PHY380

Data Provided:
A formula sheet and table of physical constants is attached to this paper.

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY

Autumn (2014)

SOLID STATE PHYSICS 2 HOURS

The paper is divided into 5 questions.

Answer compulsory question 1, which is marked out of 20.

Answer any two out of the optional questions 2-5, each of which is marked out of
15.

The breakdown on the right hand-side of the paper is meant as a guide to the marks
that can be obtained from each part.

Please clearly indicate the question numbers on which you would like to be
examined on the front cover of your answer book. Cross through any work that you
do not wish to be examined.

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PHY380 TURN OVER
 PHY380

Question 1

COMPULSORY

a) Describe why band gaps arise for electrons in a periodic crystal lattice. [2]

b) Show that the Fermi wavevector kF of conduction electrons in terms of electron density
n is given by the expression kF = (32n)1/3. [2]

c) A metal has simple cubic structure and lattice constant of 3 x 10-10 m. Each atom
contributes one electron to conduction. Using the result for the Fermi wavevector from
question b), deduce the minimum separation in wavevector space between a filled
electron state and the edge of the first Brillouin zone. [4]

d) What information about the current carriers in semiconductors is provided by cyclotron

resonance and Hall measurements? Describe which physical parameters may be
measured to obtain this information. [5]

e) Explain what is meant by diamagnetism and describe the physical principle which
makes materials diamagnetic. [2]

f) The ion Tm3+ has the electronic configuration 4f125s25p6. Apply Hund’s rules to
calculate the quantum numbers J, L and S. Using the expression for the Landé g-factor

3 𝑆(𝑆+1)−𝐿(𝐿+1)
𝑔=( + ),
2 2𝐽(𝐽+1)
calculate the absolute magnitude of the magnetic dipole moment of the ion in units of
the Bohr magneton. [3]

g) Explain why most metals reflect light in the visible region and are transparent to light at
higher frequencies. [2]

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PHY380 CONTINUED
 PHY380

Question 2

OPTIONAL

a) Derive an expression for the effective mass of electrons in terms of their energy against
wavevector dispersion relation. [3]

b) Using the result of a), and a dispersion curve for electrons across a first Brillouin zone,
explain how states with apparent negative mass may arise. [2]

c) Explain how the negative masses of part b) may be interpreted in terms of particles with
positive mass and positive charge. [2]

d) An electric field of 102 V/m is applied to a metal sample. The resistivity of the sample
is 10-8 m and the electron density is 3 x 1028 m-3. Calculate the resulting change in
wavevector of the Fermi sphere of electrons due to the electric field. You may take the
effective mass of the charge carriers to be equal to the free electron mass. [4]

e) Using a sketch of a Fermi circle in two dimensions, explain which types of scattering
process are effective in relaxing momentum gained from an applied electric field. [2]

f) Sketch a typical variation of electron scattering time with temperature

in metals, identifying the processes which are likely to dominate at low and high
temperatures. [2]

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 PHY380

Question 3

OPTIONAL

a) Explain the concept of donors and acceptors in semiconductors. Give one example of
donors and acceptors for silicon. [3]

b) A sample of GaAs is heavily doped so that the Fermi level is 300 meV above the
minimum of the conduction band. Calculate the wavelength at which the onset of
optical absorption occurs in this sample at 300 K. The electron (me) and hole (mh)
effective masses in GaAs are 0.067 m0 and 0.45 m0, respectively, where m0 is the free
electron mass. The band gap of GaAs is 1.43 eV at 300 K. [5]

c) Explain why the binding energy of a Wannier-Mott exciton is smaller than the
binding energy of an electron to a donor in the same material. How do the Bohr radii
of the exciton and the electron on donor compare? [4]

d) The magnetisation of silicon M is –1.5×10-3 A/m when the applied value of the H-
field inside the material is 500 A/m. Calculate the magnetic susceptibility of silicon
and the resultant B-field. [3]

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PHY380 CONTINUED
 PHY380

Question 4

OPTIONAL

a) Derive the following expression for hole concentration nh in the valence band as a
function of temperature T in an undoped semiconductor:

