QM-I Solution-Assignment-2 Fall 2024

Q-1. Find the eigenvalues and eigen functions for one-dimensional rectangular potential well
with infinite barrier energy. 𝑉(𝑥) = 0 , − 𝐿⁄2 < 𝑥 < 𝐿⁄2, 𝑉(𝑥) = ∞ , − 𝐿⁄2 ≥ 𝑥 ≥ 𝐿⁄2.
Draw the wave functions, corresponding probability densities and energy levels up to the scale.

Solution: We assume a particle of mass m is described using Schrödinger’s time-independent

equation (Eq. (3.15)). We want to solve this differential equation for the wave function and energy
eigenvalues subject to boundary condition ψ = 0 for −L/2 > x > L/2. Such a boundary condition
requires that the wave function vanishes at the edge of the potential well. Wave functions cannot
penetrate into a potential barrier of infinite energy.
Between x=−L/2 and x = L/2 the potential is zero and the particle wave function is of the form
given by Eq. (2.51). The spatial part of the wave function must satisfy the
time-independent Schrödinger equation which, since V(x) = 0 for −L/2 < x < L/2, is
𝒉𝟐 𝒅𝟐
− 𝝍(𝒙) = 𝑬𝝍(𝒙)
𝟐𝒎 𝒅𝒙𝟐
The wave functions satisfy this second-order differential equation are of sinusoidal form. At the x=−L/2 boundary
we require

above is zero
QM-I Solution-Assignment-2 Fall 2024
QM-I Solution-Assignment-2 Fall 2024

Energy states are

Q-2. Show that change in charge density is related to divergence of current density. If a wave
function is expressed as 𝜑(𝑥, 𝑡) = 𝐴𝑒 𝑖(𝑘𝑥−𝜔𝑡) + 𝐵𝑒 𝑖(−𝑘𝑥−𝜔𝑡) , show that particle flux is
proportional to 𝐴2 − 𝐵 2.
QM-I Solution-Assignment-2 Fall 2024
QM-I Solution-Assignment-2 Fall 2024

Q-3. An electron in the conduction band of GaAs has an effective electron mass 𝑚𝑒∗ = 0.07 𝑚0.
Find the values of the first three energy eigenvalues, assuming a rectangular, infinite, one-
dimensional potential well of width L = 10 nm and L = 20 nm. Find an expression for the difference
in energy levels for 𝑛, 𝑛 + 1 and 𝑛 + 2.
Solution:

𝐸1 = 54 𝑚𝑒𝑉, 𝐸2 = 215 𝑚𝑒𝑉, 𝐸3 = 484 𝑚𝑒𝑉,

Δ𝐸12 = 161 𝑚𝑒𝑉, Δ𝐸23 = 269 𝑚𝑒𝑉

Increasing the value of potential well width by a factor of two to L=20 nm reduces the energy
eigenvalues by a factor of four. For adjacent energy levels, the difference in energy increases
linearly with increasing eigenvalues as
QM-I Solution-Assignment-2 Fall 2024

̂ is Hermitian
Q-4. Show that (𝜓(𝑡), 𝜓(𝑡)) is constant/conserved. Hamiltonian operator 𝐻
operator.
Solution:

𝑖 𝜕
Q-5. Hamiltonian operator in the Schrodinger equation − 𝐻̂ |𝜓(𝑟, 𝑡 ) > = |𝜓(𝑟, 𝑡 ) > is
ℎ 𝜕𝑡
̂ 𝜓⟩ = ⟨𝐻
Hermitian, (⟨𝜓|𝐻 ̂ 𝜓|𝜓⟩), Show that the time dependence of the average value of the
𝑑 𝑖 𝜕
̂ , 𝐴̂]〉 + 〈 𝐴̂〉.
observable 𝐴 associated with the operator 𝐴̂ is 〈𝐴〉 = 〈[𝐻
𝑑𝑡 ℏ 𝜕𝑡
Solution:

