Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2017/ib/paper-1/15b/b/solution

A bound state has and , since outside the delta potentials a square-integrable solution must decay exponentially. The wavefunction is continuous at each delta: a jump would produce a delta derivative in with no matching term in the equation. Integrating the Time-independent Schrodinger equation across either gives
The symmetry of the symmetric double-delta potential permits even and odd solutions. Up to a nonzero normalization factor, the even candidate is for , and outside. Its derivative jump at gives
The odd candidate is inside and outside. Its jump gives
Parity ensures the jump at as well. Put and . The continuous strictly increasing function ranges from to infinity, so there is exactly one even bound state for every . The continuous strictly increasing function ranges from to infinity, so the odd bound state of a symmetric double-delta potential exists if and only if . Strict increase follows from the allowed monotonicity facts plus the strictly increasing term . Therefore
At equality the odd limiting solution has and is not square integrable, so it is not a bound state. No nonnegative energy can supply another full-line square-integrable state, since its exterior solutions are oscillatory or affine.

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