Solutions for Homework Set 7

Jock McOrist
Note: In these solutions I’ve used only SI units, and the problem numbers here refer to the 7th edition of Kittel .

1. Kittel Problem 9.11

Solution

(a) We are given the hamiltonian for the electron to be

µ 2 ¶ · ¸2
~2 ∂ ∂2 1 ∂ eyB
H=− + + −i~ − ,
2m ∂y 2 ∂x2 2m ∂x c
and substituting the ansatz ψ = χ(y)exp[i(kx x + kz z)] in the wave equation Hψ = Eψ gives
00 µ 2 2 ¶
~2 χ(y) i(kx x+kz z) ~ (kz + kx2 ) ~eBkx e2 B 2 2
Hψ = − e + − y+ y χ(y)ei(kx x+kz z) ,
2m 2m mc 2mc
2 00 µ 2 2 ¶
~ χ(y) i(kx x+kz z) ~ kz 1
= − e + + mωc2 (y − y0 )2 χ(y)ei(kx x+kz z) , (1)
2m 2m 2
where we’ve factorised the last three terms in the last line using y0 = c~kx /eB and ωc = eB/mc. Equating
this to ²ψ gives us an equation for χ(y):
00 µ ¶
~2 χ(y) ~2 kz2 1
(² − H)ψ = + ²− − mωc2 (y − y0 )2 χ(y) = 0. (2)
2m 2m 2

(b) Taking (2), we let E = ² − ~2 kz2 /2m and make the change of variables ỹ = y − y0 we get
00
−~2 χ(ỹ) 1
+ mωc2 ỹ 2 χ(y) = Eχ(ỹ) (3)
2m 2
But this is exactly the Schroedinger wave equation for a simple harmonic oscillator with frequency ωc and
energy E. Hence, the quantised energy levels are given by En = (n + 1/2)~ω, and so
~2 kz2 1
²n = + (n + )~ω,
2m 2
are the energy levels of the harmonic oscillator for χ(y).

2. Kittel Problem 12.1

Solution

(a) The penetration equation we need to solve is a wave equation for B inside a superconducting plate. By
symmetry the equation reduces to a one dimensional problem in x. By inspection the penetration equation
d2
λ2 B = B,
dx2
has expotential solutions. Hence, the most general solution we can write down is given by

B(x) = A cosh(x/λ) + B sinh(x/λ), (4)

where A and B are constants to be determined by the boundary conditions. We are given that the magnetic
field outside the plate is constant and parallel to the plate, and so this gives us two boundary conditions
on B:
B(δ/2) = B(−δ/2) = Ba . (5)
Applying these two the solution (4) gives:

B(δ/2) = A cosh(δ/2λ) + B sinh(δ/2λ) = Ba ,

B(−δ/2) = A cosh(δ/2λ) − B sinh(δ/2λ) = Ba . (6)
 From this, solving for A and B gives B = 0, and
Ba
A= .
cosh(δ/2λ

Hence,
cosh(x/λ)
B(x) = Ba . (7)
cosh(δ/2λ
(b) The effective magnetisation is defined by

B(x) − Ba = µ0 M (x).

Using (7) gives · ¸

cosh(x/2λ) − cosh(δ/2λ)
Ba = µ0 M (x). (8)
cosh(δ/2λ)
For a thin plate we have δ ¿ λ, and so for x ¿ 1 we use the expansion cosh x ≈ 1 + x2 /2 to give

x2 /8λ2 − δ 2 /8λ2
µ0 M (x) = Ba ,
1 + (δ/2λ)2
· 2 ¸
Ba δ x2
= − − . (9)
2 4λ2 4λ2

3. Kittel Problem 12.3

Solution

(a) We make use of the two Maxwell equations:

1 ∂
∇×B = µ0 J + E, (10)
c2 ∂t
∂
∇×E = − B. (11)
∂t
We split up the source current into a normal and superconducting contribution J = JN + JS . The super-
conducting contribution obeys the London equation, taking the curl of which gives
1
∇ × JS = − B, (12)
λ2 µ0
while the normal contribution obeys Ohm’s law

JN = σ0 E,

where σ0 is the conductivity. Taking the curl of (10) gives

µ ¶
2 1 1 ∂2
∇ B = −µ0 σ0 ∇ × E + µ0 B + B, (13)
λ2 µ0 c2 ∂t2

where we used (11), (12) and ∇ × (∇ × B) = −∇2 B. Now using the second Maxwell equation (11) gives

∂ 1 1 ∂2
∇2 B = µ0 σ0 B + 2 B + 2 2 B, (14)
∂t λ c ∂t
We now look for wavelike solutions substituting B = B0 exp[i(kr − ω)] into (14). We then get the dispersion
equation for wavelike solutions:

1 ω2
−k 2 = 2
+ µ0 σ0 (−iω) + 2 , (15)
λ c
c2 σ0
c2 k 2 = − 2 +i ω+ω 2
(16)
λ ²0
 (b) The conductivity for normal electrons is σ0 = nN e2 τ /m with τ the relaxation time and so assuming ωτ ¿ 1
we have
c2
k 2 c2 = − 2 + ω 2 , (17)
λ
and rearranging for ω 2 gives: µ ¶
c2
ω2 = + k 2 2
c . (18)
λ2
Therefore the motion of normal electrons is not important in this limit.

4. Kittel Problem 12.3

Solution

(a) The London equation is given by

c
J=− A. (19)
µ0 λ2
Taking the time deriviative gives:
∂ E
J= , (20)
∂t µ0 λ2
where we use the relation
∂
E=− A. (21)
∂t
(b) Suppose
dv
m = qE,
dt
and since J = nqv then
³m´ ∂
J = qE
ne ∂t
mE
= qE. (22)
neµ0 λ2
Hence,
m
λ2 = . (23)
neqµ0