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13 Delta Function Well

The document analyzes the potential of the delta function well. It has three key points: 1. It defines the delta function well potential as V(x) = -αδ(x) and considers bound states where E < 0 and scattering states where E > 0. 2. For bound states, it finds there is exactly one bound state irrespective of α, with energy E = -mα2/2ħ2. 3. For scattering states, it derives expressions for the reflection and transmission coefficients R and T, finding they depend only on α2 and that R + T = 1. It describes how R and T vary with the particle's energy E.

Uploaded by

NitinKumar
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© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
25 views

13 Delta Function Well

The document analyzes the potential of the delta function well. It has three key points: 1. It defines the delta function well potential as V(x) = -αδ(x) and considers bound states where E < 0 and scattering states where E > 0. 2. For bound states, it finds there is exactly one bound state irrespective of α, with energy E = -mα2/2ħ2. 3. For scattering states, it derives expressions for the reflection and transmission coefficients R and T, finding they depend only on α2 and that R + T = 1. It describes how R and T vary with the particle's energy E.

Uploaded by

NitinKumar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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13

Delta function well

V(x)

V(x)

Let us now analyze the potential of the delta function well, Fig 13. We have already encountered
the delta-function previously, and we note that the delta-function is a generalized functions and
can be thought of as the limiting case of a sequence of rectangles of ever-increasing height and
ever-decreasing width. The potential is given by V (x) = (x).

3
2

-1

-1

-2

-2

-3

-3

-4

-4

-5

-5

-6

-6

-7
-0.5

-0.4

-0.3

-0.2

-0.1

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

-7
-1

0.5
x

V(x)
(x)

-0.8

-0.6

-0.4

-0.2

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

Figure 13: (left)The delta function well with V (x) = (x). (right) The bound state wave
function is also shown.
We shall consider two possibilities here, E < 0 and E > 0. These will respectively give rise to
bound and scattering states. We have the TISE as

h
2 d2

(x) (x) = E(x)


2m dx2

Let us consider the bound state rst. For x < 0, the potential vanishes, V (x) = 0. So the TISE is
simplied as

where we dene =

d2
2mE
= 2 = 2
2
dx
h

2mE/
h, and since E < 0, is real and positive.

The solution can be written as

(x) = Aex + Bex


Now as x , the rst term increases without limit and cannot be allowed. Thus A = 0, and
we get (x) = Bex .
For x > 0, again we have V (x) = 0 and the solution as above can be written as
(x) = F ex + Gex
Now here the second term cannot be allowed, since it will increase without limit as x . Thus
G = 0 and (x) = F ex .
Sourabh Dube - PHY202

43

Considering the boundary conditions that we had described in the previous section, the second
boundary condition says that at x = 0, is continuous. That means
Bex = F ex for continuous at x=0, and thus B = F
Now the third boundary condition, namely
d/dx must be continuous except at points where the potential is innite.
is not applicable since here the potential is discontinious. To understand how the delta function
determines the discontinuity in d/dx, we consider an innitesimal interval [, ] around x = 0
and integrate the TISE - and then take the limit as 0.

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

In the limit as 0, the term on the right side becomes zero (integral over a vanishing width).
The rst term is just d/dx, evaluated at the limits. Thus,

dx


d
d
2m

= 2 lim
=
V (x)(x) dx
dx +
dx
h
0

2m
(x)(x) dx
= 2 lim
h
0
2m
= 2 (0)
h

(73)
(74)
(75)

Here we have
d
= Bex , for (x>0),
dx
d
= +Be+x , for (x<0),
dx
giving us
d/dx |+ = B, and d/dx | = +B
and thus
energy as

d
dx

= 2B. And we have (0) = B. This gives us = m/


h2 , and the allowed
E=

m2
h
2 2
= 2
2m
2
h

Now we can use our nal boundary condition, and require the normalizability of .

which gives us B =

Sourabh Dube - PHY202

|(x)| dx = 2|B|

e2x dx = |B|2 / = 1

m
.
h

44

Thus we get exactly one bound state (irrespective of ), given by

m2
m m|x|/h2
(x) =
e
; E= 2
h

2
h
Now let us work out the scattering states, where we have E > 0. For x < 0, we have
2mE
d2
= 2 = k 2
2
dx
h

where we dene k =
can be written as

2mE/
h, and since E > 0, k is real and positive. The solution in this case
(x) = Aeikx + Beikx

Similarly for x > 0, we have


(x) = F eikx + Geikx
Here we cant rule out any terms, all of them are possible. But we can impose our boundary
conditions. We need to be continuous at x = 0, giving us
A+B =F +G

(76)

Now let us try to apply the condition of continuity of . Taking the derivatives of the two possible
solutions

d
d
= ik(F G)
= ik F eikx Geikx , for x > 0 we have
dx
dx +

Thus

d
d
= ik Aeikx Beikx , for x < 0 we have
= ik(A B)
dx
dx

dx

= ik (F G A + B) =

2m
(0)
h
2

using the relation we calculated already in Eqn 75. And we have (0) = A + B. Thus
ik (F G A + B) =

