Single-Shot Factorization Approach to Bound States in Quantum Mechanics

Abstract

Using a flexible form for ladder operators that incorporates confluent hypergeometric functions, we show how one can determine all of the discrete energy eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the time-independent Schrödinger equation via a single factorization step and the satisfaction of boundary (or normalizability) conditions. This approach determines the bound states of all exactly solvable problems whose wavefunctions can be expressed in terms of confluent hypergeometric functions. It is an alternative that shares aspects of the conventional differential equation approach and Schrödinger’s factorization method, but is different from both. We also explain how this approach relates to Natanzon’s treatment of the same problem and illustrate how to numerically determine nontrivial potentials that can be solved this way.