Q1 A group of researchers at the University of California at Irvine (N. Nilius, TM Wallis, and W. Ho) have constructed one dimensional Au chains of various lengths using a scanning tunnelling microscope to position individual atoms (see Fig. 1). These gold chains, ranging from a single atom to twenty atoms in length, represent one-dimensional confining potentials and their electronic properties can be understood using the simple 1D particle-in-a-box model which has been covered in the Frontiers lectures. With the STM, the researchers could measure the probability density and energy of a wide variety of electron states in the Au chains.
For all questions below, assume that (i) the Au chains can be modelled as a 1D rigid box, i.e. where the potential inside the box is zero and that outside the box is infinite; (ii) the mass of the electron is 9.11 ! 10⁻³¹ kg
(a) Write down an equation for the normalised ground state wavefunction (i.e. the n = 1 state) of a chain of Au atoms [1], and then sketch the probability density for the n=1 state of the Au₁ and Au₁₇ chains, respectively†. The sketches should be on the same graph axes. [3]
(b) It was found that the energy difference between the n = 1 and n=2 states for a Au₁₇ chain was 47 meV. From this result, determine the length of the Au₁₇ chain. [5]
(c) A single gold atom in a chain is 0.29 nm in diameter. For the n=1 state of the Au₁₇ chain, what is the probability of finding an electron in the region corresponding to the gold atom at the centre of the chain? [8]
(d) The STM tunnel current was measured at the centre of the Au₁₇ chain for the n=1, 2 and 3 states respectively. For which of these measurements was the tunnel current lowest in value? Why? [3]
(e) The Heisenberg uncertainty principle can be written as ΔxΔp ≈ ℏ. Taking a (very rough) estimate of Δx to be L/2, where L is the length of a gold chain, compare the value of the ground state energy (again for the Au₁₇ chain) determined using the uncertainty principle with the value of E₁ derived from the solutions to the Schrodinger equation for the infinite potential well. [5]