Fermi Dirac Statistics
Distribution Function, Fermi Level
1
Fermi Dirac and Bose Einstein Statistics
The number of particles or occupation number in each state are
strongly restricted by a general principle of quantum mechanics. The
wave function of a system of identical particles must be either
symmetrical (Bose) or antisymmetrical (Fermi) in permutation of a
particle of the particle coordinates (including spin). It means that
there can be only the following two cases:
Fermi-Dirac Distribution n=0 or 1
Bose-Einstein Distribution n=0,1,2,3......
The differences between the two cases are determined by the nature
of particle. Particles which follow Fermi-statistics are called Fermi-
particles (Fermions) and those which follow Bose-statistics are
called Bose- particles (Bosons).
Electrons, positrons, protons and neutrons are Fermi-particles,
whereas photons are Bosons. Fermion has a spin 1/2 and boson has
integral spin.
2
Fermi-Dirac Distribution
Enrico Fermi
Theoretical and experimental
Paul Dirac
Physicist
Theoretical Physicist
1901 – 1954
1902 – 1984
Nobel Prize in 1938 for Induced
Nobel Prize with Schrodinger
Radioactivity
in 1933 for New Productive
forms of Atomic theory
There are two possible outcomes:
If the result confirms the hypothesis, then
a measurement is made.
If the result is contrary to the hypothesis,
then a discovery is made.
3
Calculation of Distribution Function
Consider a system of identical independent non-interacting particles sin
in a volume V and obeying antisymmetrical statistics: that is, spin 1/2
and therefore, according to the Pauli principle, the total wave function
is antisymmetrical on interchange of any two particles.
As the particles are assumed to be non-interacting it is convenient to
discuss the system in terms of the energy states i of one particle in a
volume V. This system is specified by specifying the number of
particles ni , occupying the eigenstate i . Classify i in such way that i
denotes a single state, not the set of degenerate states which may
have the same energy.
The Pauli principle allows only the values ni=1,0.
1,0 This is, of course, just
the elementary statement of the Pauli principle: a given state may not
be occupied by more than one identical particle.
In the derivation is the chemical
potential. Often is called the Fermi
1
ni level, or, for free electron gas, the
e ( i ) 1 Fermi energy EF
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Fermi-Dirac distribution Law
The Fermi function f(E) specifies how many of the existing states
at the energy E will be filled with electrons. The function f(E)
specifies, under equilibrium conditions, the probability that an
available state at an energy E will be occupied by an electron. It is
a probability distribution function.
EF = Fermi energy or Fermi level
k = Boltzmann constant = 1.38 1023 J/K
= 8.6 105 eV/K
T = absolute temperature in K
5
Fermi-Dirac distribution: When T 0 K
1
For E > EF : f ( E EF ) 0
1 exp ()
1
For E < EF : f ( E EF ) 1
1 exp ()
EF
0 1 f(E) 6
Fermi-Dirac distribution: When T > 0 K
If E = EF then f(EF) = 1/2
E EF 3kT E EF
If then exp 1
kT
( E EF )
f ( E ) exp
Thus the following approximation is valid: kT
i.e., most states at energies 3kT above EF are empty.
E EF
E EF 3kT exp 1
If then kT
E EF
f ( E ) 1 exp
Thus the following approximation is valid: kT
So, 1f(E) = Probability that a state is empty, decays to zero.
So, most states will be filled.
kT (at 300 K) = 0.025eV, Eg(Si) = 1.1eV, so 3kT is very small in
comparison. 7
Temperature dependence of Fermi-Dirac distribution
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Effect of Temperature on f(E)
EE130/230M Spring 2013 Lecture 3, Slide 9
Distribution of particles in Equilibrium
Distribution of particles = Density of states probability of occupancy
= g(E) f(E)
For example
Total number of electrons in CB (conduction band) =
E top
n0 g C ( E ) f ( E ) dE
EC
Total number of holes in VB (valence band) =
EV
p0 g V ( E ) 1 f ( E ) dE
EBottom
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Properties of a Fermion gas
The variation with single particle energy of (a) Fermi function
and (b) the degeneracy function. For 0<T<<TF
The internal energy of a gas of N fermions
Specific Heat
The electronic specific heat Ce can be found by taking the derivative of Energy
U
For temperatures that are small compared with the Fermi temperature, the second
term in the expansion can be neglected compared with the first and obtain
Specific Heat for metals
• Thus the electronic specific heat is 2.2 x 10-2 R. This small value
explains why metals have a specific heat capacity of about 3R, the
same as for other solids.
• It was originally believed that their free electrons should
contribute an additional (3/2) R associated with their three
translational degrees of freedom. Our last calculation shows that
the contribution is negligible.
•The energy of the electrons changes only slightly with
temperature (dU/dT is small) because only those electrons near the
Fermi level can increase their energies as the temperature is raised,
and there are precious few of them.
Specific Heat anomaly in metals and its solution
At very low temperatures the picture is different. From the Debye theory, C v is
proportional to T3 and so the specific heat of a metal takes the form
Cv = AT + BT3
where the first term is the electronic contribution and the second is associated
with the crystal lattice.
At sufficiently low temperatures, the AT term dominates, as the graph below
shows
Graph of the heat
capacity of a metal as a
function of temperature
showing the electronic
and lattice contributions.
Thermodynamic Functions for an ideal Fermi gas
S = 0 at T = 0, as it must be.
The Helmholtz function F = U -TS is
The fermion gas pressure is found from
For silver we find that
N/V = 5.9 x1028 m-3 and TF = 65,000K .
Thus
P = 2/5 *5.9*1028 *(1.38*10-23) (6.5*104)
= 2.1*1010 Pa = 2.1*105 atm.
Given this tremendous pressure, do appreciate the role of the surface potential
barrier in keeping the electrons from evaporating from the metal.