3/2
2𝜋𝑚h∗ 𝑘𝐵 𝑇 −𝐸𝐹
𝑛h = 2 ( ) exp ( ).
ℎ2 𝑘𝐵 𝑇

You may use the following expressions for the hole density of states gh per unit volume
and the electron Fermi-Dirac distribution f(E):
3
4𝜋(2𝑚h∗ )2
𝑔ℎ = √−𝐸,
ℎ3
1
𝑓(𝐸) = .
𝐸 − 𝐸𝐹
1 + exp⁡( )
𝑘𝐵 𝑇
Here EF is the Fermi level and E is the electron energy, which is set to zero for electrons
in the valence band with zero momentum. In your derivation you may assume that
∞
|E – EF|>>kBT and use the following integral ∫0 𝑥1/2 𝑒 −𝑥 𝑑𝑥 = √𝜋/2. [7]
b) The intrinsic carrier concentration in silicon at 300 K is 2×1016 m-3. The value of the band
gap in Si is 1.1 eV. Estimate the electron concentration at 350 K. [3]
c) Briefly explain the two mechanisms by which a ferromagnet is magnetised along the
direction of an external magnetic field. What is the physical mechanism which is
responsible for the spontaneous alignment between adjacent magnetic dipole moments in
a ferromagnet. [3]

d) The energy between the electron Landau levels in a semiconductor sample placed in a
magnetic field is 2 meV. Calculate the magnetic field. The electron effective mass is 0.06
m0 (where m0 is the free electron mass). [2]

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PHY380 TURN OVER
 PHY380

Question 5

OPTIONAL

a) Derive the following expression for electron cyclotron frequency in a semiconductor

placed in a magnetic field B: 𝜔𝑐 = 𝑒𝐵/𝑚. Here m is the electron effective mass and e
is the electron charge. [2]

b) i) Calculate values for the Hall coefficient of sodium. Sodium has a body-centred
cubic (bcc) structure with unit cell side 0.428 nm. [3]

ii) A sample of sodium of thickness 0.5 mm is placed in a perpendicular magnetic

field of 0.1 T. Estimate the Hall voltage generated across the width of the sample
when a current of 100 mA is passed along it. [4]

c) i) Explain the physical basis of paramagnetism. In your explanation discuss the

temperature dependence of magnetic susceptibility in paramagnetic materials. [3]

ii) A paramagnetic material in which L = 0 and S = 1/2 is placed in a magnetic field

B=3 T at a temperature of 1K. Using the fact that the energy U of a magnetic dipole
 in a magnetic field is given by U = –.B = MJgBB, calculate the percentage of
the atoms that are in the lowest energy state. Here g is the Landé factor and B is the
Bohr magneton. [3]

END OF EXAMINATION PAPER

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PHY380 CONTINUED
 PHYSICAL CONSTANTS & MATHEMATICAL FORMULAE
Physical Constants
electron charge
electron mass
proton mass
neutron mass
Planck’s constant
Dirac’s constant (~ = h/2π)
Boltzmann’s constant
speed of light in free space
permittivity of free space
permeability of free space
Avogadro’s constant
gas constant
ideal gas volume (STP)
gravitational constant
Rydberg constant
Rydberg energy of hydrogen
Bohr radius
Bohr magneton
fine structure constant
Wien displacement law constant
Stefan’s constant
radiation density constant
e = 1.60×10−19 C
me = 9.11×10−31 kg = 0.511 MeV c−2
mp = 1.673×10−27 kg = 938.3 MeV c−2
mn = 1.675×10−27 kg = 939.6 MeV c−2
h = 6.63×10−34 J s
~ = 1.05×10−34 J s
kB = 1.38×10−23 J K−1 = 8.62×10−5 eV K−1
c = 299 792 458 m s−1 ≈ 3.00×108 m s−1
ε0 = 8.85×10−12 F m−1
µ0 = 4π×10−7 H m−1
NA = 6.02×1023 mol−1
R = 8.314 J mol−1 K−1
V0 = 22.4 l mol−1
G = 6.67×10−11 N m2 kg−2
R∞ = 1.10×107 m−1
RH = 13.6 eV
a0 = 0.529×10−10 m
µB = 9.27×10−24 J T−1
α ≈ 1/137
b = 2.898×10−3 m K
σ = 5.67×10−8 W m−2 K−4
a = 7.55×10−16 J m−3 K−4
mass of the Sun M = 1.99×1030 kg
radius of the Sun R = 6.96×108 m
luminosity of the Sun L = 3.85×1026 W
mass of the Earth M⊕ = 6.0×1024 kg
radius of the Earth R⊕ = 6.4×106 m

