Analysis of Shannon Entropy and Quantum States of a Confined Hydrogen Atom Screened by the Hellmann Potential

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of spatial confinement and the Hellmann potential on the Shannon entropy of a hydrogenic atom. A hydrogenic atom screened by the Hellmann potential and confined within an impenetrable spherical potential is analyzed. The Schrödinger equation is solved numerically using the finite difference method to determine energy eigenvalues and wavefunctions. These wavefunctions are examined in both position and momentum spaces to calculate the Shannon entropy in position space $S_{\rho }$, the Shannon entropy in momentum space $S_{\gamma }$, and the total Shannon entropy $S_T$. How the confinement radius $r_0$ and the screening parameter $\alpha$ affect these entropies is investigated, and the results are compared to those of unconstrained systems. The findings are contrasted with previously reported results and discussed in relation to the Beckner–Bialynicki–Birula–Mycielski (BBM) inequality, offering insights into the behavior of quantum states under confinement. Significant variations in Shannon entropy and energy levels are observed with changes in confinement and screening parameters, providing a deeper understanding of quantum mechanics in confined systems. The study reveals a critical screening parameter ${\alpha }_c$ at which the behavior of entropy transitions, shedding light on the interplay between spatial confinement, screening effects, and quantum uncertainties.