On an Exactly Solvable Two-Body Problem in Two-Dimensional Quantum Mechanics

It is well known that exactly solvable models play an extremely important role in many fields of quantum physics. In this study, the Schrödinger equation is applied for a solution of a two-dimensional (2D) problem for two particles enclosed in a circle, confined in an oscillatory well, trapped in a magnetic field, interacting via the Coulomb, Kratzer, and modified Kratzer potentials. In the framework of the Nikiforov–Uvarov method, we transform 2D Schrödinger equations with potentials for which the three-dimensional Schrödinger equation is exactly solvable, into a second-order differential equation of a hypergeometric-type via transformations of coordinates and particular substitutions. Within this unified approach which also has pedagogical merit, we obtain exact analytical solutions for wave functions in terms of special functions such as a hypergeometric function, confluent hypergeometric function, and solutions of Kummer’s, Laguerre’s, and Bessel’s differential equations. We present the energy spectrum for any arbitrary state with the azimuthal number m. Interesting aspects of the solutions unique to the 2D case are discussed.