Conversion Factors
1 u (atomic mass unit) = 1.66×10−27 kg = 931.5 MeV c−2 1 Å (angstrom) = 10−10 m
1 astronomical unit = 1.50×1011 m 1 g (gravity) = 9.81 m s−2
1 eV = 1.60×10−19 J 1 parsec = 3.08×1016 m
1 atmosphere = 1.01×105 Pa 1 year = 3.16×107 s
Polar Coordinates

x = r cos θ y = r sin θ dA = r dr dθ

1 ∂2
 
2 1 ∂ ∂
∇ = r + 2 2
r ∂r ∂r r ∂θ

Spherical Coordinates

x = r sin θ cos φ y = r sin θ sin φ z = r cos θ dV = r2 sin θ dr dθ dφ

∂2
   
2 1 ∂ 2 ∂ 1 ∂ ∂ 1
∇ = 2 r + 2 sin θ + 2 2
r ∂r ∂r r sin θ ∂θ ∂θ r sin θ ∂φ2

Calculus
f (x) f 0 (x) f (x) f 0 (x)
xn nxn−1 tan x sec2 x
sin−1 x √ 1


ex ex a a2 −x2
1
cos−1 xa − √a21−x2


ln x = loge x x
tan−1 xa a


sin x cos x a2 +x2
sinh−1 xa √ 1


cos x − sin x x2 +a2
cosh−1 xa √ 1


cosh x sinh x x2 −a2
tanh−1 xa a


sinh x cosh x a2 −x2
0 0
cosec x −cosec x cot x uv u v + uv
u0 v−uv 0
sec x sec x tan x u/v v2

Definite Integrals
Z ∞
n!
xn e−ax dx = (n ≥ 0 and a > 0)
0 an+1
+∞
Z r
−ax2 π
e dx =
−∞ a
Z +∞ r
2 −ax2 1 π
xe dx =
−∞ 2 a3
Z b b Z b du(x)
dv(x)
Integration by Parts: u(x) dx = u(x)v(x) − v(x) dx

a dx a a dx
Series Expansions

(x − a) 0 (x − a)2 00 (x − a)3 000

Taylor series: f (x) = f (a) + f (a) + f (a) + f (a) + · · ·
1! 2! 3!
n    
n
X n n−k k n n!
Binomial expansion: (x + y) = x y and =
k=0
k k (n − k)!k!
n(n − 1) 2
(1 + x)n = 1 + nx + x + ··· (|x| < 1)
2!
x 2 x3 x3 x5 x2 x4
ex = 1 + x + + +· · · , sin x = x − + −· · · and cos x = 1 − + −· · ·
2! 3! 3! 5! 2! 4!
x2 x3
ln(1 + x) = loge (1 + x) = x − + − ··· (|x| < 1)
2 3
n
X 1 − rn+1
Geometric series: rk =
k=0
1−r
Stirling’s formula: loge N ! = N loge N − N or ln N ! = N ln N − N

Trigonometry

sin(a ± b) = sin a cos b ± cos a sin b

cos(a ± b) = cos a cos b ∓ sin a sin b

tan a ± tan b
tan(a ± b) =
1 ∓ tan a tan b
sin 2a = 2 sin a cos a
cos 2a = cos2 a − sin2 a = 2 cos2 a − 1 = 1 − 2 sin2 a
sin a + sin b = 2 sin 21 (a + b) cos 12 (a − b)
sin a − sin b = 2 cos 12 (a + b) sin 12 (a − b)
cos a + cos b = 2 cos 12 (a + b) cos 12 (a − b)
cos a − cos b = −2 sin 12 (a + b) sin 21 (a − b)
eiθ = cos θ + i sin θ
1 iθ 1 iθ
e + e−iθ e − e−iθ



cos θ = and sin θ =
2 2i
1 θ 1 θ
e + e−θ e − e−θ



cosh θ = and sinh θ =
2 2
sin a sin b sin c
Spherical geometry: = = and cos a = cos b cos c+sin b sin c cos A
sin A sin B sin C
Vector Calculus

A · B = Ax Bx + Ay By + Az Bz = Aj Bj

A×B = (Ay Bz − Az By ) î + (Az Bx − Ax Bz ) ĵ + (Ax By − Ay Bx ) k̂ = ijk Aj Bk

A×(B×C) = (A · C)B − (A · B)C
A · (B×C) = B · (C×A) = C · (A×B)
∂φ ∂φ ∂φ
grad φ = ∇φ = ∂ j φ = î + ĵ + k̂
∂x ∂y ∂z
∂Ax ∂Ay ∂Az
div A = ∇ · A = ∂ j Aj = + +
∂x ∂y ∂z
     
∂Az ∂Ay ∂Ax ∂Az ∂Ay ∂Ax
curl A = ∇×A = ijk ∂ j Ak = − î + − ĵ + − k̂
∂y ∂z ∂z ∂x ∂x ∂y
∂ 2φ ∂ 2φ ∂ 2φ
∇ · ∇φ = ∇2 φ = + + 2
∂x2 ∂y 2 ∂z
∇×(∇φ) = 0 and ∇ · (∇×A) = 0
∇×(∇×A) = ∇(∇ · A) − ∇2 A