Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-physics-course-of-the-year-4-of-the-natural-sciences-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2013/paper-1/section-b/b8/solution
Past exam of the physics course of the year 4 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge 2013 Paper 1 Section B B8 Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-20
Substitution of a plane wave in the Schrödinger equation gives . For a stationary step-scattering state, remove the common phase and write , . If , the right-side outgoing wave is , . A finite step with no delta-function potential in the Schrödinger operator requires continuous and : a discontinuous wavefunction would generate a delta derivative, and integrating the equation over a vanishing interval gives derivative continuity. Matching yieldsFor , take and the bounded right-side state . It carries no transmitted flux and . The threshold limit also has reflection probability one. Thus at ,For the two-step profile, set , and . With all regions propagating, the net reflection amplitude isThe given quarter-wave condition makes . Zero reflection then requires , equivalent to . ConsequentlyFor an increasing intermediate step this needs and , together with the stipulated thickness condition. In this quarter-wave matching layer for a quantum potential step, two reflected amplitudes cancel while the transmitted flux equals the incident flux.
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