Answer to Question #86681 in Quantum Mechanics for Rabindra

Question

What should the nature of the wave function be used to represent an electron in a crystalline solid?

Answer 1

A wave function is used for description of the quantum state of an isolated quantum system. The wave function is a complex-valued probability amplitude. The electron in a crystalline solid can move in three directions: x; y; z. If the wave function has separate spatial ψ (x; y; z) and temporal components w(t), than we can write the wave function for electron in a crystalline solid as ψ (x; y; z)w(t) or φ (x; y; z; t).

Answer: ψ (x; y; z)w(t) or φ (x; y; z; t)