Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-further-quantum-theory-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2023/2/b/solution

For a real potential energy and a stationary state, the probability current is
The time-independent Schrödinger equation gives , so . In an exterior plane wave superposition, interference terms contribute no current and
Consequently for every choice of incoming amplitudes. If , this says for every complex vector . Since is Hermitian, vanishing of its quadratic form implies that the matrix itself vanishes. Therefore
The second identity follows by choosing . Since is a square matrix, the first also implies , proving unitarity. A real delta potential preserves this proof: continuity of and the real derivative jump make the current continuous across the interaction point.

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