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Solutions to the TISE

In this case we only have two regions separated by a point discontinuity in the potential at x=0. Region s ends at x=0 and Region t begins at x=0. Region c is just the point x=0.

The left-incident boundary conditions at tex2html_wrap_inline2061 set the form of the wave function in Region t to a wave of the form tex2html_wrap_inline2065 , where tex2html_wrap_inline2067 .

The general form of the solutions in Region s are oscillatory with wave vector tex2html_wrap_inline2071 . The most convenient form of such solutions for matching the boundary conditions at x=0 is a combination of sine and cosine centered at x=0, giving

displaymath2077

Matching boundary conditions at x=0 gives the solution,

eqnarray681

A and B determine our full solution. To determine s and r, we now expand the sines and cosines in complex exponentials,

  eqnarray685

where for completeness, we have also included the present form of the transmitted solution.

Given the raw solution 26, the next step in the solution process is to set the overall normalization of the solution. To extract proper quantum amplitudes, we must have a unit incoming current. The we achieve by multiplying the entire raw solution through by tex2html_wrap_inline2089 resulting in

eqnarray710

This form now has a unit incoming current. In addition, we have the reflected beam expressed as a simple factor times the unit reflected beam tex2html_wrap_inline2091 . The one difficulty with this form is that the transmitted beam is not also written in terms of a unit current beam because the wave vector in the transmitted part tex2html_wrap_inline2093 does not match the wave vector appearing in the normalizing square-root tex2html_wrap_inline2095 . To rectify this situation, we rearrange the factors in tex2html_wrap_inline2097 , taking care to do absolutely nothing to change the final value of this part of the wave function, which is set entirely by Schrödinger's equation, our boundary conditions and the normalization to unit incoming current,

eqnarray727

Our final wave function, after some minor algebra of gathering factors and clearing fractions, is

  equation741

The quantum amplitudes for reflection and transmission are thus

  eqnarray757


next up previous contents
Next: Physical interpretation of the Up: Example: Scattering from a Previous: Example: Scattering from a

Prof. Tomas Alberto Arias
Thu May 29 15:19:37 EDT 1997