Physics

323 Term Project Fall 2017

This term project contains 3 problems each of which will require you to
write code or do some theoretical analysis. You are required to do one of
these projects. If you do more than one of these problems you will receive
extra credit. You may work together with other people in the class but the
aggregated groups must still turn in the answers to at least one different
projects per person.

A complete solution to one of these problems will require that you submit:

1. computerized plots/animations of the data (if a plot is required)

2. the source code to any program you wrote to solve the problem and or
all analytic calculations including all steps

3. a write up that outlines the steps you took to solve the problem and
which provides links to the code and images of any plots (w/ titles and
labels!) you produced and/or all calculations.

4. a write-up discussing the background, approach, solutions, and

interpretation of your solutions for all pertinent parts of the projects.
Include a bibliography for all sources (web or otherwise).

If you are having trouble getting started on all of these, please come talk to
me. These problems are challenging, so dont leave them for the last minute!

1. Develop code in Matlab to show a wave packet in free-space (Chapter 6)

spreading as it propagates forward in time. Once you have done this,
introduce a step potential (a theta function) and show the scattering of the
wave packet as it encounters the step potential.

Hint: See the Garcia paper in the resources section on how to implement the
code.

 Physics 323 Term Project Fall 2017

2. Calculate and plot the wave functions and the probability of being found
between -a and a for all eigenfunctions with energy below Vo and the first 3
with energy above Vo this system. Be sure to comment on how the wave
functions relate to those of an infinite square well with walls at -2a to 2a.

results!

Vo

-2a 0 2a
-a a

(Hint: Represent the Hamiltonian in Matlab and then diagonalize to find

energy eigenvalues and eigenvectors. Move from there to finding
probabilities of finding solutions.)

Interpret your results!

3. The infinite square well has solutions that are very familiar to us from PHYS
203. However, in PHYS 323, we learn that a quantum state of the system
can be in a superposition state a linear combination of a set of eigenstates.
While a quantum system that is purely an eigenstate does not change over
time, a quantum state that is in a superposition state will change its value as
a function of position.

For this project, solve for the time dependent quantum state for a wave
function of the one-dimensional square well in the position basis. Choose at
least three wavefunctions, 2 that are superpositions of two states, and one
that is a superposition of more than two states. Be sure they are normalized!
Physics 323 Term Project Fall 2017

Your job then is to use matlab to create an animated plot of the real and
imaginary parts of the wavefunctions in position space as a function of time.
Interpret your results.

Lastly, calculate the probability of finding the system in each of its possible
energy states. Are these probabilities functions of time? Discuss.