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In the classical experiment, particles whose impact parameter lies between $b$ and $b+db$ occupy an incident annulus of areaFor a spherically symmetric potential, azimuthal symmetry scatters this annulus into the solid-angle stripThus the central-potential classical differential cross-section isIf the relation between $b$ and $\theta$ has several branches, one sums this expression over every branch. The corresponding diagram consists of an incoming line offset by $b$ from the centre, an outgoing asymptote making angle $\theta$ with the incident direction, and the annulus and solid-angle strip just described.

For quantum scattering by a central potential, the far-field wavefunction iswhere $f(\theta )$ is the scattering amplitude. The incident plane wave has probability currentTo leading order in $1/r$, the scattered spherical wave has radial currentThe scattered rate through area $r^{2}d\Omega$ divided by the incident flux is therefore the quantum differential cross-section from a scattering amplitude:

For a real short-range spherically symmetric potential, the stationary wavefunction must solve the Schrodinger equation, be regular at the origin whenever the potential is finite there, and satisfy the scattering boundary conditionHere $e^{ikz}$ is the incident plane wave, the second term is an outgoing spherical wave, and its coefficient $f(\theta )$ is the scattering amplitude.

Comparing the stated asymptotic expression with the partial-wave expansion of a scattering amplitude giveswhere $P_l$ is a Legendre polynomial. The outgoing-to-incoming coefficient in channel $l$ isPartial-wave unitarity requiresor equivalentlyThe real scattering phase shift ${\delta }_l$ is defined modulo $\pi$ by

For a one-dimensional wavefunction,The probability continuity equation isFor a stationary state $\psi (x,t)=\varphi (x)e^{-iEt/\hslash }$, the probability density is independent of time, so ${\partial }_{x}j=0$ and the probability current is constant in space.

For the plane waveone obtainsThis is a momentum eigenstate with momentum $p=\hslash k$ and, when it satisfies the free Schrodinger equation, energy $E={\hslash }^2{k}^2/(2m)$. Its constant density and current describe a spatially uniform beam carrying probability in the sign of $k$. It is not a normalizable wavefunction, so it represents an idealized state rather than a localized particle.

The one-dimensional Time-dependent Schrodinger equation for a wavefunction in a real potential isMultiplying this equation by ${\Psi }^{\ast }$, multiplying its complex conjugate by $\Psi$, and subtracting gives the probability continuity equationIf $\Psi$ and its first derivative decay sufficiently rapidly as $x\to \pm \infty$, then the probability current $j$ vanishes at both ends. Integrating the continuity equation and using the fundamental theorem of calculus yieldsThis conservation of quantum probability is required by the Born rule: once a normalizable wavefunction has total probability one, its time evolution must preserve that normalization.

For the stated Gaussian wave packet, put $\beta =\hslash t/m$. Sinceits squared modulus isThe Gaussian integral then giveswhich is independent of time, as required.

Expand the normalized initial wavefunction in the orthonormal energy basis:The Time-dependent Schrodinger equation then gives the unitary time evolution

The parity of a wavefunction is its eigenvalue under spatial reflection: $\psi (-x)=+\psi (x)$ for even parity and $\psi (-x)=-\psi (x)$ for odd parity. If $V(-x)=V(x)$, the Hamiltonian commutes with reflection, so its energy eigenspaces admit a parity eigenbasis. In particular, every nondegenerate bound-state energy eigenfunction has definite parity; within a degenerate scattering eigenspace one must choose the even and odd linear combinations.

Write the spatial factors of the stationary wavefunction aswhereSince $U_0-E=E$, the decay constant inside the potential barrier is also $k$. Continuity of the wavefunction and its first derivative at $x=-a$ and $x=a$ gives four linear equations. Solving them yieldsConsequently the transmitted wave isand its probability density isThis is finite square barrier transmission at half barrier height.

The spatial wavefunction $\chi (x)$ is the position amplitude of a stationary quantum state, so $|\chi (x){|}^2$ is its probability density after normalization. The real function $U(x)$ is the potential energy, $E$ is the energy eigenvalue, $m$ is the particle mass, and $\hslash$ is the reduced Planck constant.

Suppose ${\chi }_1$ and ${\chi }_2$ are two bound-state solutions with the same energy. Their Wronskiansatisfies $W^{\prime }=0$ because the Schrodinger equation contains no first-derivative term. Hence $W$ is constant. Both wavefunctions and their derivatives decay at infinity, so $W\to 0$ there and therefore $W\equiv 0$. The two solutions are linearly dependent. Thus every one-dimensional bound-state energy is nondegenerate.

