Quantum confinement and Bound states

[sumanth]

sir does the concept of Quantum  confinement and Bound states are referred to be same?

please clarify me from this state. 

[swansont]

What do you mean by quantum confinement? Confinement is the result of some effect or interaction, but such interactions can be classical in nature and give rise to quantum effects. 

Quantized bound states are the result of confinement, e.g. the coulomb interaction binding an electron to a proton and giving the quantized energy and angular momentum states of the hydrogen atom. They are bound states because the interaction is attractive, and energy must be added to free the electron.

[studiot]

As I understand it, no they are not the same.

 

Quantum confinement (of particles) happens when the physical size dimensions of the material are comparable to the DeBroglie wavelength of the particle.

In these circumstances some physical properties of the material (particularly optical ones) are substantially different from the bulk material.

Particles (eg electrons) may still be 'bound' or in a bound state within this small something.

 

The bound state simply derives from the fact that the quantum particle is not free to roam throughout space but subject to boundaries of some description, although the size of the region of space available to it may be substantial (unlike quantum confinement).

The boundary may also be non physical eg a potential barrier or well or series of wells.

 

In the case of quantum confinement the boundaries are physical in that they are the edge faces of the material concerned.

 

An example of a bound state would be an electron within a standard sized crystal of a (semi)conductor.

Drawing that crystal out to a 'nanowire' would make the electron subject to 'quantum confinement' in the wire.

Edited March 26, 2018 by studiot