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Particle in a 2D box

τ = 0.00
0|ψ|²max

States in superposition · 1 / 10

5
4
3
2
1
ny12345nx

Click to toggle a state; double-click, right-click or Shift-click to show only that state. The filled sector is the state's phase.

About the 2D particle in a box

A quantum particle confined to a square box with infinite walls. Its eigenstates are labelled by two quantum numbers (nx, ny), the number of half-wavelengths along each axis.

The energy of each state is , so higher quantum numbers have higher energies. Each state evolves with a phase factor , rotating faster the higher its energy.

What to look for

  • Probability densities show nodal lines set by the quantum numbers.
  • Superpositions create interference patterns that evolve in time.
  • States with different energies evolve at different rates, giving complex dynamics.
  • Degenerate pairs such as (1,2) and (2,1) share an energy, so their superposition is stationary.