Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi Physics Department

PH 120 Physics of Materials Second Semester 2012-2013 Tutorial Sheet-2 (Quantum Mechanics) 1. The possible harmonic waves representing a particle traveling in the +x direction are sin(t-kx), cos(t-kx), exp(-i(t-kx)) and exp(+i(t-kx)). Which of these are unacceptable wave functions? Verify using Schrdinger equation or the principle of superposition. Prove that * is necessarily real and either positive or zero. A linear combination of two wave functions for the same system is also a valid wave function. Find the normalization constant B for the combination x 2x = B sin L + sin L for n=1 and n=2 states of a particle in a box L wide. 4. Ans: 1 / L

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Show that the fractional difference in the energy between two adjacent energy levels of a particle in an infinite square well is E 2n + 1 = E n2 Discuss the classical limit of this system. Assuming to be of the form e-i(t-kx) and the Schrdinger equation for a free particle identify the functional forms of the energy and momentum operators. Ans: p = ih , E = ih x t

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Show that the expectation values <px> and <xp> are related by <px>-<xp>=-i. This result is described by saying that p and x do not commute and it is intimately related to the uncertainty principle. The wave function of a particle confined in a box of length L is
2 2 n x 0< x<L n ( x) = sin L L Find the probability of finding the particle in the region x = 0 and x = L / n . Ans:1/n Calculate the value of the difference between the energy of a He molecule moving back and forth on a path 1 cm long when n = 2 and n =3. Ans:2.57 x 10-18 eV
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Calculate <x>, <x2>, <p> and <p2> for a particle in a one-dimensional box and hence verify the uncertainty relation for this system.
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If the electron having de Broglie wavelength of 1.21 x10 -8 cm is confined in a one dimensional box, how for apart must the walls of the box be when five loops of the de Broglie wave span the distance from one wall to the other? Ans: 3.025 x 10-8 cm The wave function for the lowest energy state of a harmonic oscillator is x2 ( x) = A exp 2a2 where a is the corresponding classical amplitude. (a) Determine the constant A. (b) Calculate the expectation values of x, x2, p and p2. (c) Show that these values for the lowest state are consistent with Heisenbergs uncertainty principle.

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Show that in the non-relativistic case the expectation value of the kinetic energy of a particle is proportional to the integral of /x 2. Electrons with energies of 1eV and 2eV are incident on a barrier 5 eV high and 0.5 nm wide. Find their respective transmission probabilities. How are these affected if the barrier is doubled in width? Ans: 1.40 x 10-4, 1.97 x 10-8 A proton and a deuteron (a particle with the same charge as a proton, but twice the mass) attempt to penetrate a rectangular potential barrier of height 10 MeV and the thickness 10-14 m. Both particles have the same total energy of 3 MeV. Evaluate the probability of penetration for both the particles. Ans: 8.986 x 10-6, 7.298 x 10-8

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Show that for a particle confined in a two dimensional box (L,L) the wave function will be of the form: 2 n x n y y ( x, y ) = sin x sin L L L with energy eigen values 22(nx2+ny2)/2mL2. What is the level above E=50 E0 of a particle in a two dimensional box for which the degeneracy is greater than 2? Ans: E= 85 E0 ( 2,9) and (6,7) A Particle of mass m moves in a potential V(r)=-Vo when r < a, and V(r) = 0 when r> a. Find the least value of V0 such that there is a bound state of zero energy and zero angular momentum. -----------

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