2m
(A + B)
h
2

giving us
F G = A (1 + 2i) B (1 2i) , where =

m
h
2k

(77)

Now we have 4 unknowns and no more boundary conditions to apply (normalization will not help,
this state is not normalizable). So let us make physical arguments then. We know that the term
Sourabh Dube - PHY202

45

eikx when coupled to the time-factor eiEt/h gives rise to a wave function propagating to the right,
and similarly eikx leads to a wave propagating to the left. This gives us that A is the amplitude
of the wave coming in from the left, B is the amplitude of the wave returning to the left, F is the
amplitude of a wave travelling to the right, and G is the amplitude of a wave coming in from the
right.
So now for a typical experiment, lets say we re particles from the left. This means that G = 0.
Then we have A is the amplitude of the incident wave (from left), B is the amplitude of the reected
wave, and F is the amplitude of the transmitted wave. Solving Eqn 76 and 77, we get
B=

1
i
A , F =
A
1 i
1 i

Using these, we can dene a reection coefcient which gives the fraction of the beam coming
back
R=

|B|2
2
=
|A|2
1 + 2

T =

1
|F |2
=
2
|A|
1 + 2

and a transmission coefcient

Now of course we see that the sum of the reection and transmission coefcients R + T = 1. Also
note that = m/h2 k and is thus a function of E. For larger values of E, we get a smaller value
of , and thus a higher transmission coefcient.

Sourabh Dube - PHY202

46

14

Delta Function Barrier

V(x)

Let us examine the same problem now for the case of a delta function barrier (Figure 14). In this
case, the potential is given by V (x) = (x). The change that we see is that switches sign.
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
-1
-2
-3
-0.5

-0.4

-0.3

-0.2

-0.1

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5
x

Figure 14: The delta function barrier with V (x) = (x).


Now the bound state is killed, but the expressions for R and T are unchanged - since they depend
only on 2 .
Thus we see two interesting features
1. There is a possibility that even when E < V , we shall get a transmission across the barrier,
i.e. T is non-zero.
2. Even in the situation where E > Vmax , it is possible to get a reection, i.e. R is non-zero.

Sourabh Dube - PHY202

47

15

Finite Square Well

We shall now see the problem of the nite square well in brief. The potential is nite and constant
within an interval, and zero outside, as shown in Fig. 15. The potential V (x) is thus
V (x) =

V0 , if a x a
0,
if |x| > a

V(x)

-a

a
x

-V0

Figure 15: The potential for a nite square well.


We will consider the bound states of the system, obtained when the energy of the particle is E < 0.
For x < a, V (x) = 0 and the TISE can be written as

h 2 d2
= E
2m dx2

d2
2mE
2
>0
= , where =
2
dx
h

The solution is (x) = Aex + Bex . As usual, we throw out the ex term since it blows up
as x . So for x < a, the solution is (x) = Bex . Similarly the solution for x > a is
(x) = F ex . Now for a x a, V (x) = V0 . The TISE is

h 2 d2
V0 = E
2m dx2

2m(E + V0 )
d2
2
>0
=
l

,
where
l
=
dx2
h

The solution can be written as (x) = C sin lx + D cos lx for a x a.

Note that this potential is an even function. So the solutions inside the well will be even and odd
(and we have written inside the well as sines and cosines to exploit that). We can now impose
our boundary conditions of continuity of and d/dx at x = a. We can impose the boundary
Sourabh Dube - PHY202

48

conditions on one side, they will be imposed on the other side automatically since (x) =
(x).
Let us consider the even solutions (the cos terms).

F ex ,
if x > a
D cos lx, if 0 x a
(x) =

(x),
if x < 0

Now (x) is continuous at x = a, thus F ea = D cos la


and d/dx is continous at x = a, thus F ea = lD sin la which gives
us = l tan la. Let
h. Note that z0
us now write this down in a different form. Dene z = la, and z0 = a 2mV0 /
depends only on the properties of the well. We can thus write

giving us

z02 z 2 = a = la tan la = z tan z


tan z =

z0
z

f(z)

z0
This is a transcendental equation, and we can solve it graphically by plotting tan z and
1
z
and looking for intersections. I have done this in Figs 16,17, and 18 for z0 = 1, 8, 26 respectively.

/2

3/2

5/2

6
5
4
3
2
1
0
0

9
z

Figure 16: z=1


We can consider two limiting cases of the nite square well based on z0 which is measure of the
size of the well.
1. Wide deep well: z0 is large. The intersections will occur at zn = n/2 with odd n, n =
1, 3, 5. With some manipulation we will get ln = n/2a and the energies will be those of
the innite square well as V0 .

2. Shallow narrow well: z0 is small. As z0 decreases, we get fewer and fewer bound states,
until eventually only one state remains (an even state). This is what we saw in the case of
the function well.

Sourabh Dube - PHY202

49

f(z)

/2

3/2

5/2

6
5
4
3
2
1
0
0

9
z

f(z)

Figure 17: z=8

/2

3/2

5/2

6
5
4
3
2
1
0
0

9
z

Figure 18: z=26

Sourabh Dube - PHY202

50

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