MAS.020UF Introduction to Solid State Physics

Outline

Crystal Structure

Crystal Physics

Diffraction

Phonons

Bands

Exam questions

Appendices

Lectures

Books

      

Electron energy bands

Reading
Kittel chapter 9: Energy bands or R. Gross und A. Marx: Energiebänder

    For the exam you should:
  • be able to draw the approximate E vs. k dispersion relation for an electron moving in a one-dimensional potential.
  • know the Bloch theorem.
  • know the empty lattice approximation. Given the first Brillouin zone of a crystal, you should be able to draw the dispersion relation in a few high symmetry directions using the empty lattice approximation.
  • know that there are N allowed k-vectors in the first Brillouin zone where N is the number of unit cells in the crystal. There two electron states in every band for k-vector.
  • be able to explain the plane wave method and the tight binding model for calculating bandstructure.
  • know how to construct the electron density of states from a dispersion relation.
  • be able to explain what the difference is between a metal, a semiconductor, and an insulator.

Resources
Periodic table of electronic bandstructures
NSM semiconductor database