Scribd
Upload
37 views11 pages

Lecture 04

The Kronig-Penny model is a simplified model of an electron moving through a 1D periodic potential of rectangular barriers. It consists of an infinite array of positive ions that create an attractive potential for electrons. When near the ions, electrons experience a large negative potential, but between ions they are free. By solving the Schrodinger equation for this periodic potential, it is found that electrons can only have discrete allowed energies, with forbidden energy values in between. Varying the potential barrier strength and separation affects the allowed electron energies.

Uploaded by

Random
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
37 views11 pages

Lecture 04

The Kronig-Penny model is a simplified model of an electron moving through a 1D periodic potential of rectangular barriers. It consists of an infinite array of positive ions that create an attractive potential for electrons. When near the ions, electrons experience a large negative potential, but between ions they are free. By solving the Schrodinger equation for this periodic potential, it is found that electrons can only have discrete allowed energies, with forbidden energy values in between. Varying the potential barrier strength and separation affects the allowed electron energies.

Uploaded by

Random
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 11

Semiconductor Physics

LECTURE-04
DATE: 04/12/2020
Kronig - Penny Model

Fig.1 Ideal Periodic Square well potential used by


Kronig & Penny
The Kronig - Penny model is a simplified model
for an electron in a one dimensional periodic
potential.
It is a simple idealized quantum - mechanical
system that consists of an infinite periodic array of
rectangular potential barriers.
Actually, whenever electron passes near to a
positive ion an electrostatic force acts on it.
So in moving from one place to another, electron
passes over a changing potential of an ion.
It is assumed that when electron passes through the
solid then neat the positive ion, electron experiences
a very large potential (negative), but away from this
electron is free.
but again as it reaches to the another positive ion it
experiences a large potential which is attractive
potential
electron experiences two types of conditions in the
solid as per the model.

in equation 1.2 V0 is the Potential Energy and E is
the kinetic energy of electron which is free,
Above equations can also be understood by considering
the following figure of Bloch’s Periodic Potential.
Bloch’s Periodic Potential
Let us assume that the solution of equation 1.4 and
1.5 is

After simplifying the above equation we get the


following final expression

This is the desired solution of Schrodinger equation.


Allowed and Forbidden values of Energy
Effect of varying P

You might also like