Experiment 5

Aim: To understand Hall effect and determine the Hall voltage developed across the sample
material.

Apparatus:
1) Two solenoids,
2) Constant current supply,
3) Four probe,
4) Digital gauss meter,
5) Hall effect apparatus (which consist of Constant Current Generator (CCG), digital milli
voltmeter and Hall probe).
Theory:
If a current carrying conductor placed in a perpendicular magnetic field, a potential difference
will generate in the conductor which is perpendicular to both magnetic field and current. This
phenomenon is called Hall Effect. In solid state physics, Hall effect is an important tool to
characterize the materials especially semiconductors. It directly determines both the sign and
density of charge carriers in a given sample.
Consider a rectangular conductor of thickness t kept in XY plane. An electric field is applied
in X-direction using Constant Current Generator (CCG), so that current I flow through the
sample. If w is the width of the sample and t is the thickness. There for current density is given
by
Jx = I/wt
If the magnetic field is applied along negative z-axis, the Lorentz force moves the charge
carriers (say electrons) toward the y-direction. This results in accumulation of charge carriers
at the top edge of the sample. This set up a transverse electric field Ey in the sample. This
develop a potential difference along y-axis is known as Hall voltage VH and this effect is called
Hall Effect.
A current is made to flow through the sample material and the voltage difference between its
top and bottom is measured using a volt-meter. When the applied magnetic field B=0, the
voltage difference will be zero.
We know that a current flows in response to an applied electric field with its direction as
conventional and it is either due to the flow of holes in the direction of current or the movement
of electrons backward. In both cases, under the application of magnetic field the magnetic
Lorentz force, causes the carriers to curve upwards. Since the charges cannot escape from the
material, a vertical charge imbalance builds up. This charge imbalance produces an electric

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2EE4101 – ELECTRICAL MEASUREMENT & INSTRUMENTATION -Prepared by:
Prof. Anvi J. Gajjar
field which counteracts with the magnetic force and a steady state is established. The vertical
electric field can be measured as a transverse voltage difference using a voltmeter.
In steady state condition, the magnetic force is balanced by the electric force. Mathematically
we can express it as
eE = eBv …………………………….. (2)

Fig.1 Schematic representation of Hall Effect in a conductor.

CCG – Constant Current Generator, JX – current density
ē – electron, B – applied magnetic field
t – thickness, w – width
VH – Hall voltage

Where 'e' the electric charge, 'E' the hall electric field developed, 'B' the applied magnetic field
and 'v' is the drift velocity of charge carriers.
And the current 'I' can be expressed as,
I = neAv…………………………….. (3)
Where 'n' is the number density of electrons in the conductor of length l, breadth 'w' and
thickness 't'.
Using (1) and (2) the Hall voltage VH can be written as,
𝐼
𝑉𝐻 = 𝐸𝑊 = vBw =
𝑛𝑒𝑡
𝐼𝐵
𝑉𝐻 = 𝑅𝐻 ………………………………. (4)
𝑡
by rearranging eq (4) we get
𝑉𝐻 ∗𝑡
𝑅𝐻 = ………………………………….. (5)
𝐼∗𝐵

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2EE4101 – ELECTRICAL MEASUREMENT & INSTRUMENTATION -Prepared by:
Prof. Anvi J. Gajjar
Where RH is called the Hall coefficient.
RH = 1/ne
Procedure:
Controls
Combo box
 Select procedure: This is used to select the part of the experiment to perform.
1) Magnetic field Vs Current.
2) Hall effect setup.
 Select Material: This slider activates only if Hall Effect setup is selected. And this is
used to select the material for finding Hall coefficient and carrier concentration.
Button
 Insert Probe/ Remove Probe: This button used to insert/remove the probe in
between the solenoid.
 Show Voltage/ Current: This will activate only if Hall Effect setup selected and it
used to display the Hall voltage/ current in the digital meter.
 Reset: This button is used to repeat the experiment.
Slider
 Current: This slider used to vary the current flowing through the Solenoid.
 Hall Current: This slider used to change the hall current
 Thickness: This slider used to change the thickness of the material selected.
Procedure:
To measure the magnetic field generated in the solenoid
 Select Magnetic field Vs Current from the procedure combo-box.
 Click Insert Probe button
 Placing the probe in between the solenoid by clicking the wooden stand in the simulator.
 Using Current slider, varying the current through the solenoid and corresponding
magnetic field is to be noted from Gauss meter.
OBSERVATION:
Select procedure: Magnetic field vs current
Magnetic field generated
Sr. No. Current through solenoid (A)
(Tesla)
1 1 0.1482

2 1.5 0.2223

3 2 0.2964

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2EE4101 – ELECTRICAL MEASUREMENT & INSTRUMENTATION -Prepared by:
Prof. Anvi J. Gajjar
 4 3 0.4447

Experimental Setup

Hall Effect apparatus

 Select Hall Effect Setup from the Select the procedure combo box
 Click Insert Hall Probe button
 Placing the probe in between the solenoid by clicking the wooden stand in the simulator.
 Set "current slider" value to minimum.
 Select the material from “Select Material” combo-box.
 Select the Thickness of the material using the slider Thickness.
 Vary the Hall current using the sllider Hall current.
 Note down the corresponding Hall voltage by clicking “show voltage” button.
 Then calculate Hall coefficient and carrier concentration of that material using the
equation
RH=VHt/(I*B)
Where RH is the Hall coefficient
RH=1/ne
And n is the carrier concentration
 Repeat the experiment with different magnetic field.

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2EE4101 – ELECTRICAL MEASUREMENT & INSTRUMENTATION -Prepared by:
Prof. Anvi J. Gajjar
 Experimental Setup

OBSERVATION:
Select procedure: Hall Effect Setup
Material: Germanium

Magnetic Thickness Hall current Hall Voltage

Sr. No. 𝑹𝑯
Field (Tesla) t (mm) (mA) (mV)

1. 0.2223 0.2 1.5 21.567 0.1724

2. 0.2964 0.2 2 27.511 0.0928

3. 0.4447 0.2 3 43.133 0.064

4. 0.2223 0.3 1.5 14.378 0.1293

5. 0.2964 0.3 2 19.170 0.0970

CONCLUSION:

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2EE4101 – ELECTRICAL MEASUREMENT & INSTRUMENTATION -Prepared by:
Prof. Anvi J. Gajjar