Klein Paradox

Contents
 An Overview
 Klein Paradox and Klein Gordon equation
 Klein Paradox and Dirac equation
 Further investigation
An Overview
 Assumptions
 We deal with a plane wave solution for
KG, Dirac equation of a single particle
 The particles has an energy E (kinetic
+rest energy) before and after the barrier
 A step-function potential
 Probability Current or charge current
conserved
 No particle flux in Region II may come
from the positive direction (causality
requirement)
 Klein Paradox from KG eqn
point of view
E  p c  (m0c )
2 2 2 2 2

 In case of a potential, V


E  V  ih
t

[ih  V ]    c   m0c 
2 2 2 2
KG
t equation
 Solutions in Region I:
i i
( Et  p . z ) ( Et  p . z )
 I e h
R e h

i
( Et  p '. z )
In region II:  II  Te h
 From KG eqn,

p  E 2  m 2c 4
p'   ( E  V )  m c
2 2 4

Weak potential Intermediate Strong potential

potential
V  E  mc 2
E  mc  V  E  mc
2 2
V  E  mc2
P’ is real
P’ is real, Only P’ is imaginary
positive value A non-classical
[Evanescent wave]
allowed
Behavior !!
What about charge
current conservation?
 To get the values of R,T
apply continuity conditions of
Φ and its derivative at z=0:

1 R  T
p(1  R)  Tp'
Solving for R,T :
2p
T 
p  p'
p  p'
R 
p  p'
 Conservation of Charge
Current
 Charge current is defined by:

i i i i
h ( Et  p . z ) ( Et  p . z )
ip ( Et  p. z ) ip ( Et  p . z )
jI  (e This
h isR e interpreted
* h
)( eas charge
h
R e
current noth )
2im probability current since h we have no hpositive
definite
i i
conserved probability
i in KG iequation
h h ( Et  p . z ) ( Et  p . z ) ip ( Et  p . z ) ( Et  p . z )
 (e Reh ) ( e h  R eh
*
)
2im h
p
 jI   (1  R )
2

m
 p
 jincident  [ Logical result ]
m
i i i i
h ( Et  p '*.z )
ip ' ( Et  p '. z ) ( Et  p '. z ) ip ' ( Et  p '*.z )
jII  * h
[T e Te h
 Te h
( )T e
* h
]
2im h h
p' 2
 jII  T , p' is real
m
 jII  0, p' is imaginary

jII p' 2
Transmission coefficient (T)=  T
jincident p
2
Reflection coefficient ( R )= jR
 jI  jincident  p  p' 
  
In all cases T+R=1 jincident jincident  p  p' 
 For weak potential
2
 p  p '  4 pp'
R= 
 p  p' 
, T= , T+R=1
  ( p  p' ) 2

For an intermediate potential

R=1 , T= 0 , T+R=1

For a strong potential

2 4 p p'
 p  p'  
R=
  , T=
( p  p' ) 2 , T+R=1
 p  p' 
 
R>1 , T is This is Klein paradox
negative
Reflected current is bigger than incident
current !!!!!!
Extra particles supplied by the potential ?

Transmitted current is opposite in charge to

incident current !!!!!
Another type of particle of opposite charge
supplied by the potential ?

Particle anti-particle pair production

 Dirac Equation and Klein
Paradox
 For z<0 :

 For z>0 :

Incident wave:
( having spin up)
 Reflected spinor:

 Transmitted spinor:
Consider the Case of a Strong
Potential:
 By applying the continuity conditions of the
spinors at the boundary:

No spin flip
The Probability Currents:
 R=

T= =

>1
 Where r =

Again reflected current is greater than

incident current.
 Hole Theory Explanation
 The potential energy raised a negative energy
electron to a positive energy state creating a positive
hole (positron) behind it. The hole is attracted towards
the potential while the electron is repelled far from it
!! This process is stimulated by the incoming electron
 Question about this
interpretation:
 How can energy conservation be
guaranteed?
 Any experimental evidence !!!???
 Should we reinterpret the probability
current as charge current?
 Further investigation
To construct a wave packet of several
momentum components and study its
transmission and reflection behavior from a
potential step.

To use second quantization representation of dirac

spinors
The End