE 2
A.
In classical mechanics, we have put dx/dt = px/m. In quantum mechanics, this is replaced by a corresponding
relation between expectation values:
d
dt
x =
px
m
. Verify this relation by using the denition of x, the Schroedinger
equation, and the fact that you can write i h

x
for px.
Lets show that
d
dt
x =
px
m
.
To do so, we only need to use the time-dependent Schrdinger equation and its complex conjugate:
i h

t
(x, t) =
h
2
2m

2
x
2
(x, t) +V (x)(x, t)
i h

t

(x, t) =
h
2
2m

2
x
2

(x, t) +V (x)

(x, t).
We have:
d
dt
x =
d
dt
_

(x, t)x(x, t) dx
=
_

_
d

dt
x +

x
d
dt
_
dx
=
1
i h
_

_
x
_
h
2
2m

x
2
V (x)

_
+x

_
h
2
2m

x
2
+V (x)
__
dx. (2.1)
We then see that the two potential terms cancel out:
d
dt
x =
i h
2m
_

x
_

x
2

x
2
_
dx
=
i h
2m
_

x
_

x
_

x
_

x
__
dx. (2.2)
The second term in parentheses is zero. We can now integrate by parts,
d
dt
x =
i h
2m
_
x
_

x
__

i h
2m
_

x
_
dx, (2.3)
and notice that the rst term is 0 because is zero at innity. A few manipulations on the second term will lead to
the answer:
d
dt
x =
1
2m
_

_
i h

x
_
+
_
i h

x
_

_
dx
=
1
m
_

1
2
(

px + (

px)

) dx
=
1
m
_

Re {

px} dx
=
px
m
. (2.4)
In the last step, we have used the fact that the momentum is always a real quantity.
B.
Can you obtain the quantum-mechanical counterpart of Newtons second law:
d
dt
px =

V
x
_
.
3
Lets now show that
d
dt
px =
_
V
x
_
. (2.5)
The method is very similar to the one used in (a):
d
dt
px =
d
dt
_

_
i h

x
_
dx
=
_

_
i h
d

dt

x
i h
d
dt
_
dx
=
_

__
h
2
2m

x
2
+V (x)

_

x

x
_
h
2
2m

x
2
+V (x)
__
dx
=
_

_
h
2
2m
_

x
2

x
3
_
+
_
V

V
x

V

x
__
dx
=
h
2
2m
_

x
2

x
3
_
dx
_
V
x
_
. (2.6)
We only need to show that the rst integral is 0. Just notice that

x
2

x
=

x
_

x
_

x
2
, (2.7)
and

x
3
=

x
_

x
2
_

x
2
, (2.8)
so that

x
2

x
3
=

x
_

x
2
_
. (2.9)
The rst term of (2.6) is therefore a total derivative, and it is a simple matter to integrate it:
d
dt
px =
_
V
x
_
+
h
2
2m
_

x
2
_

=
_
V
x
_
. (2.10)
The term in bracket is zero because and its derivatives vanish at innity.
III. EXERCISE 3
One can represent a real function f(x) as integral over sin and cos functions,
f(x) =
_

0
C(k) cos(kx)dk +
_

0
S(k) sin(kx)dk . (3.1)
How are the functions C(k) and S(k) related to the Fourier transform F(k) of f(x)?
A real function is written
f(x) =
_

0
C(k) cos(kx)dk +
_

0
S(k) sin(kx)dk. (3.2)
C(k) and S(k) are related to F(k), the Fourier transform of f(x). The fact that f(x) is real imply that F

(k) = F(k).
4
We get
f(x) =
_

F(k)
e
ikx

2
dk
=
_

0
F(k)
e
ikx

2
dk +
_
0

F(k)
e
ikx

2
dk
=
_

0
F(k)
e
ikx

2
dk +
_

0
F(k)
e
ikx

2
dk
=
_

0
F(k)
cos(kx) +i sin(kx)

2
dk +
_

0
F

(k)
cos(kx) i sin(kx)

2
dk
=
_

0
F(k) +F

(k)

2
cos(kx) +
_

0
i[F(k) F

(k)]

2
sin(kx). (3.3)
Hence, we nd that C(k) =
_
2

Re{F(k)} and S(k) =

_
2

Im{F(k)}.
IV. EXERCISE 4
Given a potential wall with unequal potential plateaus on both sides, i.e. V1 < V0 and
V (x) =
_
_
_
0 if x < 0
V0 if 0 x < L
V1 if L x
(4.1)
Determine the transmission coecients for waves coming from x < 0 and for waves coming from x > 0.
(prepared by Steve Drasco)
The solution of the time-independant Schr odinger equation can we written as
(x) =
_
_
_
1(x) if x < 0
2(x) if 0 x < L
3(x) if L x
. (4.2)
Since the potential is constant in each of these regions, we have n(x) e
iknx
, where the wave numbers are
k1 =
_
2mE
h
2
, k2 =

2m(E V0)
h
2
, k3 =

2m(E V1)
h
2
. (4.3)
and details of the proportionality constants will be determined by the boundary conditions. The wave numbers above
are valid even if the argument of one of the square roots is negative. In such a case, the wave number becomes a pure
imaginary and the corresponding wave function is only a decaying exponential. However, since we are interested in
transmission, we will only consider cases where E > 0, and E > V1. We will however allow for E V0.
A. Propagation in the positive x direction
For this case the boundary conditions require a solution of the form
1(x) = A1e
ik1x
+B1e
ik1x
, (4.4a)
2(x) = A2e
ik2x
+B2e
ik2x
, (4.4b)
3(x) = A3e
ik3x
. (4.4c)
The transmission coecient T is the ratio of the transmitted probability current hk3|A3|
2
/m to the incident current
hk1|A1|
2
/m
T+ =
k3|A3|
2
k1|A1|
2
=
k3
k1

