Department of Physics

IIT Kanpur, Semester II, 2022-23

PHY114: Quantum Physics Solution # 2

Solution 2.1: Photoelectric effect

(a) If a photon gives up all its momentum and energy to a free electron, momentum conservation requires that the
electron now moves along the initial photon direction such that
h
pph = = pe (1)
λ
where pph and pe are the momenta of the photon and the electron, respectively.
The energy conservation requires that
hc p
+ me c2 = p2e c2 + m2e c4 . (2)
λ
In order for both these conservation equations to be satisfied, we have to have (substituting for pe in the above
equation)
2
h2 c2

hc 2hc
+ me c2 = + m2e c4 or, me c2 =0 (3)
λ λ2 λ

This is an impossible condition to satisfy since the rest mass of an electron is non-zero. Thus we conclude that it
is impossible for a photon to give up all its energy and momentum to a free electron.
(b) In case of photoelectric effect with bound electrons, the atoms, which are much heavier than electrons also come
into picture and play the most significant role. Since atoms are heavier they can absorb a large amount of extra
momentum without taking away too much of the energy. This way a photon can be absorbed and an electron
emitted while satisfying both the momentum and energy conservations.
(c) Increasing the intensity certainly increases the energy per unit area per unit time but when we have photons
increasing the intensity only means increasing the number of photons falling per unit area per unit time. How-
ever, the energy of individual photons depends only on frequency and doesn’t depend on the intensity. In the
photoelectric effect, the kinetic energy of the ejected electron depends on the energy of the individual incoming
photons and so it remains independent of the intensity.

Solution 2.2: Radiation manifesting as particles

(a) The momentum conservation requires that

P0 = P1 cos θ + P cos φ (4)

P1 sin θ = P sin φ (5)

Squaring and adding, we get

P02 − 2P0 P1 cos θ + P12 = P 2 (6)

The conservation of energy gives:

p
E0 + m0 c2 = E1 + c2 P 2 + (m0 c2 )2 (7)

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 Using E0 = cP0 and E1 = cP1 , we write the above equation as
p
c(P0 − P1 ) + m0 c2 = c2 P 2 + (m0 c2 )2
Or, c2 (P0 − P1 )2 + m20 c4 + 2c(P0 − P1 )m0 c2 = c2 P 2 + (m0 c2 )2
Or, c2 (P0 − P1 )2 + 2c(P0 − P1 )m0 c2 = c2 P 2
Or, P02 + P12 − 2P0 P1 + 2m0 c(P0 − P1 ) = P 2 (8)

Using Equations (6) and (8), we get

2P0 P1 cos θ = 2P0 P1 − 2m0 c(P0 − P1 )

1 − cos θ 1 1 λ1 − λ0
Or, = − =
m0 c P1 P0 h
Therefore, we have
h
∆λ = λ1 − λ0 = (1 − cos θ) (9)
m0 c

(b) The conservation of momentum requires that

P0 = P1 cos θ + P cos φ (10)

P1 sin θ = P sin φ (11)

From the above equations, we get

P0 − P1 cos θ P1 sin θ
= (12)
cos φ sin φ
h h h sin θ
Or, − cos θ = (13)
λ0 λ1 λ1 tan φ
1 1 sin θ
Or, = (cos θ + ) (14)
λ0 λ1 tan φ
λ1 sin θ
Or, = cos θ + (15)
λ0 tan φ

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 From the previous problem, we already have that
h
λ1 − λ0 = (1 − cos θ) (16)
m0 c
λ1 h
Or, =1+ (1 − cos θ) (17)
λ0 m0 cλ0
λ1
Substituting for λ0 from above, we get

sin θ h
cos θ + =1+ (1 − cos θ) (18)
tan φ λ0 m0 c
 
sin θ h
Or, = (1 − cos θ) 1 + (19)
tan φ λ0 m0 c
θ θ   
2 sin( 2 ) cos( 2 ) 2 θ h
Or, = 2 sin 1+ (20)
tan φ 2 λ0 m0 c
   
θ h
Or, cot = tan φ 1 + (21)
2 λ0 m0 c

(c) Rewriting the energy conservation equation, we obtain the expression for the kinetic energy K as

E0 + m0 c2 = E1 + K + m0 c2
λ1 − λ0 ∆λ
Or, K = E0 − E1 = hc = hc
λ1 λ0 λ0 (λ0 + ∆λ)

(d) The Compton shift ∆λ at θ = π/2 is independent of the wavelength of the incident wave and is given by
∆λ = λc = 0.0243 Å.
∆λ
For the observation of the Compton effect experimentally, the relevant quantity that we need to consider is
λ0

∆λ
for γ rays : λ0 = 1.88 × 10−2 Å; and = 1.29
λ0
∆λ
for X − rays : λ0 = 1.0Å; and = 2.43 × 10−2
λ0
∆λ
for visible photons : λ0 = 5000Å; and = 4.86 × 10−6
λ0

(e) We notice that it will be much easier to see the effect with γ-rays since the two wavelengths λ0 and λ1 are well
separated. With X-rays, it will be relatively more difficult since the two wavelengths λ0 and λ1 are close to within
two percent of the wavelength. With visible light, it will be impossible to see the Compton effects since the two
wavelengths λ0 and λ1 can almost not be separated out in measurements.

Solution 2.3: Electrons (material particle) manifesting as waves

(a) Refer to the figure. The extra length travelled by the second ray is d sin φ + d sin φ = 2d sin φ. So, for the two
rays to interfere constructively, this path difference should be an integral multiples of λ, the wavelength of the
incoming wave (or electrons), that is, 2d sin θ = nλ. This is Bragg’s reflection condition.
(b) For the given kinetic energy, the de-Broglie wavelength can be calculated to be

h h 6.6 × 10−34
λ= =√ = = 1.57Å
p 2mE 2 × 9.1 × 10−31 × 60 × 1.6 × 10−19

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 1 1 2
2

φ
φ
d

λ 1.57
(c) Since n = 1, we have 2d sin φ = λ. This gives sin φ = = = 0.862, that is, φ = 59.50 .
2d 2 × 0.91
2
(d) Here we have n = 3, φ = 59.50 , d = 0.91 Å. Therefore the required wavelength is given by λ = d sin φ = 0.523
3
Å. The required energy of the photons is therefore
 2
p2 h 1 (6.6 × 10−34 )2
E= = = = 550 eV.
2m λ 2m (0.523 × 10−10 )2 2 × 9.1 × 10−31

Solution 2.4: de-Broglie wavelength

(a) The de-Broglie wavelength is given by

h
λ= (22)
p
where p is the momentum of the particle.
For a free particle of mass m0 and kinetic energy K, we have the total relativistic energy E given by
q
E = p2 c2 + m20 c4 = K + m0 c2 (23)
2 2
=⇒ p c + m20 c4
= (K + m0 c ) 2 2
(24)
r
K 2 + 2Km0 c2
=⇒ p = (25)
c2
Substituting equation (22) in equation (19)

hc
λ= √ (26)
K2 + 2Km0 c2

(b) In the non-relativistic limit, m0 c2 >>K,

K 2 + 2Km0 c2 ≈ 2Km0 c2 (27)

Using the above equation the de-Broglie wavelength for non-relativistic particle

h h
λ= √ =√ (28)
2m0 K m0 v