Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Griffith's Quantum Mechanics Problem 2.51
Griffith's Quantum Mechanics Problem 2.51
Griffith's Quantum Mechanics Problem 2.51
Peter D Alison
May 11, 2009
Let us make all constants one so as to make graphing easier and possible
on Mathematica or GnuPlot.
ψ0 = Asech(ax),
We check that ψ0 satisfies the Schrödinger Equation and solve for the en-
ergy E.
h̄2 ∂ 2 ψ
− + V (x)ψ = Eψ
2m ∂x2
∂2 a2 h̄2 sech2 (ax)
(Asech(ax)) − (Asech(ax)) = E0 (Asech(ax))
∂x2 m
1
2 3 2 a2 h̄2 sech2 (ax)
2
A(−a sech (ax)+a sech(ax) tanh (ax))− (Asech(ax)) = E0 (Asech(ax))
m
Solving for E0 we find that
a2 h̄2
E0 = −
2m
To normalize ψ0 , we use the normalization condition
Z +∞
|ψ0 (x)|2 dx = 1
−∞
Z +∞
A2 sech2 (ax) dx = 1
−∞
2A2
=1
a
a
r
A=
2
q
a
The maximum of ψ0 occurs at 2
.
ik − a tanh(ax) ikx
ψk (x) = A( e )
ik + a
√
(where k = 2mE/h̄, as usual) solves the Schrödinger Equation for any (pos-
itive) energy E. Since tanh(z) → −1 as z → −∞,
This represents, then, a wave coming in from the left with no no accompany-
ing reflected wave (i.e., no exp(−ikx)). What is the asymptotic form of ψk (x)
at large positive x? What are R and T , for this potential? Comment: This
is a famous example of a reflectionless potential - every incident particle,
regardless of it energy, passes right through.
h̄2 ∂ 2 ψk
− + V (x)ψk = Ek ψk
2m ∂x2
2
h̄2 ∂ 2 ψk
− + V (x)ψk
2m ∂x2
2ia2 Ae1kx ksech2 (ax) 2a3 Aeikx sech2 (ax) tanh(ax) Aeikx k 2 (ik − a tanh(ax))
=− + −
ik + a ik + a ik + a
h̄2 a2 ik − a tanh(ax) ikx
=− sech2 (ax)A( )e
m ik + a
√
Simplifying and replace k for 2mE we obtain
√ i√2mEk x √
ae Ek h̄2 (−2i Ek m − a tanh(ax))
− √ √
2(a + i 2mEk )
Also
E k ψk
√ √ √
aEk ei 2mEk x (i 2mEk − a tanh(ax))
= √ √
2(a + i 2mEk )
As we can see ψk satisfies the Schrödinger Equation.
We have
lim tanh(ax) = 1
x→+∞
so ψk → A( ik−a
ik+a
)eikx . For the transmission coefficient T , we take the ra-
tio of the squares of the amplitudes of ψk .
ik−a
A( ik+a ) 2
T =( )
A
ik − a −ik − a
T =( )( )=1
ik + a −ik + a
The transmission coefficient is 1, which implies that R = 0.