Paper 1, Section II, A

Applications of Quantum Mechanics
Part II, 2014

A particle of mass mm scatters on a localised potential well V(x)V(x) in one dimension. With reference to the asymptotic behaviour of the wavefunction as x±x \rightarrow \pm \infty, define the reflection and transmission amplitudes, rr and tt, for a right-moving incident particle of wave number kk. Define also the corresponding amplitudes, rr^{\prime} and tt^{\prime}, for a left-moving incident particle of wave number kk. Derive expressions for rr^{\prime} and tt^{\prime} in terms of rr and tt.

(a) Define the SS-matrix, giving its elements in terms of rr and tt. Using the relation

r2+t2=1|r|^{2}+|t|^{2}=1

(which you need not derive), show that the S-matrix is unitary. How does the S-matrix simplify if the potential well satisfies V(x)=V(x)V(-x)=V(x) ?

(b) Consider the potential well

V(x)=32m1cosh2(x)V(x)=-\frac{3 \hbar^{2}}{m} \frac{1}{\cosh ^{2}(x)}

The corresponding Schrödinger equation has an exact solution

ψk(x)=exp(ikx)[3tanh2(x)3iktanh(x)(1+k2)]\psi_{k}(x)=\exp (i k x)\left[3 \tanh ^{2}(x)-3 i k \tanh (x)-\left(1+k^{2}\right)\right]

with energy E=2k2/2mE=\hbar^{2} k^{2} / 2 m, for every real value of kk. [You do not need to verify this.] Find the S-matrix for scattering on this potential. What special feature does the scattering have in this case?

(c) Explain the connection between singularities of the S-matrix and bound states of the potential well. By analytic continuation of the solution ψk(x)\psi_{k}(x) to appropriate complex values of kk, find the wavefunctions and energies of the bound states of the well. [You do not need to normalise the wavefunctions.]