The electron

Discusses with some rigour the properties of electrons, based on the Schrodinger equation. Introduces the concepts of wave function, quantum-mechanical operators, and wave packets. Examples cover the electron meeting an infinitely long potential barrier and the passage of electrons through a finite barrier (which leads to the phenomenon of tunnelling).The electron in a potential well is also discussed, solving the problem both for a finite and for an infinite well, and finding the permissible energy levels. The chapter is concluded with the philosophical implications that arise from the quantum-mechanical approach. Two limericks relevant to the subject are quoted.

Kramers' theory for diffusion on a periodic potential

Kramers' turnover theory, based on the dynamics of the collective unstable normal mode (also known as PGH theory), is extended to the motion of a particle on a periodic potential interacting bilinearly with a dissipative harmonic bath. This is achieved by considering the small parameter of the problem to be the deviation of the collective bath mode from its value along the reaction coordinate, defined by the unstable normal mode. With this change, the effective potential along the unstable normal mode remains periodic, albeit with a renormalized mass, or equivalently a renormalized lattice length. Using second order classical perturbation theory, this not only enables the derivation of the hopping rates and the diffusion coefficient, but also the derivation of finite barrier corrections to the theory. The analytical results are tested against numerical simulation data for a simple cosine potential, ohmic friction, and different reduced barrier heights.