4.1: Infinite Potential Well

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Consider a particle of mass $m$ and energy $E$ moving in the following simple potential: \[V(x) = \left\{\begin{array}{lcl} 0&\hspace{1cm}&\mbox{for }0\leq x\leq a\\[0.5ex] \infty&&\mbox{otherwise} \end{array}\right..\] It follows from Equation ([e5.2]) that if $d^{\,2}\psi/d x^{\,2}$ (and, hence, $\psi$) is to remain finite then $\psi$ must go to zero in regions where the potential is infinite. Hence, $\psi=0$ in the regions $x\leq 0$ and $x\geq a$. Evidently, the problem is equivalent to that of a particle trapped in a one-dimensional box of length $a$. The boundary conditions on $\psi$ in the region $0<x<a$ are \[\label{e5.4} \psi(0) = \psi(a) = 0.\] Furthermore, it follows from Equation ([e5.2]) that $\psi$ satisfies \[\label{e5.5} \frac{d^{\,2} \psi}{d x^{\,2}} = - k^{\,2}\,\psi\] in this region, where \[\label{e5.6} k^{\,2} = \frac{2\,m\,E}{\hbar^{\,2}}.\] Here, we are assuming that $E>0$. It is easily demonstrated that there are no solutions with $E<0$ which are capable of satisfying the boundary conditions ([e5.4]).

The solution to Equation ([e5.5]), subject to the boundary conditions ([e5.4]), is \[\psi_n(x) = A_n\,\sin(k_n\,x),\] where the $A_n$ are arbitrary (real) constants, and

\[\label{e5.8} k_n = \frac{n\,\pi}{a},\] for $n=1,2,3,\cdots$. Now, it can be seen from Equations ([e5.6]) and ([e5.8]) that the energy $E$ is only allowed to take certain discrete values: that is, \[\label{eenergy} E_n = \frac{n^{\,2}\,\pi^{\,2}\,\hbar^{\,2}}{2\,m\,a^{\,2}}.\]

In other words, the eigenvalues of the energy operator are discrete. This is a general feature of bounded solutions: that is, solutions for which $|\psi|\rightarrow 0$ as $|x|\rightarrow\infty$. According to the discussion in Section [sstat], we expect the stationary eigenfunctions $\psi_n(x)$ to satisfy the orthonormality constraint

\[\int_0^a \psi_n(x)\,\psi_m(x)\,dx = \delta_{nm}.\] It is easily demonstrated that this is the case, provided $A_n = \sqrt{2/a}$. Hence,

\[\label{e5.11} \psi_n(x) = \sqrt{\frac{2}{a}}\,\sin\left(n\,\pi\,\frac{x}{a}\right)\] for $n=1,2,3,\cdots$.

Finally, again from Section [sstat], the general time-dependent solution can be written as a linear superposition of stationary solutions:

\[\psi(x,t) = \sum_{n=0,\infty} c_n\,\psi_n(x)\,{\rm e}^{-{\rm i}\,E_n\,t/\hbar},\] where

\[\label{e5.13} c_n = \int_0^a\psi_n(x)\,\psi(x,0)\,dx.\]

Contributors and Attributions

Richard Fitzpatrick (Professor of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin)

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