Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2017 / ib / Paper 4 / 6B / b / Solution

For a finite potential energy discontinuity, the stationary state $\psi$ and its first derivative are continuous at $a$. Integrating the Time-independent Schrodinger equation across a shrinking interval about $a$ gives continuity of ${\psi }^{\prime }$; a jump in $\psi$ would produce a distributional derivative incompatible with a finite potential energy.

For $E>V_0$, put $k=\sqrt{2mE}/\hslash$, $q=\sqrt{2m(E-V_0)}/\hslash$ and use unit incident amplitude:There is no wave incident from the right. The matching equations $1+r=t$, $k(1-r)=qt$ give $r=(k-q)/(k+q)$ and $t=2k/(k+q)$. Comparing reflected and incident probability currents gives the reflection coefficientThe transmitted fraction is $T=(q/k)|t{|}^2=4kq/(k+q{)}^2$, so $R+T=1$.

For $0<E<V_0$, write $\kappa =\sqrt{2m(V_0-E)}/\hslash$ and retain only the decaying right-hand solution $t{e}^{-\kappa (x-a)}$. Matching gives $r=(k-i\kappa )/(k+i\kappa )$, which has modulus one. The evanescent wave carries no transmitted probability current. At $E=V_0$, the bounded right-hand solution is constant and matching again gives $r=1$. ThusClassically, a particle is wholly transmitted for $E>V_0$ and wholly reflected for $E<V_0$; there is no classical partial reflection above the step. At the threshold it has zero right-hand speed and no transmitted flux, a marginal case requiring a convention about motion exactly on the discontinuity. The quantum result approaches $R=0$ as $E/V_0\to \infty$.