Paper 2, Section II, B

Quantum Mechanics
Part IB, 2009

Write down the expressions for the probability density ρ\rho and the associated current density jj for a particle with wavefunction ψ(x,t)\psi(x, t) moving in one dimension. If ψ(x,t)\psi(x, t) obeys the time-dependent Schrödinger equation show that ρ\rho and jj satisfy

jx+ρt=0\frac{\partial j}{\partial x}+\frac{\partial \rho}{\partial t}=0

Give an interpretation of ψ(x,t)\psi(x, t) in the case that

ψ(x,t)=(eikx+Reikx)eiEt/\psi(x, t)=\left(e^{i k x}+R e^{-i k x}\right) e^{-i E t / \hbar}

and show that E=2k22mE=\frac{\hbar^{2} k^{2}}{2 m} and ρt=0\frac{\partial \rho}{\partial t}=0.

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

V(x)={V00<x<a0x<0,x>a,V(x)=\left\{\begin{array}{rl} -V_{0} & 0<x<a \\ 0 & x<0, x>a \quad, \end{array}\right.

where V0V_{0} is a positive constant. What conditions must be imposed on the wavefunction at x=0x=0 and x=ax=a ? Show that when 3E=V03 E=V_{0} the probability of transmission is

[1+916sin2a8mE]1\left[1+\frac{9}{16} \sin ^{2} \frac{a \sqrt{8 m E}}{\hbar}\right]^{-1}

For what values of aa does this agree with the classical result?