Infinite square well with barrier in the middle

In summary, the conversation discusses the double square well potential V_{S}(x), which has infinite barriers at the edges and a finite barrier in the middle. It is shown that the energy levels of this potential are doubly degenerate. However, when the barrier in the middle is finite, there is a possibility of tunneling between the two wells, which splits the degeneracy. The problem then asks to show that, to first order in the reflection and transmission amplitudes, the finite barrier well has two energy levels corresponding to each degenerate level in the double square well potential.
  • #1
christianpoved
15
0

Homework Statement



Show that the energy levels of a double square well [tex]V_{S}(x)= \begin{cases}
\infty, & \left|x\right|>b\\
0, & a<\left|x\right|<b\\
\infty, & \left|x\right|<a
\end{cases}[/tex] are doubly degenerate. (Done)

Now suppose that the barrier between -a and a is very high, but finite. Assume that the potential between -a and a is symmetric about the origin. There is now the possibility of tunneling from one well to the other, and this possibility has the effect of splitting the degeneracy of the double well in part (a). Let Eo be an energy level of the well in part (a), and assume that Eo is reasonably less than the barrier height. Assume that in the neighborhood of Eo the reflection amplitude of the barrier at -a is of the form [tex]\exp(-i\delta (E))[/tex] where delta is real, positive and much smaller than 1. Also assume the transmission amplitude to be of the form [tex]iJ (E))[/tex] where J is small and positive. Show that to lowest order in delta and J the well with the finite barrier has two levels E corresponding to each degenerate level of the double square well in (a), given by [tex]E_{\pm}=E_{0}-\frac{p_{0} \hbar}{m (b-a)}(\delta (E_{0}) \mp \frac{J(E_{0})}{2})[/tex]

Homework Equations



I guess that the relations between the transmission an reflection amplitudes are important, also i need a relation between the energy and the amplitudes

The Attempt at a Solution



I did part (a) solving the Schrödinger equation by regiones arriving to this wavefunction

[tex]\psi_{1}\left(x\right)=A_{1}\sin\left(n\pi\frac{x+b}{b-a}\right)[/tex]
between -b and -a.
[tex]\psi_{2}\left(x\right)=\pm A_{2}\sin\left(n\pi\frac{x-a}{b-a}\right)[/tex]
between a and b. With an energy of [tex]E=\frac{n_{2}^{2}\hbar^{2}\pi^{2}}{2m\left(b-a\right)^{2}}[/tex] showing that every energy state is doubly degenerated. But i have no idea how to do part b
 
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  • #2
Well what happens to the wavefunctions etc if the barrier in the middle is not infinite?
 

1. What is an infinite square well with a barrier in the middle?

An infinite square well with a barrier in the middle is a theoretical model in quantum mechanics that describes a particle confined to a finite one-dimensional region with a potential barrier in the middle. This model is often used to study the behavior of particles in a potential well with a barrier, such as a semiconductor device or a particle accelerator.

2. What is the significance of a barrier in the infinite square well?

The presence of a barrier in the infinite square well introduces the concept of quantum tunneling, where a particle can pass through the barrier even if it does not have enough energy to overcome it. This phenomenon is a result of the probabilistic nature of quantum mechanics and has important implications in various fields such as electronics and nuclear physics.

3. How is the energy of a particle in an infinite square well with a barrier calculated?

The energy of a particle in an infinite square well with a barrier is determined by solving the Schrödinger equation, which is a mathematical equation that describes the wave function of a quantum system. The energy levels are quantized, meaning they can only take on certain discrete values, and are determined by the height and width of the potential barrier.

4. What are the boundary conditions for an infinite square well with a barrier?

The boundary conditions for an infinite square well with a barrier are that the wave function must be continuous and differentiable at the boundaries of the well and the barrier. This means that the wave function must be zero at the edges of the well and must match the wave function of the barrier within the barrier region.

5. What are some real-world applications of the infinite square well with a barrier model?

The infinite square well with a barrier model has applications in fields such as solid-state physics, where it is used to understand the electronic properties of materials, and nuclear physics, where it is used to study the behavior of particles in nuclear reactions. It is also used in engineering and technology, such as in the design of quantum dot devices and tunneling transistors.

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