We use differential forms to derive the quantum-mechanical potential induced by surface curvature. Two surfaces are modeled with the classical Monge representation and the resulting modifications to the potential- and kinetic-energy operators in the Schr\"odinger equation are obtained. We find that the ground-state energy shift resulting from the dot's surface curvature is of sufficient order to be observable in quantum nanostructures.
We use differential forms to derive the quantum-mechanical potential induced by surface curvature. Two surfaces are modeled with the classical Monge representation and the resulting modifications to the potential- and kinetic-energy operators in the Schr"odinger equation are obtained. We find that the ground-state energy shift resulting from the dot's surface curvature is of sufficient order to be observable in quantum nanostructures.
Abstract We use an exact solution of the elastic membrane shape equation, representing the curvature, which will serve as a quantum potential in the quantum mechanical two dimensional Schrödinger equation for a (quasi-) particle on the surface of the membrane. Surface curvature in the quasi one-dimensional case is related to an unexpected static formation: on one hand the elastic energy has a maximum where surface curvature has a maximum and on the other hand the concentration of the expectation value to find the (quasi-) particle is again where the elastic energy is concentrated, namely where surface curvature has a maximum. This represents a particular form of a conformon.
The motion of a particle rigidly bounded to a surface is discussed, considering the Schr\"odinger equation of a free particle constrained to move, by the action of an external potential, in an infinitely thin sheet of the ordinary three-dimensional space. Contrary to what seems to be the general belief expressed in the literature, this limiting process gives a perfectly well-defined result, provided that we take some simple precautions in the definition of the potentials and wave functions. It can then be shown that the wave function splits into two parts: the normal part, which contains the infinite energies required by the uncertainty principle, and a tangent part which contains "surface potentials" depending both on the Gaussian and mean curvatures. An immediate consequence of these results is the existence of different quantum mechanical properties for two isometric surfaces, as can be seen from the bound state which appears along the edge of a folded (but not stretched) plane. The fact that this surface potential is not a bending invariant (cannot be expressed as a function of the components of the metric tensor and their derivatives) is also interesting from the more general point of view of the quantum mechanics in curved spaces, since it can never be obtained from the classical Lagrangian of an a priori constrained particle without substantial modifications in the usual quantization procedures. Similar calculations are also presented for the case of a particle bounded to a curve. The properties of the constraining spatial potential, necessary to a meaningful limiting process, are discussed in some detail, and, as expected, the resulting Schr\"odinger equation contains a "linear potential" which is a function of the curvature.
Abstract We revisit the Schrödinger equation of a quantum particle that is confined on a curved surface. Inspired by the seminal work of da Costa (1980 Phys. Rev. A 23 1982) we find the field equation in a more convenient notation. The contribution of the principal curvatures in the effective binding potential on the surface is emphasized. Furthermore, using the so-called Monge-Gauge we construct the approximate Schrödinger equation for a flat surface with small fluctuations. Finally, the resulting Schrödinger equation is solved for some specific surfaces. In particular, we give exact solutions for a particle confined on a Catenary surface and a paraboloid of revolution.
Advances in quantum waveguide dynamics, with applications to physical and biological nanostructuresIAIN JOHN CLARK It is known [1,2] that as semiconductor microstructures get progressively smaller and more free of impurities, it becomes increasingly necessary to use quantum mechanics to describe accurately these systems, which may have features sized between a few and several hundred nanometers.Recent advances in fabrication technology [11] make it feasible to build such nanostructures or mesoscopic systems, as they are known.The term "quantum waveguide" [6] is used to denote a nanostructure which acts as a conducting wire, along which a wavefunction is guided to move by the boundary conditions.Unlike classical wires, curved quantum waveguides have curvature-induced bound states; see [6] for a recent review.This has implications for nanoelectronic circuit design, since the curvature-induced bound states will appear as resonances.However, the effect of torsion (where the waveguide twists out of a plane) and twisting (where the waveguide changes its orientation along its path) upon bound states has attracted little investigation, and is the motivation for the analysis in this work.This thesis develops a unified mathematical approach by which the energy spectrum of a quantum waveguide with curvature and torsion can be analysed, for any crosssectional geometry that remains uniform along the waveguide.Following the introduction and literature review of Chapter 1, a non-relativistic Hamiltonian H for a particle on a quantum waveguide is set up in Chapter 2. A system of curvilinear coordinates is used to express Schrodinger's equation using the Laplace-Beltrami operator V 2 .The metric tensor G is expressed as the product of a curvaturedependent matrix F and the metric tensor G for a "straightened-out" waveguide.The Hamiltonian H is then shown to be unitarily equivalent to the Hamiltonian Hy for a straightened-out waveguide plus interaction terms, Hy -H o + Ky + Vu, where H o is the Hamiltonian for a "straightened-out" waveguide, Ky is a kinetic energy perturbation term and Vu is an effective potential.In Chapter 3, the spectral theory needed to investigate the curvature-induced bound states is developed.The spectrum of a Hamiltonian is partitioned into the
Twisted cylindrical tubes are important model systems for nanostructures, heterostructures, and curved quantum devices. In this work, we investigate the quantum behavior of an electron confined to a twisted cylindrical surface. By first calculating the strain tensor to obtain the induced surface metric, we employ da Costa's formalism to derive the geometry-induced quantum potential. This potential modifies the Schrödinger equation even in the absence of external forces, allowing us to determine the bound states and energy eigenvalues. This was made in the linear and non-linear torsion regime. Furthermore, we analyze two distinct scattering problems: (i) scattering within an infinite cylinder containing a twisted section, and (ii) scattering of a free particle incident upon a finite twisted cylinder. Our goal is to understand how geometry and strain influence the properties of analogous untwisted systems. It turns out that both the linear and non-linear twists yield to a geometric phase into the wave function, while the da Costa potential is kept unchanged. Consequently, the system supports bound states whose energie spectrum is twist independent. For both scattering problems, we find that the transmission probability is insensitive to torsion, whereas it is significantly affected by the particle angular momentum and the cylinder's radius, exhibiting distinct oscillatory behavior. These findings suggest relevant implications for engineering quantum devices based on materials with controlled curvature and twist.
Abstract A fundamental problem regarding the Dirac quantization of a free particle on an ( ) curved hypersurface embedded in N flat space is the impossibility to give the same form of the curvature‐induced quantum potential, the geometric potential as commonly called, as that given by the Schrödinger equation method where the particle moves in a region confined by a thin‐layer sandwiching the surface. This problem is resolved by means of a previously proposed scheme that hypothesizes a simultaneous quantization of positions, momenta, and Hamiltonian, among which the operator‐ordering‐free section is identified and is then found sufficient to lead to the expected form of geometric potential.