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arXiv:2503.23134

A Novel Transfer Matrix Framework for Multiple Dirac Delta Potentials

Figueroa, Joaquín, Gonzalez, Ivan, Daniel Salinas

Published Mar 29, 2025• 0 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We present an analytical framework for studying quantum tunneling through multiple Dirac delta potential barriers in one dimension. Using the transfer matrix method, we derive a closed-form expression for the total transfer matrix of a system composed of $N$ equally spaced delta barriers. In a systematic manner, a compact expression is obtained for the first element of the transfer matrix, based on triangular numbers. This, in turn, allows us to compute the transmission coefficient exactly as a function of the number of barriers. The proposed method successfully reproduces well-known results for one and two barriers and efficiently captures complex interference effects for larger values of $N$, such as $N=4$.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.2503.23134

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We present an analytical framework for studying quantum tunneling through multiple Dirac delta potential barriers in one dimension. Using the transfer matrix method, we derive a closed-form expression for the total transfer matrix of a system composed of NNN equally spaced delta barriers. In a systematic manner, a compact expression is obtained for the first element of the transfer matrix, based on triangular numbers. This, in turn, allows us to compute the transmission coefficient exactly as a function of the number of barriers. The proposed method successfully reproduces well-known results for one and two barriers and efficiently captures complex interference effects for larger values of NNN, such as N=4N=4N=4.
A simple, yet accurate, method of solving the Schrödinger equation across an arbitrary potential barrier is described, based on the analytic transfer-matrix technique. This paper gives the final analytical expression for the transmission probability. Numerical calculations for four typical potential barrier structures are compared with the traditional WKB, modified WKB and the modified Airy function (MAF) methods. Excellent agreement with an exact example is demonstrated. Most importantly, in cases where other potential-barrier methods fail, our method performs well.
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In this paper, we examine transmission through one-dimensional potential barriers that are piecewise constant. The transfer matrix approach is adopted, and a new formula is derived for multiplying long matrix sequences that not only leads to an elegant representation of the wave function but also results in much faster computation than earlier methods. The proposed method covers a broad spectrum of potentials, of which multi-barrier systems are special cases. The procedure is illustrated with a finite lattice of nonuniform rectangular barriers—non-uniformity being a novel feature, as the uniform case has been solved exactly by Griffiths and Steinke. For the nonuniform multi-barrier problem, the intervening wells strongly influence the transmission probability. Surprisingly, we find that the wells act “individually,” i.e., their influence is a function only of their width and is independent of their exact locations in a multi-barrier system. This finding leads to an observation that we have termed the “alias effect.” The exact solutions are supplemented with asymptotic formulas.
Abstract Quantum tunneling through potential barriers plays a central role in diverse physical phenomena ranging from nuclear fusion and radioactive decay to semiconductor devices and superconducting technologies. In this work, we calculate tunneling probabilities and wave functions for an arbitrary number of potential barriers with diverse functional forms, including square, Gaussian, parabolic, and Lorentzian profiles, using a general numerical framework. The numerical results are first validated by comparison with exact analytical solutions for double, triple and quadruple-square barrier systems, demonstrating excellent agreement. The results reveal that for a system with N barriers, a single resonance peak splits into ( N − 1 ) distinct peaks, which eventually merge into an energy band as N becomes large, in a manner fully consistent with the existing literature. A key additional result is the incorporation of absorption effects through an imaginary component of the potential, providing a realistic description of particle trapping and leading to a progressive suppression of resonant transmission. For sufficiently strong absorption, the resonant structures are completely washed out. Further, if the barriers become non-uniform or disordered, the regular resonance pattern is also observed to be completely washed out. These findings demonstrate the broad applicability of the approach to complex potential landscapes and offer insights relevant to both fundamental quantum mechanics and the design of next-generation quantum devices.
We use the transfer-matrix approach to solve the one-dimensional Schrödinger equation for a particular family of structured barriers and to compute in an explicit form the abovebarrier and subbarrier transmission coefficients as functions of barrier parameters. For rectangular barriers the reflectionless conditions are solved and the admissible energy expressions are obtained. For “opaque” barriers the influence of the different barrier factors on the tunneling coefficients is explicitly shown.