Feynman path integral for an infinite potential barrier. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • It is proposed that each of several analytical techniques used to evaluate the path integral when a spinless particle encounters an infinite potential barrier relies on more constraints than is necessary. We review the image, forbidden-paths, and eigenfunction-expansion methods, and the infinitesimal-propagator method is developed herein. It is then shown that the latter two methods contain assumptions leading to extra terms in the path-integral integrand which serve only to aid in the analytical evaluation of the path integral but which do not affect the outcome of that evaluation. The analytical arguments are further confirmed by a recently developed numerical method that, for a limited number of cases, is a direct evaluation of the path integral. 1993 The American Physical Society.

published proceedings

  • Phys Rev A

author list (cited authors)

  • Nevels, R. D., Wu, Z., & Huang, C.

citation count

  • 4

complete list of authors

  • Nevels, RD||Wu, Z||Huang, C

publication date

  • November 1993