A3
A1

2
. (4.5)
5
The boundary conditions also require that
1(0) = 2(0), 2(L) = 3(L),

1
(0) =

2
(0)

2
(L) =

3
(L), (4.6)
where a prime indicates a derivative with respect to x. Applying these conditions gives
k1A1 +k1B1 = k1A2 +k1B2 (4.7)
k1A1 k1B1 = k2A2 k2B2 (4.8)
k2A2e
ik2L
+k2B2e
ik2L
= k2A3e
ik3L
(4.9)
k2A2e
ik2L
k2B2e
ik2L
= k3A3e
ik3L
. (4.10)
Adding Eqs. (4.7) and (4.8) gives
A1 =
k1 +k2
2k1
A2 +
k1 k2
2k1
B2 . (4.11)
Adding Eqs. (4.9) and (4.10) gives
A2 =
k2 +k3
2k2
e
i(k3k2)L
A3 . (4.12)
Subtracting Eqs. (4.9) and (4.10) gives
B2 =
k2 k3
2k2
e
i(k3+k2)L
A3. (4.13)
Inserting A2 and B2 of the equations (4.12) and (4.13) into equation (4.11) leads to
A3
A1
=
4k1k2
(k1 +k2)(k2 +k3)e
i(k3k2)L
+ (k1 k2)(k2 k3)e
i(k3+k2)L
. (4.14)
This means that the transmission coecient for this case (4.5) is given by
T+ =
k3
k1

4k1k2
(k1 +k2)(k2 +k3)e
ik2L
+ (k1 k2)(k2 k3)e
ik2L

2
, (4.15)
where we have factored a common factor of e
ik3
, with unit magnitude, out of the denominator. Our result can be
simplied by expanding the denominator
(k1 +k2)(k2 +k3)e
ik2L
+ (k1 k2)(k2 k3)e
ik2L
= 2(k1k2 +k2k3) cos(k2L) 2i(k
2
2
+k1k3) sin(k2L). (4.16)
This means that
T+ =
k3
k1

2k1k2
(k1k2 +k2k3) cos(k2L) i(k
2
2
+k1k3) sin(k2L)

2
. (4.17)
We now simplify this result for each of the three classes of values for k2. In the case (E > V0) where k2 is real, we
have
T+(E > V0) =
4k1k3k
2
2
(k1k2 +k2k3)
2
cos
2
(k2L) + (k
2
2
+k1k3)
2
sin
2
(k2L)
. (4.18)
In the case (E < V0) where k2 = i, with real , we have
T+(E < V0) =
4k1k3
2
(k1 +k3)
2
cosh
2
(L) + (k1k3
2
)
2
sinh
2
(L)
. (4.19)
Lastly, in the case (E = V0) where k2 = 0, we have
T+(E = V0) =
4k1k3
(k1 +k3)
2
+ (k1k3)
2
. (4.20)
You can check these answers by comparing with the already known cases. For instance, k1 = k3 would correspond to
a symmetric barrier, and k2 = k3 reduces the system to a single step).
6
B. Propagation in the negative x direction
If you are suciently clever, you may have realized that this case is the same as the last case except that the roles
of k1 and k3 are reversed. For concreteness however, and to satisfy the skeptics, we will cary out the details of the
calculation. For this case the boundary conditions require a solution of the form
1(x) = B1e
ik1x
, (4.21a)
2(x) = A2e
ik2x
+B2e
ik2x
, (4.21b)
3(x) = A3e
ik3x
+B3e
ik3x
. (4.21c)
The transmission coecient T is the ratio of the transmitted probability current hk1|B1|
2
/m to the incident current
hk3|B3|
2
/m
T =
k1|B1|
2
k3|B3|
2
. (4.22)
Applying the boundary conditions (4.6) gives
k2B1 = k2B2 +k2A2, (4.23)
k1B1 = k2B2 +k2A2, (4.24)
k3B2e
ik2L
+k3A2e
ik2L
= k3B3e
ik3L
+k3A3e
ik3L
, (4.25)
k2B2e
ik2L
+k2A2e
ik2L
= k3B3e
ik3L
+k3A3e
ik3L
. (4.26)
Adding Eqs. (4.23) and (4.24) gives
A2 =
B1(k2 k1)
2k2
. (4.27)
Subtracting those same equations gives
B2 =
B1(k1 +k2)
2k2
. (4.28)
Subtracting Eq. (4.26) from Eq. (4.25) gives
B3 =
B2e
i(k3k2)L
(k3 +k2) +A2e
i(k3+k2)L
(k3 k2)
2k3
. (4.29)
Substituting Eqs. (4.28) and (4.27) into this relation gives
B1
B3
=
4k3k2
(k2 k1)(k3 k2)e
i(k3+k2)L
+ (k1 +k2)(k3 +k2)e
i(k3k2)L
. (4.30)
This means that the transmission coecient for this case (4.22) is given by
T =
k1
k3

4k3k2
(k2 k1)(k3 k2)e
ik2L
+ (k1 +k2)(k3 +k2)e
ik2L

2
. (4.31)
where we have factored a common factor of e
ik3
, with unit magnitude, out of the denominator. As suggested above,
you could have derived this result by swapping k1 k3 in the result for T+ (4.15) in the last section. The results
(4.18)-(4.20) can be treated likewise, and they are in fact invariant under this change! This means that in general
T+ = T. (4.32)