Effects of mass discontinuity on the numerical solutions to quantum wells using the effective mass equation (Q1322982)

This is an interesting paper that treats the effective mass equation essentially by finite element and finite difference solutions for three commonly used Hamiltonians. All of these Hamiltonians have variable mass and they are described as the Conventional, Ben-Daniel and Duke, and the Bastard Hamiltonians respectively. There are problems with the numerical solution for the latter for the case of the square well which may be solved with more natural conditions at the interface. It is shown that these problems do not occur with the simple harmonic oscillator when the mass is constant and the interface does not exist.