AIN SHAMS UNIVERSITY

Faculty of Engineering
Engineering Physics & Mathematics
Department

2018 Modern Physics & Quantum Prof. Wael Fikry

Mechanics Dr. Michael Gad
Problem Set 5 – Model Answer
Band theory of solids
Constants in SI units: Electron charge (e) = 1.6×10-19, Electron rest mass (mo) = 9.1×10-31,
Speed of light = 3×108, Planck’s constant (h) = 6.62×10-34
Part I: State whether the following statements are true or false, and if false, state the reason.
Statement
T or F If wrong, write the reason or the correction below the statement.
number
1 Degenerate states are those states which have the same quantum numbers.
2 The density of states of electrons in a solid material decreases with increasing energy.
Bloch’s theorem states that the wave function for an electron in a crystal is a plane wave
3
modulated by a periodic function.
According to Kronig-Penney model, the width of the allowed energy bands decreases with
4
increasing the width of potential energy barriers.
According to Kronig-Penney model, the velocity of an electron becomes maximum at the
5
top of the band.
6 The conduction band of a metal must be completely empty.
7 The effective mass is directly proportional to the curvature of the E versus k curve.
Semiconductor materials are characterized by a band structure containing overlapping
8
valence and conduction bands.
The electron band structure found in semiconductors is the same as that for insulators except
9
that for semiconductors the energy gap is relatively wider.
10 In a parabolic energy band, the effective mass must be zero.
A hole has a positive effective mass and a positive electronic charge, so it moves in the same
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direction as the applied field.
An electron moving near the top of an allowed energy band moves in the same direction as
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the applied electric field.
A hole in a semiconductor is a way to explain the behavior of an electron of negative
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effective mass at the bottom of the allowed energy band.
Bloch’s theorem states that the wave function (
(x)) for an electron in a crystal is a plane
14 wave that is modulated by a function () with the periodicity of the crystal () such that:

   where    
 According to the Kronig-Penney model, the energy bands are continuous if the value of the
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binding parameter is zero.
The effective mass of an electron in a material takes into account the internal influences of
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the lattice so that electron can be treated as a free electron.

Part II: Choose the BEST answer in the following. Only one answer is allowed.
For the numerical problems, write the steps of the solution. The answer will not be evaluated
unless the steps are shown.

Question
Choice Question
number
If an electron with energy of 5 eV impinges a semi-infinite potential step of height 3 eV, the
1 velocity of the electron in the higher potential region will:
(a) decrease (b) increase (c) remain the same (d) be zero (e) be negative
If an electron with energy of 4 eV impinges a semi-infinite potential step of height 5 eV, the
ratio of the probability of finding the electron in the higher potential region at a distance
2
0.225 nm from the edge of the step to that at the edge of the step is approximately:
(a) 0.1 (b) 10 (c) 1 (d) 0.01 (e) zero
According to Kronig-Penney model, if the separation between atoms in a crystalline solid is
3 5 Å, the wave number at the bottom of the second allowed energy band is:
(a) 0.1 π Å-1 (b) 0.2 π Å-1 (c) 0.1 Å-1 (d) 0.4 π Å-1 (e) 0
An electron is confined in a cube of a solid of side L. The number of states per unit volume
4 available for this electron in the range of energy from 0 to E is proportional to:
(a) L (b) E3/2 (c) L3 (d) E2 (e) E1/2
An electron is confined in a cube of a solid of side L. The number of states per unit volume
5 per unit energy available for this electron at an energy E is proportional to
(a) L (b) E3/2 (c) L3 (d) E2 (e) E1/2
Consider an electron which is confined in a cube of a solid. Define S as the number of states
per unit volume available for this electron in the range of energy from 0 to E. If E is
6 increased 4 times and the side of the cube is halved, S becomes:
(a) 2 times lower (b) 2 times higher (c) unchanged
(d) 8 times higher (e) 4 times higher
For the allowed energy band shown in the next
figure (first Brillouin zone):
The effective mass at position A is ……....
(a) positive (b) negative
7 (c) zero (d) of unknown sign.

