Alqahtani Faris

M5: Lab Activity

Potential barrier

Instructions

1. Free particle:
Let’s start with something familiar: the free particle. Choose the appropriate potential and
a particle of known kinetic energy

a) Describe the stationary state wave function f

Using a wave packet, potential = 0, the stationary wave function is localized, It has real and
imaginary parts; these elements are out of phase with each other, It has an absolute
maximum in the middle, and equal relative minima on each side and finally It has a
probability distribution, with the maximum probability of the particle’s location at the peak
amplitude of the wave packet.

b) Vary the energy and describe the change in the f. Explain why this change occurs

As energy decreases, the local minima on the sides become smaller until they smooth out
completely. The maximum in the middle retains its amplitude, and as the energy increases,
the wave packet adds additional local maxima and minima.

Why: as the energy increases, more k-vectors are being added, so more waves are included
in the composite wave packet, and more local maxima or minima are observable.

c) Change the potential and describe and explain the resulting change in f

As potential increases, the packet stretches out, and as potential decreases, the packet
squeezes. The real and imaginary parts continue to be out of phase with each other

The packet stretches out means that fewer oscillations take place in the same region, and
when the packet squeezes means that more oscillations into the same region.
d) Now make a wave packet and let it evolve several fs. Show the magnitude as well as
the real part of f and describe the changes. Do the wave function wave fronts move at
the same speed as the packet?

The wave packet quickly spreads out, with the probability density spreading as well
however it’s still centered at the greatest magnitude of the wave packet, also the envelope
moves slower than the individual wave fronts that means that the phase velocity is bigger than
group velocity and that’s what causes the spreading.

2. Step potential:

Now create a step potential and a DE Broglie particle

a) Set E > V and adjust the step so V = 0. Increase the step (still V < E) and describe and
explain the change in f

The wave packet approaches the step. When it hits the step, part of the wave is reflected,
and part of the wave continues through the step. The wave function and probability density
change on each side of the step, with them both falling off more quickly inside the step than
on the reflection side of the step. With increasing energy, the transmission probability
increases and the reflection probability correspondingly decreases.

b) Keep E > V and V ¹ 0. Given the energy values (which you can show), calculate and
verify the (relative) amplitudes of the incident, reflected, and transmitted stationary
state wave functions, and the transmission and reflection probabilities. You can
choose to show the summed or separated incident wave parts.

Chosen parameters PhET values

E = 0.7 eV R = 0.09
V = 0.5 eV T = 0.91

Calculation:

𝟐∗𝒎∗𝑬
𝒌𝟏 = √
𝒉𝟐

𝟐 ∗ 𝒎 ∗ (𝑬 − 𝑽𝟎 )
𝒌𝟏 = √
𝒉𝟐
 √𝑬 = 𝟎. 𝟖𝟑𝟔𝟔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 √(𝑬 − 𝑽𝟎 ) = 𝟎. 𝟒𝟒𝟕𝟐

𝟒 ∗ 𝒌𝟏 ∗ 𝒌𝟐 𝟒 ∗ √𝑬 ∗ √(𝑬 − 𝑽𝟎 ) 𝟒 ∗ 𝟎. 𝟖𝟑𝟔𝟔 ∗ 𝟎. 𝟒𝟒𝟕𝟐

𝑻= 𝟐
= = 𝟐
= 𝟎. 𝟗𝟎𝟖
(𝒌𝟏 + 𝒌𝟐 ) ( √𝑬 + √(𝑬 − 𝑽𝟎 ) )² (𝟎. 𝟖𝟑𝟔𝟔 + 𝟎. 𝟒𝟒𝟕𝟐)

(𝒌𝟏 − 𝒌𝟐 )𝟐 ( √𝑬 − √(𝑬 − 𝑽𝟎 ) )² (𝟎. 𝟖𝟑𝟔𝟔 − 𝟎. 𝟒𝟒𝟕𝟐)𝟐

𝑹= = = = 𝟎. 𝟎𝟗𝟐
(𝒌𝟏 + 𝒌𝟐 )𝟐 ( √𝑬 + √(𝑬 − 𝑽𝟎 ) )² (𝟎. 𝟖𝟑𝟔𝟔 + 𝟎. 𝟒𝟒𝟕𝟐)𝟐

c) Look also at the imaginary parts of f. Describe and explain the difference between the
imaginary and real parts (the word you’re likely to need is phase).

The imaginary and real parts exhibit the same falling off pattern, but with slightly different
phases. During the tunneling phenomenon, the phase difference of the imaginary and real
parts decreases in other words they get closer to being in synchronisation.

d) Increase the step so V > E. What happens? Compare also the real and imaginary parts
of f. Is it similar to the E > V case? Describe and explain.

when E < V: the transmission coefficient drops to 0, and the real and imaginary parts on
the incident side of the step shift into and out of phase with each other as the reflected
wave interferes with the incident wave. The probability density is zero at the nodes, but isn’t
immediately zero on the transmission side of the step (inside the step). It drops off quickly,
but there’s a short distance during which the de Broglie particle penetrates the step:
quantum tunneling.

3. Barrier potential:

Now create a barrier potential. Start with it quite broad

a) With E > V, describe how f varies over and beyond the barrier, and explain why

When the wave packet crosses the barrier, its wavelength is stretched. Some of the wave
packet is transmitted, and some is reflected. On the other side of the barrier, the
transmitted wave continues and eventually decays, and the probability density decreases as
the wave packet delocalizes.

Why: stretching or spreading occurs because the wave packet spreads out proportionally to
1
𝑡2

b) Now set E < V and describe the change. What is T?

The form of the wave doesn’t look very much different than with E ≥ V.

T = 0, so the wave on the far side of the barrier has tunneled through and, consequently,
falls off quickly.

c) Can you make T > 0? Under what conditions, keeping E < V?

When the barrier is thin enough, even E < V produces T > 0

ALQAHTANI FARIS