Position and momentum uncertainties of a particle in a V-shaped potential under the minimal length uncertainty relation
Abstract
We calculate the uncertainties in the position and momentum of a particle in the 1D potential V(x)=F|x|, F>0, when the position and momentum operators obey the deformed commutation relation [x,p]=i(1+β p2), β>0. As in the harmonic oscillator case, which was investigated in a previous publication, the Hamiltonian H1 = p2/2m + F|x| admits discrete positive energy eigenstates for both positive and negative mass. The uncertainties for the positive mass states behave as x ~ 1/ p as in the β=0 limit. For the negative mass states, however, in contrast to the harmonic oscillator case where we had x ~ p, both x and p diverge. We argue that the existence of the negative mass states and the divergence of their uncertainties can be understood by taking the classical limit of the theory. Comparison of our results is made with previous work by Benczik.