Paper 4, Section II, B

Applications of Quantum Mechanics
Part II, 2010

The scattering amplitude for electrons of momentum k\hbar \mathbf{k} incident on an atom located at the origin is f(r^)f(\hat{\mathbf{r}}) where r^=r/r\hat{\mathbf{r}}=\mathbf{r} / r. Explain why, if the atom is displaced by a position vector a, the asymptotic form of the scattering wave function becomes

ψk(r)eikr+eikaeikrrf(r^)eikr+ei(kk)aeikrrf(r^),\psi_{\mathbf{k}}(\mathbf{r}) \sim e^{i \mathbf{k} \cdot \mathbf{r}}+e^{i \mathbf{k} \cdot \mathbf{a}} \frac{e^{i k r^{\prime}}}{r^{\prime}} f\left(\hat{\mathbf{r}}^{\prime}\right) \sim e^{i \mathbf{k} \cdot \mathbf{r}}+e^{i\left(\mathbf{k}-\mathbf{k}^{\prime}\right) \cdot \mathbf{a}} \frac{e^{i k r}}{r} f(\hat{\mathbf{r}}),

where r=ra,r=r,r^=r/r\mathbf{r}^{\prime}=\mathbf{r}-\mathbf{a}, r^{\prime}=\left|\mathbf{r}^{\prime}\right|, \hat{\mathbf{r}}^{\prime}=\mathbf{r}^{\prime} / r^{\prime} and k=k,k=kr^k=|\mathbf{k}|, \mathbf{k}^{\prime}=k \hat{\mathbf{r}}. For electrons incident on NN atoms in a regular Bravais crystal lattice show that the differential cross-section for scattering in the direction r^\hat{\mathbf{r}} is

dσdΩ=Nf(r^)2Δ(kk).\frac{d \sigma}{d \Omega}=N|f(\hat{\mathbf{r}})|^{2} \Delta\left(\mathbf{k}-\mathbf{k}^{\prime}\right) .

Derive an explicit form for Δ(Q)\Delta(\mathbf{Q}) and show that it is strongly peaked when Qb\mathbf{Q} \approx \mathbf{b} for b\mathbf{b} a reciprocal lattice vector.

State the Born approximation for f(r^)f(\hat{\mathbf{r}}) when the scattering is due to a potential V(r)V(\mathbf{r}). Calculate the Born approximation for the case V(r)=aδ(r).V(\mathbf{r})=-a \delta(\mathbf{r}) .

Electrons with de Broglie wavelength λ\lambda are incident on a target composed of many randomly oriented small crystals. They are found to be scattered strongly through an angle of 6060^{\circ}. What is the likely distance between planes of atoms in the crystal responsible for the scattering?