Ground states and dynamics of a trapped charged particle in the magnetic field

Abstract

A system of two charged particles in a harmonic trap with additional magnetic field is considered. The problem is reduced to a single-particle one in relative coordinates. The ground- and lowest excited-state energies and wave functions are found. The ground state exhibits non-zero expectation value of the velocity (kinetic momentum) and the probability current density does not vanish as well. When the ground state becomes degenerate the expectation value of velocity becomes discontinuous. The effects associated with turning on of the magnetic field are studied by solving the appropriate time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation. No substantial differences between abrupt (discontinuous in time) and continuous switching on have been observed. Evolution of a wave packet which is initially Gaussian is also investigated. The wave packet loses its Gaussian nature and, after sufficiently large time, a system of diffractive maxima and minima is built.