Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2016/ib/paper-3/8b/b/solution

The global time-dependent phase cancels from the probability current. Put . Direct multiplication gives
The second term is real, because the expression in parentheses is purely imaginary. Hence
The first plane wave travels to the right with incident current ; the second travels to the left with reflected current . Their wave interference changes the probability density but cancels from the net current. The current vanishes for , is positive for , and is negative for . These plane waves are scattering states, not individually normalizable bound states.

New to topics? Read the docs here!