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Unit I - Wave Equations

1. The document introduces concepts of classical mechanics and its limitations in explaining phenomena at the microscopic level like blackbody radiation and the photoelectric effect. 2. It describes how quantum mechanics was developed with early formulations by Heisenberg, Born, and Jordan and Schrodinger's wave equation to model the behavior of microscopic particles like electrons. 3. The key concepts discussed include the wave function, probability density, solutions to the time-dependent and time-independent Schrodinger equation for particles in a rigid box and harmonic oscillator, and the quantum tunneling effect.

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156 views20 pages

Unit I - Wave Equations

1. The document introduces concepts of classical mechanics and its limitations in explaining phenomena at the microscopic level like blackbody radiation and the photoelectric effect. 2. It describes how quantum mechanics was developed with early formulations by Heisenberg, Born, and Jordan and Schrodinger's wave equation to model the behavior of microscopic particles like electrons. 3. The key concepts discussed include the wave function, probability density, solutions to the time-dependent and time-independent Schrodinger equation for particles in a rigid box and harmonic oscillator, and the quantum tunneling effect.

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© © All Rights Reserved
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Wave equations

An introduction to
Quantum Mechanics

MMCOE, PUNE-52 Applied Physics-II Dr. Umesh Moharil


Classical mechanics

• Classical mechanics
– Formulated to explain the behavior of macroscopic objects
– Motion of macroscopic particles obeys Newton’s laws of motion
– State of a particle is defined by
• Knowledge of the INITIAL STATE
– Requires knowledge of – forces, position and velocity
– Prediction of FUTURE states is possible

• Microscopic world
– Particles such as photons, electrons, nuclie, etc shows wave-particle
duality
– Is there an analogy to Newton’s 2nd law for behavior of these particles?

MMCOE, PUNE-52 Applied Physics-II Dr. Umesh Moharil


Failure of classical physics
• Theories could not explain black body
radiations
– Light given off when objects are heated

• Could not explain photoelectric effect


– Electrons ejected when light strikes metal surface

• Could not explain diffraction patterns of particle


beam
– Electrons through metal foil diffracted like
waves

MMCOE, PUNE-52 Applied Physics-II Dr. Umesh Moharil


Quantum mechanics
• Quantum mechanics (QM)
– Examples of microscopic systems: electrons, protons, nuclie, etc
– Microscopic system shows wave-particle duality
– QM is Mathematical framework for microscopic systems

• Werner Heisenberg, Max Born and Pascual Jordon (1925)


– First mathematical formulation explaining discrete nature of light and matter
– Able to describe the behavior of microscopic particles

• Erwin Schrödinger (1926)


– A new mathematical formulation of QM (~ to Newton’s 2nd law )
– Proposed a differential equation and its solution
– Able to predict behavior of microscopic particles

MMCOE, PUNE-52 Applied Physics-II Dr. Umesh Moharil


Wave function 
• A wave is produced only when something oscillates
• For light, something  em field, sound  pressure
• What oscillates to produce matter waves?
– Represent that quantity by a wave function  (analogous to y in
displacement in string)
   amplitude of matter wave
– A periodic change in  produces matter waves
  is function of position and time
 (x,y,z,t) = (q,t)
• For many particles, (q1,q2,…,t)

MMCOE, PUNE-52 Applied Physics-II Dr. Umesh Moharil


Wave function  and ||2
   related with probability of finding a particle at that space & time
• Greater the amplitude of matter wave greater is value of 
• Amplitude can be positive or negative
• Negative amplitude  negative probability meaningless
  is complex but ||2 =  * is always real and positive
• ||2 can have any value between 0 and 1
• ||2 = 0 particle is absent, ||2 =1  particle is present
• ||2 = 0.2  20% probability that particle is present
• ||2 represent probability density

MMCOE, PUNE-52 Applied Physics-II Dr. Umesh Moharil


What is 2?
• For a single particle
– at time t, the wave function is (x,y,z,t)
– probability that at time t, the particle is in
a given volume of space (dx·dy·dz) is
given by
– |(x,y,z,t)|2 dx·dy·dz

• Particle can be found somewhere in


space
2
  dx  dy  dz  1

MMCOE, PUNE-52 Applied Physics-II Dr. Umesh Moharil


Conditions to be obeyed by 
• Normalizable function
– Probability of finding particle somewhere is 100%

• Single value function


   probability  can have only one value
• Finite function
– Particle exists somewhere in space  integration over all space
must be finite
• Continuous function
  and its first order derivatives must be continuous

MMCOE, PUNE-52 Applied Physics-II Dr. Umesh Moharil


The Schrödinger equation

MMCOE, PUNE-52 Applied Physics-II Dr. Umesh Moharil


What is Schrödinger equation?
• Schrödinger equation in QM  Newton’s laws in CM
• It predicts the future behavior of a dynamic system
• It is a wave equation predicts the probability of events or
outcome.
• An operator acts upon the wavefunction to generate the
evolution of the wavefunction in time and space
• Schrödinger equation predicts – atomic spectrum of
hydrogen, energy levels of Plank’s oscillator, non-radiation of
electrons in atom, shift in energy levels in a strong electric
field, etc.

MMCOE, PUNE-52 Applied Physics-II Dr. Umesh Moharil


Schrödinger Eq. – time independent form

• Time independent form


– Forces acting on the system
are time independent
– Conservation of total energy

MMCOE, PUNE-52 Applied Physics-II Dr. Umesh Moharil


Schrödinger Eq. – time independent form

MMCOE, PUNE-52 Applied Physics-II Dr. Umesh Moharil


Particle in a rigid box

MMCOE, PUNE-52 Applied Physics-II Dr. Umesh Moharil


Particle in a rigid box

• The energies are quantized and can be characterized by a quantum number


n
• The energy cannot be exactly zero
• The smaller the confinement, the larger the energy required

MMCOE, PUNE-52 Applied Physics-II Dr. Umesh Moharil


Quantum harmonic oscillator

• Harmonic oscillator: restoring force  displacement


• Example: vibration of a diatomic molecule
• Minimum energy of a QHO (Zero point energy)
– CM  zero
– QM  ½h (not zero)
• At zero point QHO has zero position & momentum which is not possible
• CM  any energy, QM  discrete energy
• Maximum probability of finding particle
– Classically at the end of motion
– QM predicts near the equilibrium position

MMCOE, PUNE-52 Applied Physics-II Dr. Umesh Moharil


Harmonic oscillator

MMCOE, PUNE-52 Applied Physics-II Dr. Umesh Moharil


Harmonic oscillator

MMCOE, PUNE-52 Applied Physics-II Dr. Umesh Moharil


Tunnel effect

MMCOE, PUNE-52 Applied Physics-II Dr. Umesh Moharil


Tunnel effect

MMCOE, PUNE-52 Applied Physics-II Dr. Umesh Moharil


Key words
• Classical mechanics
• Quantum mechanics
• Wave function
• Probability density
• Schrödinger equation – TD & TI
• Particle is rigid and non-rigid box
• Quantum harmonic oscillator
• Tunnel effect

MMCOE, PUNE-52 Applied Physics-II Dr. Umesh Moharil

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