Past exam of the quantum condensed matter course of the University of Cambridge 2007 Section A A1 c Solution Created 2026-10-18 Updated 2026-10-20
For the polybutadiene chain in 1,4-dioxane, define from the negative end charge toward the positive one. The electric dipole energy is , so the force conjugate to end separation is , even though the two endpoint forces are opposite. Balancing it against the entropic spring force givesNumerically,The zero-field rms of just the component is , a different comparison. The mean extension is still much smaller than the contour length , consistent with the Gaussian ideal chain force law. This is an end-charged ideal polymer in an electric field; the direct endpoint Coulomb interaction is omitted as stipulated.