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Fermi Dirac

The Fermi-Dirac distribution describes how electrons in a solid occupy energy levels at finite temperatures according to the Pauli exclusion principle. The chemical potential μ determines the number of valence electrons that occupy energy levels. The Fermi level EF is the highest occupied energy level at zero kelvin and is equal to the chemical potential at zero kelvin. At finite temperatures, the width of the Fermi distribution is approximately 2kB T, where kB is the Boltzmann constant and T is the temperature. With increasing temperature, only a small fraction of electrons are excited above the Fermi level.

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126 views2 pages

Fermi Dirac

The Fermi-Dirac distribution describes how electrons in a solid occupy energy levels at finite temperatures according to the Pauli exclusion principle. The chemical potential μ determines the number of valence electrons that occupy energy levels. The Fermi level EF is the highest occupied energy level at zero kelvin and is equal to the chemical potential at zero kelvin. At finite temperatures, the width of the Fermi distribution is approximately 2kB T, where kB is the Boltzmann constant and T is the temperature. With increasing temperature, only a small fraction of electrons are excited above the Fermi level.

Uploaded by

khrid3
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f(E,T)

Fermi-Dirac-distribution
At finite temperatures electrons (Fermions) occupy the
density of states according to the
1
Fermi-Dirac distribution f ( E, T ) = E k T
.
e
+1
B

The chemical potential is determined by the number N


of valence electrons, which occupy the energy levels
according to the Pauli principle.
The Fermi level EF is the topmost filled level at T=0K,
defined by EF = (T=0K).

E/kB (10 K)

15.4
2 kB T

At finite T: f(EF) = 1/2; for kBT << EF.

1.0

Ekin

Classical Boltzmann limit for E- EF >> kBT:


f ( E, T) = e( E k T )

0.8

The width of the Fermi distribution at finite T is


approximated by the tangent of f(E,T) at EF, which
intersects at EF+2kBT.
with increasing temperature only a small fraction of
the electron distribution is excited.

f(E,T)

0.6

0.4

Evac

T=
750 K
500 K
290 K
100 K

EF

Ru(001)
PES

0.2

0.0
-0.2

Introduction to solid state physics


M. Wolf

0.0

0.2

E - EF (eV)

0.4

WS 2005/06
sheet 6.5

According to the Pauli principle only a fraction of 4k BT E F of the


electron density can be thermally excited: cel
V T

D(E)

Heat capacity of a free electron Fermi gas

k 2BT 2
U 4n
leads to cel
V 8nkBT/TF (typically T/TF0.1-10%)
EF
2
For constant DOS near

D( E F ) k 2B T
3
At low T, both phonons and electrons contribute to specific heat:
c V = T + T 3
mth exp
=
me theo , with thermal effective mass mth,

EF: cel
V

(but for heavy fermions (e.g. CeAl3): mth 100 1000me)

T2 (K2)
Introduction to solid state physics
M. Wolf

WS 2005/06
sheet 6.6

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