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Infinite Square Well
Infinite Square Well
We now want to turn again to solutions to the time independent Schrödinger’s equation
for other potentials. The next level of complication after dealing with the free particle
and the infinite square-well potential, is piecewise constant potentials, an example of
which I show below:
!
Now, the scale of the potential does not affect physical observables. This can be
demonstrated by considering the time dependent Schrödinger’s equation:
!∂ !
− Ψ ( x, t ) = H Ψ ( x, t )
! i ∂t
If we add a constant to H:
! !
! → H + V0 ⇒
H
− iV0 t
! Ψ ( x, t ) → Ψ ( x, t ) e
But this is an overall phase that does not affect any observable. So, let’s take the zero of
the potential to be the potential at infinity, and our picture above becomes:
!
Now, in all regions of space, the potential is a constant Vc so that our Hamiltonian
operator is:
! p! 2
H= + Vc
! 2 m
where ψE are our energy eigenstates. Now, we can simplify this by making the
substitution:
− 2m (E − Vc )
kc = 2
! !
d 2 ψ E ( x)
2
+ kc2 ψ E ( x) = 0
! dx
There are two special cases for the solutions to this differential equation:
1) E > Vc implies that kc is real and then:
ikc x − ikc x
! E ( x) = A e + B e
ψ
2m
κ c = i kc = 2
(Vc − E ) ⇒
! !
κc x −κ c x
ψ ! E ( x) = A e + B e
We will now use these two classes of solutions to solve specific examples of piecewise
constant potentials:
Finite Square-Well
As our first example, let’s look at the finite square well potential:
1) E > 0 means that the particle is unbound. We will deal with this later.
2) E < 0 means that the particle is bound. Since we have a feel for this type of solution
already, let’s examine it first.
So, for E < 0, let E = -Eb, where Eb is positive and is what is called the binding energy
(the amount of energy that is required to bring E > 0 and thus have an unbound state).
Then, the TISE becomes:
d 2 ψ E ( x) ⎛ 2m (− Eb − V ( x) )⎞
2
+⎜ 2 ⎟ψ E ( x) = 0
! dx ⎝ ! ⎠
Now, since the boundary conditions are different in the different regions, we must look
for solutions separately:
Region I
d 2 ψ I ( x) ⎛ 2mEb ⎞ I
2
− ⎜ 2 ⎟ψ ( x) = 0
! dx ⎝ ! ⎠
2mEb
kI = κ = 2
⇒
! !
I κx −κx
ψ ! ( x) = A e + B e
Region II
d 2 ψ II ( x) ⎛ 2m(V0 − Eb )⎞ II
2
+⎜ 2 ⎟ψ ( x) = 0
! dx ⎝ ! ⎠
2m(V0 − Eb )
k II = k = 2
⇒
! !
II ikx − ikx
ψ ! ( x) = C e + D e
Region III
Now, these are all three parts of a single wavefunction, and must obey boundary and
continuity conditions at +/- infinity and at the boundaries between the regions:
As x → -∞, Be-κx → ∞, so B = 0.
As x → ∞, Geκx → ∞, so G = 0.
So, we have:
!
I κx II ikx − ikx III
ψ ! ( x) = A e ! ( x) = C e + D e
ψ ψ
! ( x) = F e −κx
Now we must insure continuity of the wavefunction and its first derivative (no infinite
potentials here!) at the boundaries between the regions:
ika − ika
! (ik + κ ) C e + (−ik + κ ) D e =0⇒
2 2
C ⎛ κ − ik ⎞ −ika
= − ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ e
D ⎝ κ + ik ⎠
!
C ⎛ κ + ik ⎞ +ika
= − ⎜⎜ ⎟e
D ⎝ κ − ik ⎟⎠
!
This means that in region II, there are again two classes of solutions, one for each
relationship between C and D. The two classes are labeled as “Even Parity” (C = +D)
and “Odd Parity” (C = -D) solutions for reasons that will soon become clear. For even
II +
parity solutions in region II, ψ
! ( x) = 2C cos(kx) , and for odd parity solutions in
II −
region II, ψ
! ( x) = 2iC sin(kx) .
d ψ I + (− a 2) d ψ II + (− a 2) −κa
= ⇒ 2Ck sin (ka 2) = κA e 2
7) ! dx dx
II + III +
d ψ (a 2) d ψ (a 2)
= ⇒ same
8) ! dx dx
! k tan (ka 2) = κ ⇒
ka κa
tan (ka 2) =
! 2 2
ka κa
cot (ka 2) =
! 2 2
Our final constraint comes from the relation between k and kappa:
2m (V0 − Eb )
k= 2
! ! ,
2m Eb
κ= 2
⇒
! !
2m
k 2 = 2 V0 − κ 2 ⇒
! !
2 2 2
⎛ ka ⎞ ⎛ κa ⎞ ⎛ k0 a ⎞ 2mV0
⎜ ⎟ +⎜ ⎟ =⎜ ⎟ k0 ≡
!⎝ 2 ⎠ ⎝ 2 ⎠ ⎝ 2 ⎠ ,
2
! !