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Department of Physics Ph.D. Preliminary Examination January 2004

This document provides the problems for a quantum mechanics preliminary examination. It includes 5 problems related to topics like scattering cross sections, particle penetration probabilities, decaying particle wave functions, harmonic oscillator operators, and electron wave functions in periodic potentials. Students are instructed to choose 4 of the 5 problems to solve on separate pages. Useful formulas are also provided.

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47 views3 pages

Department of Physics Ph.D. Preliminary Examination January 2004

This document provides the problems for a quantum mechanics preliminary examination. It includes 5 problems related to topics like scattering cross sections, particle penetration probabilities, decaying particle wave functions, harmonic oscillator operators, and electron wave functions in periodic potentials. Students are instructed to choose 4 of the 5 problems to solve on separate pages. Useful formulas are also provided.

Uploaded by

eka123
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Department of Physics

Ph.D. Preliminary Examination


January 2004

Quantum Mechanics

Please do 4 of the 5 problems


Begin each problem on a separate page

Possibly useful formulas:


R

2
| f | V | i |2 ( E f )

1
(a a )
2
i
p
(a a)
2

a|n

|n

n | n 1

n 1 | n 1

1. Calculate the lowest order Born cross section for an electron scattering from the
three-dimensional potential:
V(r)=Ae-Kr .
2. A particle of mass m and energy E is moving in the potential
V(x,y,z)=0,
z<0
V(x,y,z)=Vo, z0.
Assume E>Vo>0.
(a) It the particle is incident from z<0 perpendicular to
the z-axis, what is the probability that it will penetrate
to z>0?
z<0
z=0
(b) If the particle is incident from z<0 at an angle
relative to the z-axis, what is the probability that it will penetrate to z>0?
(c) For (b) above, at what angle will it propagate in the region z>0?

Vo
z>0

3. A complex potential energy may be used to describe the decay of a particle of mass m
in a bound state of a potential well. Consider the case of a complex delta function
potential in one dimension (with U and Y real, positive constants):
V(x)=-(U+iY)(x)
(a) Determine the wave function and energy of the bound state before the decay
(do not bother to normalize the wave function).
(b) Find the time dependent wave function (x,t) (there is no need to normalize).
(c) At what rate does the probability of finding the particle in the state decay?
4. The Hamiltonian of a one-dimensional harmonic oscillator is
p x2 1 2
H T V
kx .
2m 2
Considering the nth state and employing the raising a and lowering a operators,
determine the following expectation values: <x>, <px>, <x2>, <px2>,<T>,
(a)
<V>, and total energy <E>;
calculate the minimum uncertainty product xpx.
(b)
5. Consider the wave equation of an electron in a weak periodic potential U(x) for a
linear (one-dimensional) lattice with periodicity a. Both the wave functions and the
potential may be expanded as a Fourier series in the reciprocal lattice vectors G.
(a) Write down a general equation relating the coefficients of the expansions.
(b) Deduce an approximate solution for the wave function near the zone
boundary.
(c) In the same approximation, find an expression for the imaginary part of the
wave vector in the energy gap at the zone boundary.

(d) Give the explicit result for Im(k) near the center of the gap and discuss its
significance.

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