Paper 2, Section II, C

Quantum Mechanics | Part IB, 2021

(a) Write down the expressions for the probability density ρ\rho and associated current density jj of a quantum particle in one dimension with wavefunction ψ(x,t)\psi(x, t). Show that if ψ\psi is a stationary state then the function jj is constant.

For the non-normalisable free particle wavefunction ψ(x,t)=AeikxiEt/\psi(x, t)=A e^{i k x-i E t / \hbar} (where EE and kk are real constants and AA is a complex constant) compute the functions ρ\rho and jj, and briefly give a physical interpretation of the functions ψ,ρ\psi, \rho and jj in this case.

(b) A quantum particle of mass mm and energy E>0E>0 moving in one dimension is incident from the left in the potential V(x)V(x) given by

V(x)={V00xa0x<0 or x>aV(x)=\left\{\begin{array}{cl} -V_{0} & 0 \leqslant x \leqslant a \\ 0 & x<0 \text { or } x>a \end{array}\right.

where aa and V0V_{0} are positive constants. Write down the form of the wavefunction in the regions x<0,0xax<0,0 \leqslant x \leqslant a and x>ax>a.

Suppose now that V0=3EV_{0}=3 E. Show that the probability TT of transmission of the particle into the region x>ax>a is given by

T=1616+9sin2(a8mE)T=\frac{16}{16+9 \sin ^{2}\left(\frac{a \sqrt{8 m E}}{\hbar}\right)}

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