Let's consider a particle with mass m which is flying with energy E (from left side) up to potential barrier having width a:
Zone 1 | Zone 2 | Zone 3 |
y1 = A1eik1x + B1e−ik1x k12 = 2m E/ |
y2 = A2 eik2x + B2 e−ik2x k22 = 2m (E−V)/ |
y3 = A3 eik3x + B3 e−ik3x k32 = k12
= 2m E/ |
If the particle energy E is smaller than V in zone 2: k22<
0, i.e. k2 is imaginary number. If we write
down
k2 = ik where k is real number now k2= 2m (V−E)/h²
then we will obtain the following wavefunction in zone 2:
y2 = A2 e−kx + B2 ekx
This function doesn't vibrate but shows the exponential dependence on x.
Now we will calculate coefficients Ai and Bi
(i = 1, 2, 3). Since particles come from left side the coefficient B3
should be 0 because the wavefunction B3
e−ik1x
corresponds to particles moving from right to the left. However there are no
such particles ! The coefficient B1 should not be 0 since particles
can be reflected by potential barrier and then move back to the left. Another
coefficients can be obtained from boundary conditions and normalization: y
and y'
should be continuous
x = 0 | x = a | |
y continuous: | A1 + B1 = A2 + B2 | A2 e−ka + B2 eka = A3 eik1a |
y' continuous: | ik1A1 − ik1B1 = −kA2 + kB2 | -kA2 e−ka + kB2 eka = ik1A3 eik1a |
The coefficient B1 determines the probability (|B1|2)
for the particle to be reflected and the coefficient A3 corresponds
to the probability (|A3|2) for the particle to pass
through potential barrier V and then move along the right side with hk.
The transmission probability T = |A3|2/|A1|2
corresponds to the chance for particle to cross a barrier. Simple but detailed
transformations of the above-mentioned boundary conditions give finally:
T = {1 + [eka−
e−ka]2/[16
E/V
(1-E/V)]}-1 where k = (2m(V-E)/ or T = {1 + sinh2(ka)/[4 E/V (1-E/V)]}-1 |
Although E < V the transmission probability T
isn't equal to 0, i.e. a particle can cross the potential barrier that isn't
allowed in classical physics.
The wavefunction isn't equal to 0 at point x=0 since V is finite in height
and width. One can write down the following approximation for ka
> 1:
T ≈ 16 E/V (1 − E/V) e−2ka |
T = [1 - sin²
k' a/4 E/V (1 −
E/V)]-1
where
k' = (2m(E-V)/ |
T = [1 −ma²V/2 |