PHY 6428.

0001 Condensed Matter Physics II:

Homework #4
Dr. Michael N. Leuenberger, Dept. of Physics, Univ. of Central Florida
Due: 3/31/2014
1. One-Dimensional Model of a Semiconductor: Let us consider electrons moving
on a one-dimensional chain. We use the so-called tight-binding approximation.
Thus, we assume that each atom has a localized electron state and that the
electrons are able to hop between neighboring atoms. This hopping process
describes the kinetic energy term. It is most convenient to use a second-quantized
language. For simplicity, we assume the electrons to be spinless fermions. Let ci
and ci be the creation and annihilation operators for an electron at site i,
respectively. The overlap integral between neighboring electron states is denoted
by -t. Then, the kinetic energy operator is written as
H 0 t cici 1 ci1ci ,
i

We assume that the chain contains N atoms with lattice constant a. As a second
step, we consider an alternating bipartite lattice which we model by a potential of
the form
i
V v 1 cici .
i

(a) Consider first the case v = 0. Show that the states created by
1
ck
e ikaj cj .

N j
are eigenstates of H0 with energy k 2t cos ka . Here, k belongs to the
first Brillouin zone [-, ).
(b) For v 0 the creation operators for the new eigenstates can be obtained by
means of a so-called Bogoliubov transformation which we write as
ak uk ck vk ck , bk vk ck uk ck , .
where uk2 vk2 1 (both uk and vk may be assumed to be real) for all k in the
reduced Brillouin zone [-/2, /2). Diagonalize the Hamilton operator and
show that it can be written in the form

H0 V

E a a

k[ /2, /2)

k k

Ek bkbk , Ek k2 v 2 .

(c) Consider now the ground state of the half-filled chain (N=2 electrons). What
is the difference between the cases (a) and (b)?

2. Derive an expression for the chemical potential (T) for a semiconductor that
does not have any donors, acceptors, or other defects.
1

3. The figure below shows a double Schottky barrier at the grain boundary between
two identical grains of the same n-type semiconductor. The donor density is nD,
the dielectric constant is 0, and the barrier height is EB.
(a) How much surface charge density is stored in the surface states?
(b) An applied voltage Va is put between the two grains. The right side goes into
forward bias VR, while the left side goes into reverse bias VL, where Va = VR +VL.
Derive formulas for VL,R(Va) assuming that does not change. What is the flat
band voltage?

Double Schottky barrier with (a) zero bias and (b) positive bias.