Department of Physics

IIT Kanpur, Semester II, 2022-23

PHY114: Quantum Physics Solutions # 5

Solution 5.1: 3-D plane wave
(a) Since it is a free particle, the potential energy V (x, y, z) = 0 and thus the Schrodinger equation takes the form

~2 ∂ 2 ∂2 ∂2 ∂
− ( 2 + 2 + 2 )ψ(x, y, z, t) = i~ ψ(x, y, z, t)
2m ∂x ∂y ∂z ∂t
Since the potential has no explicit time dependence, nor any space dependence, we can write the solution as
ψ(x, y, z, t) = X(x)Y (y)Z(z)φ(t). Substituting this in the Schrodinger equation above and then dividing each
side of the equation by X(x)Y (y)Z(z)φ(t), we get
" #
~2
 2
1 ∂ ∂2 ∂2 i~ ∂φ(t)
− + 2+ 2 X(x)Y (y)Z(z) = (1)
X(x)Y (y)Z(z) 2m ∂x2 ∂y ∂z φ(t) ∂t

The left hand side of Eq. (1) depends only on the space coordinates and the right side depends only on time. So,
for both sides to be equal, we have to have

i~ ∂φ(t)
=E (2)
φ(t) ∂t
" #
1 ~2 ∂ 2 ∂2 ∂2
− ( 2 + 2 + 2 ) X(x)Y (y)Z(z) = E (3)
X(x)Y (y)Z(z) 2m ∂x ∂y ∂z

Here E is a constant. Equation (2) gives

φ(t) ∝ e−iEt/~ .

We solve Eq. (3) by writing it as

1 ∂2 1 ∂2 1 ∂2 2mE
− 2
X(x) − 2
Y (y) − 2
Z(z) =
X(x) ∂x Y (y) ∂y Z(z) ∂z ~2

The first term in the above equation depend only on z, the second term depends only on y, and the third term
depends only on z. Therefore, we write

1 ∂2
− X(x) = kx2 (4)
X(x) ∂x2
1 ∂2
− Y (y) = ky2 (5)
Y (y) ∂y 2
1 ∂2
− Z(z) = kz2 (6)
Z(z) ∂z 2

2mE
Where kx , ky , kz are constant, with kx2 + ky2 + kz2 = . Equations (4) (5), (6) gives
~2
X(x) = Aeikx x + Be−ikx x
Y (y) = Ceiky y + De−ikz z
Z(z) = F eikz z + Ge−ikz z

So, the general solution is

ψ(x, y, z, t) = [Aeikx x + Be−ikx x ][Ceiky y + De−ikz z ][F eikz z + Ge−ikz z ]e−iEt/~

1
(b) From the above solution, the particular solution representing a wave moving along the positive-x, positive-y,
positive-z) directions is given by

ψ(x, y, z, t) = M0 ei(kx x+ky y+kz z−ωt) ,

where ω = E/t and M0 is a constant. This can also be written as

ψ(r, t) = M0 ei(k·r−ωt)

Solutions 5.2:

(a) The plot of the probability density is as shown below:

P (x)

1/2d

d d x
R

(b) In order to calculate the momentum probability density, we need to first calculate the momentum-space wave-
function ψ(p), which is:

P(p)

0 p

Z ∞
1
ψ(p) = √ e−ipx/~ ψ(x)dx
2π~ −∞
−( R−d Z ( R+d
"Z #
1 2 )
1 −ipx/~ 2 ) 1 −ipx/~
=√ √ e dx + √ e dx
2π~ −( R+d
2 )
2d ( R−d
2 )
2d
   
1 1 d R
=√ √ dsinc p 2 cos p
2d 2π~ 2~ 2~

2
 Therefore, the momentum probability density is
   
∗ d d R
P (p) = ψ (p)ψ(p) = sinc2 p cos 2
p
π~ 2~ 2~

Above is the plot for the momentum probability density as a function of p. For the plot, we have taken R/d = 8.
4π~ 2π~
The fringe period is equal to and the first zero of the sinc function will appear at x = ±
R d

Solution 5.3: Infinite-Well Potential-I

(a) Since the potential inside of the well is zero, we have that the solution to the Schrödinger equation inside the well
is

ψ(x) = Aeikx + Be−ikx ,

p
where k = 2mE/~. The potential on either side of the well is infinity and thus making the wave-function vanish
in these regions; therefore, the continuity of the wave-function requires that: ψ(x)|x=0 = ψ(x)|x=a = 0. These
two requirements lead to:

A + B = 0;
Aeika + Be−ika = 0
p
Solving the two equations, we get A = −B = 2/a and k = nπ/a. Thus the stationary state solutions are:
r
2  nπx 
ψn (x) = sin ,
a a

n 2 π 2 ~2
with the corresponding energy given by: En = .
2ma2
(b) The nth stationary state is given by
r
2  nπx 
ψn (x) = sin e−iEn t/~ .
a a