𝒅 𝒅 𝝏
〈𝑨〉 = ̂ 𝝍) = ∫ 𝒅𝒙 (𝝍∗ 𝑨
(𝝍, 𝑨 ̂ 𝝍)
𝒅𝒕 𝒅𝒕 𝝏𝒕

𝝏𝝍 ∗ ̂
̂ 𝝍 + 𝝍∗ 𝝏𝑨 𝝍 + 𝝍∗ 𝑨
= ∫ 𝒅𝒙 ( 𝝏𝒕 𝑨 ̂ 𝝏𝝍)
𝝏𝒕 𝝏𝒕
𝝏𝝍 𝒊 𝝏𝝍 𝒊 ∗
=− 𝑯 ̂ 𝝍, = 𝑯 ̂𝝍
𝝏𝒕 ℏ 𝝏𝒕 ℏ
̂ does not depend explicitly on
If 𝑨
̂
𝝏𝑨
time then ̂ is said to be
= 𝟎. 𝑨
𝝏𝒕
̂,𝑨
constant of motion if [𝑯 ̂ ] = 𝟎.
That is 𝑨̂ does commute with
̂.
Hamiltonian 𝑯
QM-I Solution-Assignment-2 Fall 2024

ℏ2 𝑑2 𝑑
Q-6. Find the commutator [𝐻 ̂=−
̂ , 𝑝̂ ], where 𝐻 + 𝑉 (𝑥) and 𝑝̂ = −𝑖ℏ .
2𝑚 𝑑𝑥 2 𝑑𝑥
ℏ2 𝑑2 𝑑 𝑑 ℏ2 𝑑2
̂ , 𝑝̂ ]𝜓 = (𝐻
[𝐻 ̂ 𝑝̂ − 𝑝̂ 𝐻
̂ )𝜓 = 𝐻
̂ 𝑝̂ 𝜓 − 𝑝̂ 𝐻
̂ 𝜓 = (− + 𝑉(𝑥)) (−𝑖ℏ ) 𝜓 − (−𝑖ℏ ) (− + 𝑉(𝑥)) 𝜓
2𝑚 𝑑𝑥 2 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 2𝑚 𝑑𝑥 2

𝑖ℏ3 𝑑 3 𝑑𝜓 𝑖ℏ3 𝑑 3 𝑑𝑉(𝑥)𝜓

𝜓 − 𝑉(𝑥)𝑖ℏ − 𝜓 + 𝑖ℏ = 0, because 𝑉(𝑥) is constant.
2𝑚 𝑑𝑥 3 𝑑𝑥 2𝑚 𝑑𝑥 3 𝑑𝑥

Q-7. Show that

(a) The position operator 𝑥̂ acting on wavefunction 𝜓(𝑥) is Hermitian.
(b) The operator 𝑑⁄𝑑𝑥 acting on the wavefunction 𝜓(𝑥) is anti-Hermitian.
𝑑
(c) The momentum operator −𝑖ℏ 𝑑𝑥 acting on the wavefunction 𝜓(𝑥) is Hermitian.

Q-8. It is well known that position operator and momentum operator form a conjugate pair. In
real space, momentum is a differential operator.
𝑑
(a) Show that in 𝑘 space position is a differential operator, 𝑖ℏ , by evaluating
𝑝𝑥
∞
expectation value 〈𝑥〉 = ∫−∞ 𝑑𝑥𝜓 ∗ (𝑥) 𝑥̂ 𝜓(𝑥) in terms of 𝜙(𝑘𝑥 ), which is the Fourier
transform of 𝜓(𝑥).
QM-I Solution-Assignment-2 Fall 2024

(b) The wave function for a particle in real space is 𝜓(𝑥, 𝑡). Usually, it is assumed that
position 𝑥 and time 𝑡 are continuous and smoothly varying. Given that particle energy
is quantized so that 𝐸 = ℏ𝜔, show that the energy operator for the wave function
𝜕
𝜓(𝑥, 𝑡) is 𝑖ℏ .
𝜕𝑡
QM-I Solution-Assignment-2 Fall 2024

Q-9. Write down the expression for the average value of the particle position 〈𝑥〉 and then make
use of the Schrodinger equation to show that the average value of the momentum is
𝑑 𝑖ℏ ∞ 𝜕 𝜕𝜓 𝜕𝜓∗
〈𝑝〉 = 𝑚
𝑑𝑡
〈𝑥〉 = ∫ 𝑥
2 −∞ 𝜕𝑥
(𝜓 ∗ 𝜕𝑥 −
𝜕𝑥
𝜓) 𝑑𝑥

Solution:
QM-I Solution-Assignment-2 Fall 2024

∞ ∗ 𝜕
Q-10. Evaluate the integral in Q-9 and show that 〈𝑝〉 = ∫−∞ 𝜓 (−𝑖ℏ 𝜕𝑥 ) 𝜓 𝑑𝑥. So that one
𝜕
may identify the momentum operator as 𝑝̂ = −𝑖ℏ .
𝜕𝑥