For a particle in the scalar potential energy $U(x)$,The canonical commutation relation $[x,p]=i\hslash$ givesThe Ehrenfest theorem with $O=x$ therefore givesSince $[p^2,p]=0$ and direct action on a wavefunction gives $[U(x),p]=i\hslash U^{\prime }(x)$,Finally $H$ has no explicit time dependence and $[H,H]=0$, so

The first two equations are the expectation-value counterparts of momentum equals mass times velocity and Newton's second law; the last is conservation of energy. They become the classical equations directly when the force varies negligibly across the wave packet, so that $⟨U^{\prime }(x)⟩\simeq U^{\prime }(⟨x⟩)$. These conclusions are summarized by the classical equations from Ehrenfest theorem.

For a wave incident from the left, define the reflection and transmission amplitudes byReflection invariance gives the same amplitudes for incidence from the right. If the incoming amplitudes from the left and right are ordered first, and the outgoing amplitudes toward the left and right second, the One-dimensional S-matrix is

For $V(x)=V_0\delta (x)$, the wavefunction is continuous and its derivative has the jumpThe scattering ansatz givesWithwe obtain the scattering by a delta potential amplitudesThey satisfyThereforeso the scattering matrix is unitary.

For a test wavefunction $f$,Thus the canonical commutation relation is

The time-independent Schrodinger equation isIntegrating it over $(a-\epsilon ,a+\epsilon )$ and letting $\epsilon \to 0$ shows that ${\psi }^{\prime }$ has no jump because $V$ is finite. A jump in $\psi$ would create a delta term in ${\psi }^{\prime }$ and hence a derivative of a delta in ${\psi }^{\prime \prime }$, so $\psi$ is also continuous.

For a bound state $-V_0<E<0$, defineThen the proposed even wavefunction solves the equation away from the interfaces, andContinuity at $x=a$ gives $B\cos (ka)=A{e}^{-\eta a}$, while continuity of the derivative gives $-Bk\sin (ka)=-A\eta e^{-\eta a}$. Dividing yields the second required relationThus the lowest even state of the finite square well is the first-quadrant intersection, with $0<ka<\pi /2$, of the circle $k^2+{\eta }^2=2m{V}_0/{\hslash }^2$ and the curve $\eta =k\tan (ka)$.

SetThe integral equation becomesEvaluating it at the three delta functions givesThus

For $x>a$, all three Green-function terms are proportional to $e^{ikx}$. Hence

Now define $\gamma =ik{\hslash }^2/(\lambda m)$, so that $q=-1/\gamma$. If $M$ denotes the matrix multiplying $\mathbf{\Psi }$, direct evaluation givesThe displayed algebraic equation is therefore exactly the condition that the finite-dimensional scattering system become singular. Its solutions are poles of the analytically continued scattering amplitude.

To see the imaginary-axis poles directly, write $k=i\kappa$ with $\kappa >0$. When $a\to 0$, the equation reduces toand its nonzero root is $\gamma =-3$, orThis is the bound state of the coincident potential $-3\lambda \delta (x)$. When $a\to \infty$, the three centres decouple and the roots approachwith exponentially small splitting. A pole at $k=i\kappa$ has energy $E=-{\hslash }^2{\kappa }^2/(2m)$ and an exponentially decaying wavefunction, so these upper imaginary-axis singularities represent bound states.

The correction is odd, obeys the well boundary conditions, and is linear in the field, exactly the parity and order of the first-order wavefunction correction.

For a wavefunction satisfying the Schrodinger equation with a real potential,This continuity equation expresses local conservation of probability.

The amplitude-dependent extra potential in the Madelung equations. Taking the gradient of their phase equation and using the guidance equation yields $mD\mathbf{v}/Dt=-\nabla (V+Q)$, where $D/Dt$ is the material derivative. At wavefunction nodes this local expression may be singular.

Expand a smooth wavefunction and potential in the normalized short-time Schrödinger kernel. Its odd moment vanishes and its second moment is $i\Delta t$, so one step changes the wavefunction by $i\Delta t{\psi }^{\prime \prime }/2-i\Delta tV\psi +O(\Delta t^2)$. Division by the time step gives the Time-dependent Schrodinger equation.

The symmetric double-delta potentialseparates into even and odd parity channels. At either interaction, the wavefunction is continuous and its derivative has the jump