Introduction to Quantum Mechanics

Name:____________
Question 1-7

Mid-Term 2010, 12th, Nov.

Student No._____________

Class:_______________

10 points for each question

1. (a) Explain why the number of lines in the absorption spectrum of sodium vapor is different from
that of emission spectrum? (b) Give one experimental example to directly demonstrate the
existence of energy level based on excitation of collision, which proves the quantization of energy
for the bound electrons.
2. (a)Please plot the probability density for n=0 of a quantum-mechanical harmonic oscillator and a
classical oscillator. (b) In what conditions, there two oscillators may have the similar probability
density functions? Please explain your answer.
3. (a) If you grow a Cu film on a Si wafer, what information of the film properties can you get from
Rutherford back scattering experiment? (b) How do you measure the surface topography ()
of Cu based on the tunneling current?
4. (a)Please describe how the continuous spectra and characteristic spectra of x-ray are produced?
(b) Given a characteristic x-ray source, how do you determine the x-ray wavelength by
experiments?
5.(a) When a baseball was thrown by an MLB pitcher, do you think the hitter can see the wave nature
(b) Please use working principle of TEM to demonstrate the wave nature of
electrons? (c) When you would like to get high resolution TEM images, why do you need to use
400kV TEM instead of 100 kV TEM. (100 and 400kV means the acceleration voltage of electron
bean.)
of baseball? Why?

6. (a) Why does the existence of intermediate state in the 4-level

laser can promote the production of laser beam?
(b) In Bohrs model of H atom, how does he explain the orbital radii
can only exist for specific values? (In Bohrs explanation or in
current standing wave explanation?)

7. (a) If you make a device with a quantum well (similar to finite potential well), which is used for the
light emission. The dimension of the quantum well is L. If you would like to get shorter wavelength
for the emission light from the transition of n=2 to n=1, how can you achieve this goal? (b) The
vibration of atoms at their lattice points is called phonons in quantum mechanics. Explain why the
energy differences between the adjacent energy levels are equal for phonons.

8. (15 points) See the Figure below.. Electrons with kinetic energy EK would pass the energy barrier
with barrier height UB and barrier length L. We already know that EK larger than UB. In what condition
of L that the electrons would all pass over the barrier without any reflection in region I? Please prove
with mathematical evaluation of wave functions. Relativity effect could be ignored.

(9)( 10 points) Rest mass of proton mp=1.67x10-27 kg Electron charge e=1.6x10-19 C

Permittivity of free space 0 = 8.85x10-12 C2/Nm2 Plancks constant h = 6.62x10-34 Js
An antiproton has the mass of a proton but a charge of e. If a proton and an antiproton orbited each
other, how far apart would they be in the ground state of such a system?
10 (10 points) (a) Calculate the probability that a particle in a one-dimensional infinite potential well
of width L can be found between x=L/3 and x=L/2 if the particle is in the ground state. Compare the
result with the classical prediction
(b) Calculate the expectation value of momentum for the particle in the infinite well. Please use the
operator to get the answer. Explain the physical meaning of your calculated result.

Bonus: Give your comments or suggestions for this course, including