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Physical Review A

Revivals in an infinite square well in the presence of a δ well

G. A. Vugalter, A. K. Das, V. A. Sorokin

Published Jul 18, 2002• 22 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We have investigated quantum revivals of wave packets in a one-dimensional infinite square well potential containing a $\ensuremath{\delta}$ well in the middle. The time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation for this composite potential admits formally exact solutions. We present analytical results for revival properties in three physically motivated approximations: wave packets containing eigenstates with large numbers in the presence of an arbitrary $\ensuremath{\delta}$ well, ``shallow'' and ``deep'' $\ensuremath{\delta}$ wells. Analytical results in the case of a ``shallow'' $\ensuremath{\delta}$ well have been tested numerically.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.66.012104

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•Jul 9, 2003•20 citations
We have investigated quantum revivals of wave packets in a one-dimensional infinite square well potential containing a \ensuremathδ\ensuremath{\delta}\ensuremathδ well in the middle. The time-dependent Schr"odinger equation for this composite potential admits formally exact solutions. We present analytical results for revival properties in three physically motivated approximations: wave packets containing eigenstates with large numbers in the presence of an arbitrary \ensuremathδ\ensuremath{\delta}\ensuremathδ well, shallow'' and deep'' \ensuremathδ\ensuremath{\delta}\ensuremathδ wells. Analytical results in the case of a ``shallow'' \ensuremathδ\ensuremath{\delta}\ensuremathδ well have been tested numerically.
The harmonic oscillator and the infinite square well are two of the simplest one-dimensional quantum systems which exhibit wave packet revivals (trivially so in the case of the oscillator.) These two potentials can be thought of as special cases of the general one-dimensional power-law potential given by V(k)(x)=V0|x/a|k (with k=2 and k→∞ for the oscillator and square well, respectively.) Using an autocorrelation function approach and the WKB approximation for the quantized energy levels in such potentials, we exhibit numerical evidence for wave packet revivals in the case of arbitrary k>0 which agree well with more analytic results. We derive expressions for the revival and collapse time scales in terms of the physical quantities of the system as well as the wave packet parameters. We find that both times scale with the power-law exponent k as |(k+2)/(k−2)|. In this way, we can explicitly exhibit the approach to the two familiar limiting cases. We also briefly consider the case of a “half” well where an infinite wall in added at the origin.
We present an analytical investigation of revival phenomena in the finite square-well potential. The classical motion, revival, and super-revival time scales are derived exactly for wave packets excited in the finite well. These time scales exhibit a richer dependence on wave-packet energy and on potential-well depth than has been found in other quantum systems: They explain, for example, the difficulties in exciting wave packets with strong classical features at the bottom of a finite well, or with clearly resolved super-revivals in a shallow well. In the proper regions of validity, the time scales predict the instances of wave-packet reformation extremely accurately. Revivals at the bottom of the well are explored as a ``universal'' limit of the general theory, which offers the clearest connection with the series of fractional and full revivals seen in the dynamics of the infinite square-well potential.
We calculate the Wigner quasi-probability distribution for position and momentum, P_W^(n)(x,p), for the energy eigenstates of the standard infinite well potential, using both x- and p-space stationary-state solutions, as well as visualizing the results. We then evaluate the time-dependent Wigner distribution, P_W(x,p;t), for Gaussian wave packet solutions of this system, illustrating both the short-term semi-classical time dependence, as well as longer-term revival and fractional revival behavior and the structure during the collapsed state. This tool provides an excellent way of demonstrating the patterns of highly correlated Schrodinger-cat-like `mini-packets' which appear at fractional multiples of the exact revival time.
We examine the long-term time dependence of Gaussian wave packets in a circular infinite well (billiard) system and find that there are approximate revivals. For the special case of purely m=0m=0m=0 states (central wave packets with no momentum) the revival time is ${T}_{\mathrm{rev}}^{(m=0)}=8\ensuremath{\mu}{R}^{2}/\ensuremath{\Elzxh}\ensuremath{\pi},$ where $\ensuremath{\mu}$ is the mass of the particle, and the revivals are almost exact. For all other wave packets, we find that ${T}_{\mathrm{rev}}^{(m\ensuremath{\ne}0)}=({\ensuremath{\pi}}^{2}{/2)T}_{\mathrm{rev}}^{(m=0)}\ensuremath{\approx}{5T}_{\mathrm{rev}}^{(m=0)}$ and the nature of the revivals becomes increasingly approximate as the average angular momentum or number of $m\ensuremath{\ne}0$ states is increased. The dependence of the revival structure on the initial position, energy, and angular momentum of the wave packet and the connection to the energy spectrum is discussed in detail. The results are also compared to two other highly symmetrical two-dimensional infinite well geometries with exact revivals, namely, the square and equilateral triangle billiards. We also show explicitly how the classical periodicity for closed orbits in a circular billiard arises from the energy eigenvalue spectrum, using a WKB analysis.
We present quasi-analytical and numerical calculations of Gaussian wave packet solutions of the Schr\\"odinger equation for two-dimensional infinite well and quantum billiard problems with equilateral triangle, square, and circular footprints. These cases correspond to N=3, N=4, and NtoinftyN \\to \\inftyNtoinfty regular polygonal billiards and infinite wells, respectively. In each case the energy eigenvalues and wavefunctions are given in terms of familiar special functions. For the first two systems, we obtain closed form expressions for the expansion coefficients for localized Gaussian wavepackets in terms of the eigenstates of the particular geometry. For the circular case, we discuss numerical approaches. We use these results to discuss the short-time, quasi-classical evolution in these geometries and the structure of wave packet revivals. We also show how related half-well problems can be easily solved in each of the three cases.