Section 9.7: Exploring Scattering and Barrier Height
Please wait for the animation to completely load.
Shown in the animation is a plane wave incident on a
potential energy barrier. Using the slider you can change the barrier height, V0, to either above or below
the energy of the plane wave which is set at E = 7.5. Shown in the table are the probability current densities and the
transmission and reflection coefficients. In the animation, ħ = 2m = 1.
Restart.
- For E < V0, what happens as V0 increases? What do you notice about how the wave
function in the barrier behaves as a function of barrier height? What do you notice about how the transmission
coefficient behaves?
- For E > V0, what happens as V0 increases? What do you notice about how the wave
function in the barrier behaves? What do you notice about how the reflection coefficient behaves as a function
of barrier height?
- For E = V0, what do you notice about how the transmission coefficient behaves? Does this agree
with what you expect from the formula for the transmission coefficient? What do you notice about how the wave
function in the barrier behaves?
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