Chapter 7: Q20P (page 313)
Quantum dots. Consider a particle constrained to move in two dimensions in the cross-shaped region.The 鈥渁rms鈥 of the cross continue out to infinity. The potential is zero within the cross, and infinite in the shaded areas outside. Surprisingly, this configuration admits a positive-energy bound state
(a) Show that the lowest energy that can propagate off to infinity is
any solution with energy less than that has to be a bound state. Hint: Go way out one arm (say ), and solve the Schr枚dinger equation by separation of variables; if the wave function propagates out to infinity, the dependence on x must take the form
(b) Now use the variation principle to show that the ground state has energy less than . Use the following trial wave function (suggested by Jim Mc Tavish):
Normalize it to determine A, and calculate the expectation value of H.
Answer:
Now minimize with respect to 伪, and show that the result is less than. Hint: Take full advantage of the symmetry of the problem鈥 you only need to integrate over 1/8 of the open region, since the other seven integrals will be the same. Note however that whereas the trial wave function is continuous, its derivatives are not鈥攖here are 鈥渞oof-lines鈥 at the joins, and you will need to exploit the technique of Example 8.3.
