Outline

Reading: Livingston, Chapter 13.1-13.4

Electrons in a Periodic Potential

Allowed and Forbidden Energies
E vs. k and E vs. x
Effective Mass
Real Band Structure
Absorption and Emission
Transmission, Bandgap, and Color
Direct and Indirect Gaps

Chapter 13

Electron in a Periodic Potential (include lattice effects)

2 2
Write Schrodingers Equation:
+ V = E
2m
Solution:

( x) = u ( x)eikx
Bloch Function: periodic
function with period of the
lattice
a = well width
b = barrier thickness
Vo = barrier height

Chapter 13

Solutions of S.E. for a Periodic Potential

What do we do?
ikx

(
x
)
=
u
(
x
)
e
1. Assume solution:

2. Plug into S.E.

a = well width
b = barrier thickness
Vo = barrier height
For a periodic potential:

cos ka = P

P=

sin a
+ cos a
a

ma
Vob
2

3. Solution works only if there is a

certain relationship between k
and E
For example for a free e-: k = 2mE

not allowed
allowed
solns to cos
only from -1
to 1

2mE

Chapter 12
Chapter 13

The Potential Barrier Strength Relationship to the Width of

Allowed Bands
Vob: potential barrier strength
Case 1:
Vob is large (P is large, slope steeper)
allowed bands are narrow

h2n2
En =
8ma 2

cos ka = P

Case 2:
Vob is small (P is small, slope shallow)
allowed bands are wide

sin a
+ cos a
a

ma
P = 2 Vob

2k 2
En =
2m
Case 3:
the allowed band boundary is at

2mE

cos ka = 1
Chapter 13

n
k=
, n = 1,2,3...
a
4

E(k) and E(x): Allowed and Forbidden Energies

The arrangement of lattice effects band structure and material properties!

Chapter 12
Chapter 13

Effective Mass

vg =

d 1 dE
=
dk dk

2
*
2 d E
m = 2
dk

Chapter 13

Real Band Structure Example: Silicon E vs. K

Chapter 13

Absorption and Emission

Chapter 13

Energy Gap and Transmission

Chapter 13

Transmission and Color

Visible light: 400-750 nm or 3.1 to 1.65 eV

Chapter 13

10

Direct and Indirect Transitions

Chapter 13

11

Review Questions
1. What do we add to the free electron model to form band gaps?
2. Which materials have the largest gap between filled and unfilled
states? Insulators, metals, or semiconductors?
3. Explain how the gap effects conductivity and optical properties?
4. Why is the effective mass different than the free electron mass?
5. How are group velocity and effective mass related to band
structure?
6. What is absorption?
7. What is emission?
8. What is a direct gap semiconductor? What is an indirect gap
semiconductor?

Chapter 13

12

Important Equations
d 1 dE
vg =
=
dk dk

2
*
2 d E
m = 2
dk

Chapter 13

13