Quantum Physics III (8.06) Spring 2006 Assignment 7
Quantum Physics III (8.06) Spring 2006 Assignment 7
• Please remember to put your name and section time at the top of your paper.
• This problem set is due in a week, as usual. The next problem set, Problem Set
8, will be available before Tuesday April 11 as usual but will be due on Tuesday
April 25. You will have 2 weeks for Problem Set 8 because in the interim the
first draft of your term paper is due.
• If you want further problems, beyond those I assign below, with which to teach
yourself about the variational method, prepare for the final exam, gain physics
intuition and learn some new applications, you could try Griffiths’ Problems
7.7, 7.15, 7.16, 7.17, 7.18, 7.19, 7.20.
Readings
The reading assignment for this problem set and the first part of the next one is:
• Griffiths Chapter 7.
Problem Set 7
We can obtain an upper bound on the energy of the ground state using the
variational method. To find a trial wave function, we regard (1) as a harmonic
oscillator potential with a space-dependent frequency, i.e. V (x) = 21 mω 2 (x)x2
1
with 12 mω 2 (x) = λx2 . This motivates us to choose the trial wave function to
resemble the ground state of a harmonic oscillator potential, i.e.
2
ψ(x) = Ae−bx
Find the value of b that minimizes hψ|H|ψi and obtain an upper bound on the
ground state energy. (Hint: normalize ψ first to express A in terms of b.)
V (r) = −αe−2µr ,
where α and µ are positive. Take a simple exponential variational ansatz for
the ground state wavefunction:
2
R
(a) Find the constant C by demanding that d3 r|ψλ (r)|2 = 1.
(b) Compute the variational estimate of the energy of ψ, as a function of λ.
Hint: Once you have normalized the wave function, the variational esti-
mate is given by
¯ ¯
Z h̄2 ¯ dψ (r) ¯2
3 ¯ λ ¯ 2
E(λ) = d r ¯
¯ dr ¯
¯ + V (r) |ψλ (r)|
(3)
2m
R∞
Hint: The only integral needed is 0 dxxn e−x = n!.
λ2 λ 3
Answer: E(λ) = 2m − α( µ+λ ).
(c) Show that for small α, the minimum value of E(λ) is zero and is obtained
for λ = 0. Interpret this result (for example, where is the particle found
when λ = 0?).
(d) Lets scale out some of the dimensionful parameters to make this problem
easier to analyze. Consider E = mE µ2
. Show that E can be written as a
function of x = λ/µ and a scaled strength of the potential, κ = αm/µ2 .
Rewrite the result of part (b) as E(κ, x). Analyze this equation graphically
or numerically and find the minimum value of κ for which a bound state
exists. What is the value of x at this value of κ.
(e) Does the result of the previous section give you a minimum value of α (for
fixed m and µ) required for a bound state, or a maximum, or neither?
Explain.
(a) Set E = 0 in this part of the problem. Estimate the ground state energy
(ie the amount by which the ground state energy is above the bottom of
3
the potential well) by pretending that the well is infinitely deep. (Because
h̄2 /2md2 ¿ V0 , this is a good approximation.) Use this estimate of the
ground state energy in subsequent parts of the problem.
[Aside: the true ground state energy is lower than what you’ve estimated.
(You can show this, but that’s optional.) This means that the tunnelling
lifetime you estimate below is an underestimate.]
(b) Sketch the potential with E 6= 0 and explain why the ground state of the
E = 0 potential is no longer stable when E 6= 0.
(c) Use the semiclassical approximation to calculate the barrier penetration
factor for the ground state. [You should use the fact that eEd ¿ h̄2 /2md2
to simplify this part of the problem.]
(d) Use classical arguments to convert the barrier penetration factor into an
estimate of the lifetime of the bound state.
(e) Now, lets put in numbers. Calculate the lifetime for V0 = 20 eV, d =
2 × 10−8 cm and an electric field of 7 × 104 V/cm. Compare the lifetime
you estimate to the age of the universe.
(f) Show that the lifetime goes like exp 1/E, and explain why this result means
that this “instability” could not be obtained in any finite order of pertur-
bation theory, treating E as a perturbation to the Hamiltonian.