To calculate the uncertainty product, we need to calculate the hxi, hx2 i, hpi, and hp2 i. We have

2 a
Z  nπx 
hxi = x sin2 dx
a 0 a
nπx
Substituting: = y, we get
a
nπ
2  a 2 nπ
Z nπ
2a y 2
Z 
2a y y sin 2y cos 2y
hxi = y sin2 ydy = 2 2 (1 − cos 2y)dy = 2 2 − −
a nπ 0 n π 0 2 n π 4 4 8 0
 2 2 
2a n π cos 2nπ 1 a
= 2 2 − + =
n π 4 8 8 2

Z a
2  nπx 
hx2 i = x2 sin2 dx
a 0 a

3
 nπx
Again, substituting: = y, we get
a
nπ
2  a 3 nπ 2 2
Z nπ 2
2a2 2a2 y 3
Z   3 
2 y y 1 y cos 2y
hx i = y sin ydy = 3 3 (1 − cos 2y)dy = 3 3 − − sin 2y −
a nπ 0 n π 0 2 n π 6 4 8 4 0
2 3 3
   
2a n π nπ cos 2nπ 1 1
= 3 3 − = a2 −
n π 6 4 3 2n2 π 2

a  nπx   nπ a
Z  Z  
2 ∂  nπx  2 2nπx 2 nπ
hpi = sin −i~ sin dx = (−i~) sin = (−i~) ×0=0
a 0 a ∂x a a 2a 0 a a 2a

Z a  nπx   2  2 Z a  
2 2 ∂  nπx  2 2 nπ 2 2nπx
hp i = sin −i~ sin dx = (−i~) − sin dx
a 0 a ∂x a a a 0 a
 2 Z a     2  2
1 nπ~ 2nπx 1 nπ~ nπ~
= 1 − cos dx = ×a=
a a 0 a a a a

The uncertainty product is:

r
p p ~ n2 π 2
∆x∆p = hx2 i − hxi2 hp2 i − hpi2 = −2
2 3

Solutions 5.4

(a) The position expectation value is hxi is

Z a/2
hxi = ψ ∗ (x)xψ(x)dx
−a/2
Z a/2
2  πx 
= x cos2 dx
a −a/2 a
=0

In evaluating the integral we have used the fact that the integrand is an odd function.
(b) The momentum expectation value is hpi is
Z a/2  
∗ d
hpi = ψ (x) −i~ ψ(x)dx
−a/2 dx
2 a/2  πx  
Z 
d  πx 
= cos −i~ cos dx
a −a/2 a dx a
Z a/2
2  πx   πx  π
= (i~) cos sin dx
a −a/2 a a a
=0

In evaluating the integral we have again used the fact that the integrand is an odd function.

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(c) The probability that the particle is found between x = −a/4 and x = a/4 is given by
Z a/4 Z a/4
2  πx 
ψ ∗ (x)ψ(x)dx = cos2 dx
−a/4 a −a/4 a
1 a/4
Z  
2πx
= 1 + cos dx
a −a/4 a
  a/4
1 a 2πx
= x+ sin
a 2π a −a/4
1 a
h a i
= +
a 2 π
1 1
= +
2 π

(d) Before the expansion, the particle is in the ground state of the infinite-potential well of width a. The position-space
wave-function of the particle is therefore given by
r
(old) 2  πx  −a a
ψ1 (x) = cos if <x<
a a 2 2
= 0 otherwise
(new)
The width of the well then expands to 2a. We write the new stationary state solutions as ψn (x). The
wave-function of the ground state can thus be written as
r
(new) 2  πx 
ψ1 (x) = cos if − a < x < a
2a 2a
= 0 otherwise
(old) (new)
The projection c1 of ψ1 on to ψ1 is given by the inner product of the two functions
Z a
(new)∗ (old)
c1 = ψ1 (x)ψ1 (x)dx
−a

(old)
However, the wave-function ψ1 (x) is defined only over the range (−a/2) < x < (a/2). Thus we effectively have,
Z a/2
(new)∗ (old)
c1 = ψ1 (x)ψ1 (x)dx
−a/2
Z a/2  πx  r 2
r
2  πx 
= cos cos dx
−a/2 2a 2a a a
√ Z a/2
2  πx   πx 
= cos cos dx
a −a/2 2a a
√ Z a/2   
2  πx  3πx
= cos + cos dx
2a −a/2 2a 2a
√  
2 2 2a 2 2a 2 4 8
= √ × +√ × = × =
2a 2 π 2 3π π 3 3π
 2
8
Therefore, the required probability is |c1 |2 =
3π