Quantum Tunneling and Wave Packets

Topics

• Quantum Particles
• Tunneling

Description

Watch quantum "particles" tunnel through barriers. Explore the properties of the wave functions that describe these particles.

Sample Learning Goals

• Visualize wave functions for constant, step, and barrier potentials.
• Visualize both plane wave and wave packet solutions to the Schrodinger equation and recognize how they relate to each other.
• Interpret and distinguish the real part, imaginary part, and absolute value of the wave function, as well as the probability density.
• Recognize how the probability of reflection and transmission of a wave are related to the energy of the wave, the energy of the step or barrier, and the width of the barrier.
• Recognize that that a plane wave has a single value of energy and a wave packet has a range of a range of energies.
• Explain how incoming and reflected waves interfere.