Thursday, 28 January 2016

quantum mechanics - Wave equations for two intervals at Potential step


Lets say we have a potential step as in the picture:


enter image description here


In the region I there is a free particle with a wavefunction ψI while in the region II the wave function will be ψII.


Let me take now the schrödinger equation and try to derive ψI:



  Wψ=22md2Ψdx2+Wpψ                                         Wψ=22md2Ψdx2d2Ψdx2=2mW2ψDE: d2Ψdx2=Lψ L2mW2 \line(1,0)18.3general solution of DE: ψI=Csin(Lx)+Dcos(Lx)


I got the general solution for the interval I, but this is nothing like the solution they use in all the books: ψI=CeiLx+DeiLx where L2mW/2. I have a personal issue with this because if x= part DeiLx would become infinite and this is impossible for a wavefunction! I know that i would get exponential form if i defined constant L a bit differently as i did above:


DE: d2Ψdx2=Lψ L2mW2 \line(1,0)18.3general solution of DE: ψI=CeLx+DLx


This general solution looks more like the one they use in the books but it lacks an imaginary i and L is defined with a - while in all the books it is positive. Could anyone tell me what am i missing here so i could understand this?




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