The Kronig-Penney model extended to arbitrary potentials via numerical matrix mechanics

The Kronig-Penney model is a common starting point for studying the quantum mechanics of electrons in a confining periodic potential. This model uses a square-well potential; the energies and eigenstates can be obtained analytically for a single well, and then Bloch's theorem allows one to extend these solutions to the periodically repeating potential. In this work, we describe how to obtain simple numerical solutions for the eigenvalues and eigenstates for any confining one-dimensional potential within a unit cell and then extend this procedure, with virtually no extra effort, to the case of arbitrary periodically repeating potentials. In this way, one can study the band structure effects that arise from differently shaped potentials. One of these effects is the electron-hole mass asymmetry; more realistic unit cell potentials generally give rise to higher electron-hole mass asymmetries.