Special Problem One

Peter D Alison
May 11, 2009

0.1 Exercise 2.51

P113A
ID 25732824

Consider the potential

h̄2 a2
V (x) = − sech(ax),
m
where a is a positive constant, and sech stands for hyperbolic secant.

(a) Graph this potential.

Let us make all constants one so as to make graphing easier and possible
on Mathematica or GnuPlot.

(b) Check that this potential has the state

ψ0 = Asech(ax),

and find its energy. Normalize ψ0 , and sketch its graph.

We check that ψ0 satisfies the Schrödinger Equation and solve for the en-
ergy E.
h̄2 ∂ 2 ψ
− + V (x)ψ = Eψ
2m ∂x2
∂2 a2 h̄2 sech2 (ax)
(Asech(ax)) − (Asech(ax)) = E0 (Asech(ax))
∂x2 m
1
 2 3 2 a2 h̄2 sech2 (ax)
2
A(−a sech (ax)+a sech(ax) tanh (ax))− (Asech(ax)) = E0 (Asech(ax))
m
Solving for E0 we find that
a2 h̄2
E0 = −
2m
To normalize ψ0 , we use the normalization condition
Z +∞
|ψ0 (x)|2 dx = 1
−∞
Z +∞
A2 sech2 (ax) dx = 1
−∞

2A2
=1
a
a
r
A=
2
q
a
The maximum of ψ0 occurs at 2
.

(c) Show that the function

ik − a tanh(ax) ikx
ψk (x) = A( e )
ik + a
√
(where k = 2mE/h̄, as usual) solves the Schrödinger Equation for any (pos-
itive) energy E. Since tanh(z) → −1 as z → −∞,

ψk (x) ≈ Aeikx , for large negative x.

This represents, then, a wave coming in from the left with no no accompany-
ing reflected wave (i.e., no exp(−ikx)). What is the asymptotic form of ψk (x)
at large positive x? What are R and T , for this potential? Comment: This
is a famous example of a reflectionless potential - every incident particle,
regardless of it energy, passes right through.

We start by checking that ψk satisfies the Schrödinger Equation.

h̄2 ∂ 2 ψk
− + V (x)ψk = Ek ψk
2m ∂x2

2
 h̄2 ∂ 2 ψk
− + V (x)ψk
2m ∂x2
2ia2 Ae1kx ksech2 (ax) 2a3 Aeikx sech2 (ax) tanh(ax) Aeikx k 2 (ik − a tanh(ax))
=− + −
ik + a ik + a ik + a
h̄2 a2 ik − a tanh(ax) ikx
=− sech2 (ax)A( )e
m ik + a
√
Simplifying and replace k for 2mE we obtain
√ i√2mEk x √
ae Ek h̄2 (−2i Ek m − a tanh(ax))
− √ √
2(a + i 2mEk )

Also
E k ψk
√ √ √
aEk ei 2mEk x (i 2mEk − a tanh(ax))
= √ √
2(a + i 2mEk )
As we can see ψk satisfies the Schrödinger Equation.

We have
lim tanh(ax) = 1
x→+∞

For large positive x, tanh(ax) → 1 as x → +∞

so ψk → A( ik−a
ik+a
)eikx . For the transmission coefficient T , we take the ra-
tio of the squares of the amplitudes of ψk .
ik−a
A( ik+a ) 2
T =( )
A
ik − a −ik − a
T =( )( )=1
ik + a −ik + a
The transmission coefficient is 1, which implies that R = 0.