Electron absorption by complex potentials: One-dimensional case

Abstract

We investigate the electronic absorption induced by a complex potential in one-dimensional quantum mechanics. By solving the Schrödinger equation for spatially localized and extended complex potentials, we derive the electronic absorption coefficient α. Neither a single nor a double Dirac-δ potential can represent a totally absorbing potential (α=1) for any choice of the complex amplitude of the potential. Maximum absorption coefficients for these potential types are 0.5 and 2(√2-1)≃0.828, respectively. On the contrary, wall and well potentials do account for total absorption at a particular limit of the potential parameters. © 1996 The American Physical Society.