For the allowed energy band shown above, the velocity at position B is ……....
8
(a) positive (b) negative (c) zero (d) of unknown sign
 For the two conduction bands A and B shown in the next
figure, an electron in band A appears to be ………….
than that in band B.
(a) lighter (b) heavier
9 (c) equal to (d) of unknown relation to

The number of states per unit volume available for an electron in a solid whose effective
mass  0.4  in the range of energy from 0 to 1  is:
10
(a) 2.26×1027 cm-3 (b) 9.2×1027 m-3 (c) 5.8×1026 m-3 (d) 1.4×1027 m-3
(e) impossible to know because L is not given.
Two thousand electrons, all of the same energy (), travel from (  1) toward
(  1). The potential energy in the region (1    0) is (  ) and in the
region (0    1) is (   ) as shown in At the boundary (  0):
/
,-
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(a) All electrons transmit. ,.
(b) All electrons reflect.
(c) Some electrons transmit and some reflect.
(d) Electrons can transmit because of the tunneling 01 0
mechanism.
(e) The wave function must be equal to zero.
The E-k relation of electrons in the first Brillouin zone in a one dimensional crystal can be
approximated by: E ( k ) = 5 − 2 cos( ka ) where   0.02  is the lattice constant , and
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the unit of E is eV. Then, the range of the allowed energy in this zone is:
(a) 3 eV (b) 10 eV (c) 7 eV (d) 4 eV (e) 2.5 eV
When an electric field is applied to a semiconductor sample, there could be electrical
conductivity if:
(a) the energy bands are all completely filled with electrons.
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(b) the energy bands are all completely empty of electrons.
(c) there is an energy band which is partially full of electrons .
(d) there is an overlap between the energy bands.

Part III: Problems

1. If the energy (E) versus the wave number (k) relation of electrons in one dimensional crystal (lattice constant is
  0.2  ) for the first Brillouin zone is given by
E ( k ) = 10 − 5 cos( ka )
(a) Find the values of k for which  is zero and those for which | | is maximum.
(b) Make a sketch for the E-k, Vg-k and m*-k diagrams.
U
2. Based on the Kroing–Penney model, the periodic potential energy of an
electron in a solid is shown aside. Assume that for a given allowed band αa<< 1 k
and ka<<1.
"# $%&
(a) Prove that the E − k relation ( %&
cos*  cos+) may be put in
2 V=0
the form: E = Ak + B Write the constants A and B in terms of P, a, b, m, and ℏ . b a
x
(b) If Uo = 3 eV, a = 0.3 nm, and b = 0.025 nm
i- Find numerical values for (A and B).
ii- Calculate the minimum energy in the band (in meV).
m* π
iii- Calculate the ratio at k = .
m 30a
π π
(c) Sketch the (  +) and (∗  +) curves in the range: − <k < .
a a
x3 x2
(Hint: for x<< 1: sin( x ) ≈ x − and cos( x ) ≈ 1 − )
6 2
sin (α a ) mba 2m
P + cos (α a ) = cos ( ka ) where P = 2 U o and α 2 = 2 E
αa ℏ ℏ

3. The E - k diagrams for a free electron and for an electron in a

semiconductor are shown in the next figure. /

(a) Which curve A or B represents the free electron? Explain your answer.
(b) Using the following graphs, sketch for the two electrons:
• The group velocity versus k.
• d2E/dk2 versus k.
< <
• The effective mass versus k.  >
= =
(c) What conclusion can you make concerning a comparison in effective
masses for the two cases?
Particle A graphs:

?@ A. //A>. C∗

< < < < < <

 k  k  k
= = = = = =

Particle B graphs:
?@ A. //A>. C∗

< < < < < <

 k  k  k
= = = = = =

Part III: MATLAB exercise (Optional)

# $%&
Plot (3 %& 456*) versus (*) in the range (6  *  6) for (3  0,1,5 :;). Comment on the width
of the allowed bands for different values of (3).