Scribd
Upload
65 views4 pages

Variational Method

The variational method allows for the calculation of the ground state energy of a system without needing a previously solved similar problem. It establishes that the energy calculated using any trial wave function will be greater than or equal to the true ground state energy, enabling the use of variational parameters to minimize the energy estimate. The document also includes tasks for applying the method to specific potential energy scenarios.

Uploaded by

pauchei142
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
65 views4 pages

Variational Method

The variational method allows for the calculation of the ground state energy of a system without needing a previously solved similar problem. It establishes that the energy calculated using any trial wave function will be greater than or equal to the true ground state energy, enabling the use of variational parameters to minimize the energy estimate. The document also includes tasks for applying the method to specific potential energy scenarios.

Uploaded by

pauchei142
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

VARIATIONAL METHOD

The variational method is more useful since it does not require that there be a similar
problem that has been solved previously.
Consider the ground state of some arbitrary system. The ground state wave function 𝜑𝑜
and energy 𝐸𝑜 satisfy the Schrodinger equation
̂ 𝜑𝑜 = 𝐸𝑜 𝜑𝑜 ……………………………………(1)
𝐻
We multiply equation (1) from left by 𝜑𝑜 ∗ and integrate over all space to obtain

̂ 𝜑𝑜 𝑑𝜏 = ∫ 𝜑𝑜 ∗ 𝐸𝑜 𝜑𝑜 𝑑𝜏
∫ 𝜑𝑜 ∗ 𝐻

Implying that

̂ 𝜑𝑜 𝑑𝜏 = 𝐸𝑜 ∫ 𝜑𝑜 ∗ 𝜑𝑜 𝑑𝜏
∫ 𝜑𝑜 ∗ 𝐻

∫ 𝜑𝑜 ∗ 𝐻
̂ 𝜑𝑜 𝑑𝜏
Implying that 𝐸𝑜 = ∗ ……………………………..(2)
∫ 𝜑𝑜 𝜑𝑜 𝑑𝜏

Here 𝑑𝜏 represents the appropriate volume element.

We have not set the denominator in the equation (2) to unity in order to allow for the
possibility tha t𝜑𝑜 is not normalized initially.
We use the theorem that says that if we substitute any other function for 𝜑𝑜 in equation
(2) and calculate
∫ ∅∗ 𝐻
̂ ∅𝑑𝜏
𝐸∅ = ………………………………..(3)
∫ ∅∗ 𝜑𝑜 𝑑𝜏

Then 𝐸∅ that is calculated through equation (3) will be greater that the ground state
energy 𝐸𝑜
In any equation therefore, we have the variational principle
𝐸∅ ≥ 𝐸𝑜 ……………………………………(4)

The variational principle says that we can calculate an upper bound on 𝐸𝑜 using any
trial function as we wish.
The closer ∅ is to 𝜑𝑜 , the closer 𝐸∅ will be to 𝐸𝑜 .

We can choose ∅ such that it depends on some arbitrary parameters 𝛼 , 𝛽, 𝛾, … called the
variational parameters.
The energy 𝐸∅ will also depend on these variational parameters and equation (4) will
read
𝐸∅ (𝛼 , 𝛽, 𝛾, … ) ≥ 𝐸𝑜 …………………………..(5)
Now we can minimize 𝐸∅ w.r.t each of the variational parameters and thus approach
the exact ground state energy 𝐸𝑜 .
EXAMPLE ONE

equation (4) where


∫ ∅∗ 𝐻
̂ ∅𝑑𝜏
𝐸∅ = .
∫ ∅∗ 𝜑𝑜 𝑑𝜏

Inside
equation (4), we have

Substituting in the variational equation (4) we get

EXAMPLE TWO
SOLUTION

TASKS
2
-αx
1. Use a trial function of the form e
2
to calculate the ground state energy of a quartic
oscillator whose potential is V  x   cx4

2. Use the variation method to calculate the ground state energy of a particle constrained to
move in a region 0  x  a in a potential given by
a
V  x   V1 x 0 x
2
a
=V1 (a  x) xa
2

You might also like