TEST 2 Solid State Physics (SSP701S) Marks: 50

1 What is meant by phonons? Do phonons have mass? (2)

A phonon is a collective excitation in a periodic, elastic arrangement of atoms or molecules in

condensed matter, specifically in solids and some liquids or Quantum of lattice vibration.

Acoustic phonons have an energy which is inversely proportional to their wavelength for
long wavelength. Therefore, they are massless, like photons

2. What causes phonons in lattice vibration? Which crystals exhibit optical phonon modes? (3)

3. What is lattice wave? Calculate the value of cutoff frequency in a solid assuming a linear
lattice. If velocity of sound in a solid is 3 x 10 3 m/s and Interatomic distance is 5 x 10 -10 m.
(5)
Lattice wave is a disturbance propagated through a crystal lattice in which atoms oscillate about their
equilibrium positions or A regular lattice with harmonic forces between atoms and normal modes
of vibrations are called lattice waves.

Velocity and frequency related equation

V = ν λ = ν 2a
ν = v/2a

Apply the known values in the equation. Critical frequency (υ) = 3× 1012 Hz.

4. What is lattice specific heat? Drive heat capacity of solid crystalline substances at (7)
room temperature is 3 R.

Lattice vibration heat capacities of crystalline solids known as lattice specific heat explain two things:
1. Near room temperature, the heat capacity of most solids is around 3k per atom (the molar heat
capacity for a solid consisting of n-atom molecules is ~3nR). This is the well-known Dulong
and Petit law.
2. At low temperatures, Cv decreases, becoming zero at T=0. Heat capacities have a temperature
dependence of the form αT3 + γT, where the T3 term arises from lattice vibrations, and the
linear term from conduction electrons.

In classical theory, it is assumed that each atom of a crystal acts as a three-dimensional harmonic
oscillator and all the atoms vibrate independent of each other. so, a system of N vibrating
atoms or N independent three-dimensional harmonic oscillator is equivalent to a system of 3N
identical and independent one-dimensional oscillator.
3
Therefore, the internal energy of a system of N particles is 2
Nk B T
Monatomic particles have only 3 translational degrees of freedom. They possess no rotational
or vibrational degrees of freedom. Thus, the average energy per degree of freedom is 1 Nk B T
2
Each harmonic oscillator has 2 degrees of freedom and an average thermal energy of KT.
5. What is Einstein theory of specific heat? Derive an expression for heat capacity of a (8)
solid based on Einstein theory.

Einstein attributed the specific heat of solids to the vibrations of the solid and made the simplifying
assumption that all the vibrations have the same frequency

Einstein developed first reasonably satisfactory theory of specific heat capacity for a solid assumed a
crystal lattice structure comprising N atoms that are treated as an assembly of 3N one-dimensional
oscillators and approximated all atoms vibrating at the same frequency.

Average energy per Oscillator

We have 3N such oscillators, so the total energy is

6. Give the assumptions of the classical free electron theory. (4)

The main assumptions of classical free electron theory are:

1. A metal is imagined as the structure of 3-dimensional array of ions in between which, there
are free moving valence electrons confined to the body of the material. Such freely moving electrons
cause electrical conduction under an applied field and hence referred to as conduction electrons.

2. The free electrons are treated as equivalent to gas molecules, and they are assumed to obey the laws
of kinetic theory of gases. In the absence of the field, the energy associated with each electron at a
temperature T is given by 3/2 kT, where k is a Boltzmann constant. It is related to the kinetic energy.
3/2 kT = ½ mvth2 Where vth is the thermal velocity same as root mean square velocity.

3. The electric potential due to the ionic cores is taken to be essentially constant throughout the body
of the metal and the effect of repulsion between the electrons is considered insignificant.
4. The electric current in a metal due to an applied field is a consequence of the drift velocity in a
direction opposite to the direction of the field.

Explain the terms: a) Drift velocity b) Relaxation time c) Mean free path
d) Mean collision time for free electrons.
a) Drift velocity (vd): The velocity of electrons in the steady state in an applied electric field is called
drift velocity.
b) Relaxation time (r): From the instant of sudden disappearance of an electric field across a metal,
the average velocity of the conduction electrons decays exponentially to zero, and the time required
in this process for the average velocity to reduce to (1/e) times its value is known as Relaxation time.
c) Mean free path (): The average distance travelled by the conduction electrons between
successive collisions with lattice ions.
d) Mean collision time (τ): The average time that elapses between two consecutive collisions of an
electron with the lattice points is called mean collision time. τ = λ/v where ‘λ’ is the mean free path,
v≈ vth is velocity same as combined effect of thermal & drift velocities.

7. State and explain Wiedemann-Franz law? Calculate Lorentz number, given the thermal
and electrical conductivities of Cu at 200C are 390 Wm-1K-1 and 5.87 x107-1m-1
respectively (5
 This law states that when the temperature is not too low, the ratio of the thermal conductivity to the
electrical conductivity of a metal is directly proportional to absolute temperature.

(K/σ) α T

So, K/σT = L (Constant)

This constant is Lorentz number. This low is not applicable at very low temperature.

The Lorentz number is given by

L = K/σT = 390 / (5.87 x107 X 293) = 2.26756 x 10-8 W K-2

8. The density and atomic weight of Cu are 8900 kg.m -3 and 63.5. The relaxation time of
electrons
in Cu at 300K is 10-14s. Calculate the electrical conductivity of copper. (5)

The concentration of free electrons

N = (Avogadro’s constant x density x number off free electrons per atom)/ atomic weight
= (6.022 x 1023 x 8900 x1x103) /63.5 = 8.44 x 1028 m-3
Since the number of free electrons per atom in copper is 1,

The electrical conductivity σ= ne2τ/m

= [8.44 x 1028 x (1.6x10-19)2 x10-14]/ (9.1x10-31)

= 2.374 x107Ω-1m-1

9. Using the free electron mode, derive an expression for electrical conductivity in metals. (6)
Consider the motion of an electron in a conductor in an influence of an electric field. If e is the
charge, m is the mass of an electron, E is the electric field.

The force on an electron is

10. Derive Ohm’s law based on Drude’s Free Electron Theory? (5)

The Drude model considers the metal to be formed of a mass of positively

 charged ions from which a number of "free electrons" were detached.
These may be thought to have become delocalized when the valence levels
of the atom came in contact with the potential of the other atoms.
The Drude model neglects any long-range interaction between the electron
and the ions or between the electrons. The only possible interaction of a
free electron with its environment is via instantaneous collisions.
The average time between subsequent collisions of such an electron is τ,
and the nature of the collision partner of the electron does not matter for
the calculations and conclusions of the Drude mode.

The steady State Current density , J = ne2τE/m.

The steady state conductivity Ϭ = ne2τE/m.

From above two equation, one can write J = ϬE.

Substituting J = I/A, the conductivity Ϭ = 1/ρ and

the electrical field intensity E = V/d

I 1 V
We get = . i.e V = (ρ d/A) I----------------------------------------(1)
a ρ d

But ρ = RA/d . We found R = ρd/A

Putting R in eq.(1) we get V =IR, which is Ohm’s law

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