INDIAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH (IISER), PUNE

(An Autonomous Institution, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India)

Dr Homi Bhabha Road, Pune 411 008

FALL 2015
Assignment 5: Stationary states and particle in a 1D box potential

Course name: Quantum Mechanics 1(PHY321)

Date of submission: 14/09/2015

Stationary states are particular class of solutions of time-dependent Schrodinger equation, they have of
the form: (x, t) = (x)f (t) with f (t) = exp(iEt/h) being a phase factor, also called the separable
solutions. Note that the spatial part of these solutions satisfies H(x) = E(x), the time-independent
Schr
odinger equation, which is an eigen-value equation. Note that, for every E value we dont get a
square-integrable wave functions (physically acceptable) as solutions, hence leading to the quantization of
energies. Any arbitrary solution of time dependent Schrodinger equation can be written as superposition of
the energy eigen or stationary states (Hn = En n ):
X
(x, t) =
cn n (x)eiEn t/h .
(1)
n

1. Particle on a ring
(a) Write down the time-independent Schrodinger equation for a particle with mass m restricted to
move on a circle of constant radius r. (1 12 marks)
(b) Solve the eigen value equation and obtain the stationary states (1 12 marks)
2. Particle in a box
Consider a particle in a box in a region of a x a, is in a superposition state and is described by
the wave function
 x i
 x 
1 h
(x, 0) = cos
+ sin
.
(2)
2a
a
a
(a) Write down (x, t). (1 mark)
(b) Calculate hxi and hx2 i (4 marks)
3. Consider a box potential with the infinite potential barriers located at x = 0 and x = a, then
extended to infinities in both directions, and no potential in between the two points. Now use the
periodic boundary conditions for (x) and its first derivative d(x)/dx 0 (x): (0) = (a) and
0 (0) = 0 (a) and obtain the eigen functions and eigen energies. (Note that we have used a vanishing
boundary conditions in the lecture for solving 1D potential box with different box dimensions.)
(2 marks)