ntica I

Fsica Cua

(2016-17)

Exercise sheet 2
Lecturer: Kostas Glampedakis (kostas@um.es)

Key:

= extension of theory
F = more challenging than most problems
 = straightforward

1.  Consider the potential

1
V (x) = x2 + gx3 ,
2

0<g1

Is the energy spectrum discrete, continuous or something else?

2. Using your knowledge of the theory of differential equations (e.g. the concept of the
Wronskian), prove that the bound state solutions of the 1-D Schrodinger equation
00 +

2m
[ E V (x) ] = 0
~2

do not exhibit any degeneracy, that is, to each energy state corresponds one single eigenfunction.
Use this general property to show that a symmetric potential V (x) = V (x) has symmetric (even) or anti-symmetric (odd) eigenfunctions.
3. As you have seen in the lectures, the reflection and transmission coefficients for scattering
by a square potential step of height V0 ,
!2
p

4 E(E V0 )
E E V0
,
T = 
R=

2

E + E V0
E + E V0
do not depend neither on ~ nor on the particles mass m! How can you explain this
paradox ? Could you have anticipated this behaviour beforehand given that R and T
are dimensionless quantities?
4. (i) Show that for a superposition state of two opposite-propagating plane waves,
(x) = Aeikx + Beikx
1

the probability current j = Re[ v] takes the form

j=

~k
|A|2 |B|2
m

that is, it is the sum of the probability currents of the two plane waves.
(ii) Repeat the same exercise for the general superposition
(x) = 1 (x) + 2 (x)
and check if j = j1 + j2 is generally true.
5. Consider a particle moving in an infinite potential well of width L:

0, 0 < x < L
V (x) =
, x < 0, x > L
(i) Calculate the uncertainties x and p in any given eigenstate
r
2
sin(nx/L),
n = 1, 2, 3, ...
n (x) =
L
(ii) Discuss your results and verify that xp ~/2 is satisfied.
6. At t = 0 the wavefunction of a particle inside an infinite potential well of width L is,
(x) = N sin3

x
L

i) What are the possible outcomes of an energy measurement and what are the corresponding probabilities?
ii) Find hEi and E in the above state.
iii) Find hxi at t = 0 and at an arbitrary time t > 0.
7. A particle is trapped inside a 3-D box of dimensions a, b, c.
(i) Obtain a formula for the energy spectrum.
(ii) Specialise your result to the case of a cubic box, a = b = c = L, and compare it
against the spectrum of the 1-D system. Is there a qualitative difference (or perhaps
new physics) as we move from the 1-D system to the 3-D one?
8. F Consider the symmetric double-well potential:

V0 , |x| < a
0,
a < |x| < L
V (x) =

+ |x| > L
2

(i) Study the energy spectrum of a particle moving in this potential and make a sketch
of the wavefunction of the ground and first excited state.
(ii) This potential can be viewed as an 1-D toy model for the chemical bond between two
atoms forming a molecule. Based on your answer of (i) could you argue as to why Nature
likes building molecules?
9. Prove the following general theorem:
the energy of a particle moving in a finite interval x [a, b] with (a) = (b) = 0 can
only take a discrete set of values, that is, the energy must be necessarily quantised.
10. A particle of energy E and mass m is trapped in a square potential well:

0, |x| < a
V (x) =
V0 , |x| > a
i) p
Obtain analytic expressions for the energy
p spectrum in the limiting cases of a deep
2
(a 2mV0 /~  1) and a swallow (a 2mV0 /~2  1) well. Explain the physical
meaning of deep and swallow.
ii) As you have seen in the lectures, inside a finite depth well, the particle can venture into
the classically forbidden regions E < V0 . Can the particle be observed in those regions?
iii) Given that this simple system is fully described by the parameter set {~, m, V0 , E, a}
argue that you should have expected an energy spectrum of the form
E = V0 f ()
where is a dimensionless parameter (to be identified!).
11.  Reflectionless scattering: under what conditions is a square potential barrier completely
transparent to an incoming plane wave? Discuss your result.
12. F Calculate the energy spectrum of the bound states of the singular delta potential :
V (x) = g(x),

g>0

13. Reflected by delta: a particle of mass m and energy E > 0 moves from left to right and
impinges on the potential barrier
V (x) = g(x),

g>0

Find the reflection/transmission coefficients.

14. F Virtual states: study the E = 0 states of a particle in the potential well

V0 , |x| < a
V (x) =
0,
|x| > a
and conclude that they are neither bound nor free (scattering) states!
i) Under what conditions are these states possible?
ii) Study these virtual states by taking the limit E 0 of free scatteting states.
3