The University of the West Indies

Mona

Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences

Department of Physics
Modern Physics 1
(Phys 2350/ P23F)
Semester 1- 2011
Name: Patrick McLeod,
Lab Number: 4
Title: Energy Levels in a Quantum Well
Submission Date: November 28, 2012

Title:
Energy Levels in a Quantum Well
Aim:
To investigate the variation of the energy levels with the width of the gaAs
layer in a gaAs quantum well.
Procedure:
provided in manual, method 1 and method 3 where chosen, to fill the tables
the manual instructions where followed except method two, 2, was left out.
results/tables:
TABLE OF RESULT FOR METHOD 3
X

Y
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2
2.2
2.4
2.6
2.8
3
3.2
3.4
3.6
3.8
4
4.2
4.4
4.6
4.8
5

Ya
5

4.9959983987
4.9839743178
4.9638694584
4.9355850717
4.8989794856
4.8538644398
4.8
4.7370877129
4.6647615159
4.582575695
4.4899888641
4.3863424399
4.2708313008
4.1424630354
4
3.8418745425
3.666060556
3.4698703146
3.2496153619
3
2.7129319933
2.3748684174
1.9595917942
1.4
0

Ys
0

-1.993328885
-1.97326195
-1.939636886
-1.892177936
-1.830487722
-1.754035136
-1.662138565
-1.553943361
-1.428392066
-1.284185232
-1.119729832
-0.933070966
-0.721800681
-0.482934832
-0.212744533
0.0934783302
0.4417533787
0.8398927255
1.2982143509
1.8306302174
2.4563607871
3.2027414144
4.1100285312
5.2400929266
6.6932406415

r
0

0.0200669344
0.0810840142
0.1856017498
0.338234575
0.5463024898
0.82096417
1.1792037326
1.6474216913
2.2682847916
3.1148154493
4.3224712459
6.1731638931
9.3654663647
16.234074403
42.304259842
-109.5441048
-26.16844727
-15.43054203
-11.12297056
-8.740159453
-7.18135548
-6.04482145
-5.148382752
-4.39686859
-3.735111486

5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5

TABLE OF RESULT FOR METHOD 1

f1(x)
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2
2.2
2.4
2.6
2.8
3
3.2
3.4
3.6
3.8
4
4.2
4.4
4.6
4.8
5

f2a(x)
1

0.9800665778
0.921060994
0.8253356149
0.6967067093
0.5403023059
0.3623577545
0.1699671429
-0.029199522
-0.227202095
-0.416146837
-0.588501117
-0.737393716
-0.856888753
-0.942222341
-0.989992497
-0.998294776
-0.966798193
-0.896758416
-0.790967712
-0.653643621
-0.490260821
-0.30733287
-0.112152527
0.0874989834
0.2836621855

f2b(x)
-1
-0.96
-0.84
-0.64
-0.36
0
0.44
0.96
1.56
2.24
3
3.84
4.76
5.76
6.84
8
9.24
10.56
11.96
13.44
15
16.64
18.36
20.16
22.04
24

r
1
0.96
0.84
0.64
0.36
0
-0.44
-0.96
-1.56
-2.24
-3
-3.84
-4.76
-5.76
-6.84
-8
-9.24
-10.56
-11.96
-13.44
-15
-16.64
-18.36
-20.16
-22.04
-24

5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5

Title: graph showing plot of y values found in method 1 and method 3 against x
24
22
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
0

legend:

Y
Column C
f2a(x)

th
column c
all positive values for Ys and Ya plot against x
f2a(x)

calculations:
L = 7.0 nm
The data is taken from figure 1. Vo = 0.28 eV.
For GaAs, m = 0.066 me, where me is the mass of the electron.
Data Analysis:
r = 0.69636 L
L = 7.0 nm
r = 0.69636 (7 x 10-9m)
r = 4.87452 x 10-9m
r = 4.87nm
x = k 2 L = 1.316 L

Minimum of x:
x = 1.316 L E
Where L is 0 nm and E varies from 0 to 0.28.
x = 1.316 x 7 x 10-9m x

xmin = 0
Maximum of x:
x = 1.316 L E
Where L is 0 nm and E varies from 0 to 0.28.
x = 1.316 x 7 x 10-9m x
xmax = 4.87 x 10-9

Discussion:
Questions:

0.28

1) Substituting the various quantities, along with their units, show how Eq. (8)
simplifies to Eq. (9), both numerically and in units.
Given: c = 197 eV nm & me = 0.511 MeV/c2
2mL2 E
2

x = k2 L =

Eq 8

L is in nm, E is in eV, c = 197 eV nm, me = 0.511 MeV/c2

x2 = 2mL2E
2
x2 = 2mc2L2E
2 c 2
x2 = 2 x 0.066 me x c2 x L2 nm2 E eV
1972 eV2 nm2
x2 = 2 x 0.066 x 0.511x 106 (L2 E)
1972
x2 = 1.738 (L2 E)
x = 1.316 L

... Eq 9

y = K1 L =

2mL2 (V0 E )
2

... Eq 8

E varies from 0 to 0.28, L is in nm, E is in eV, c = 197 eV nm, me = 0.511

MeV/c2.
y2 = 2m2L2 (Vo E)
2
y2 = 2m2c2L2 (Vo E)
2 c2
y2 = 2 x 0.066 me x c2 x L2 (Vo E) nm2 eV
1972 eV2 nm2

y2 = 2 x 0.066 x 0.511x 106 (0.28 - E)

1972
y2 = 1.738 (0.28 - E)

y = 1.316 L

0.28 E

Eq 9

2) Obtain Eq. 12b.

3) If xi is a point of intersection of the two curves, show that the corresponding

xi2
E
=
eigenvalue, Ei (in eV) inside the potential well is:
i
1.73 L2

xi=2.3
Ei = 6.24 x 10 j
xi=4.3
Ei = 2.2 x 10 j

4) Derive (13) & (14) or (15) & (16).

5)