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Showing two 1D box potentials merge into a 2D

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So I showed

Unparseable latex formula:

U_1(x) = \begin{Bmatrix} 0, \ 0<x<a \\ 0, \ ow



is represented by the eigenfunction

ϕn(x)=2asinnπxa, n=1,2,3...\phi_n(x) = \sqrt{\dfrac{2}{a}} sin \dfrac{n \pi x}{a}, \ n=1,2,3...

with eigenenergies

En=2n2π22ma2E_n = \dfrac{\hbar^2 n^2 \pi ^2}{2ma^2}

Then to show that the 2D box

Unparseable latex formula:

U_2(x) = \begin{Bmatrix} 0, \ 0<x<a, \ 0<y<a \\ 0, \ ow



is represented by the eigenfunction

ψnx,ny(x,y)=ϕnx(x)ϕny(y)=2asinnxπxasinnyπya\psi_{{n_x},{n_y}}(x,y) = \phi_{n_x}(x) \phi_{n_y}(y) = \dfrac{2}{a}sin \dfrac{n_x \pi x}{a} sin \dfrac{n_y \pi y}{a}

with eigenenergies

Enx,ny=Enx+Eny=2π22ma2(nx2+ny2)E_{{n_x},{n_y}} = E_{n_x}+E_{n_y} = \dfrac{\hbar^2 \pi^2}{2ma^2}(n_x^2 + n_y^2)

Is it sufficient to simply state that by separating the variables, and letting ψnx,ny=f(x)g(y)\psi_{{n_x},{n_y}} = f(x)g(y), one can separate the 2D box into two independent 1D boxes?

Just to clarify here, I'm not explicitly asked to separate the 2D box, but to show that two 1D boxes will combine into a 2D box... so is it okay to just say that, "since we can seperate the 2D box eigenfunction into two 1D box eigenfunctions, it is clear that the 2D eigenfunction is a combination of two 1D eigenfunctions."
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 1
Yeah, just assume you can always separate variables.

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