BTech CSE (AIML) 2023 and 1st Semester

Semiconductor Physics (BSCM101)

Class
2023-24 ODD

Numerical Problems
(Semiconductor Physics, BSCM101)
Module 1
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Numerical problems
1. A metal surface has a work function of 2.3 eV. If light with a wavelength of 400 nm falls on the
surface, calculate the kinetic energy of the fasted photoelectron. Ans. 0.806𝑒𝑉
1
𝑚𝑣 2 = ℎ𝜈 − 𝜙0 ,
2 𝑚𝑎𝑥
ℎ𝑐 6.626 × 10−34 × 3 × 108 −19
4.9695 × 10−19 𝐽
ℎ𝜈 = = = 4.9695 × 10 𝐽 = = 3.106𝑒𝑉
𝜆 400 × 10−9 1.6 × 10−19 𝐽
1
𝑚𝑣 2 = (3.106 − 2.3)𝑒𝑉 = 0.806𝑒𝑉
2 𝑚𝑎𝑥

2. Light ray with a frequency of 8.0 × 1014 𝐻𝑧 is incident on a metal surface, causing electrons to be emitted
with a maximum kinetic energy of 1.8𝑒𝑉. Determine the work function of the metal.
Ans. 1.51𝑒𝑉
5.3×10−19
ℎ𝜈 = 6.626 × 10−34 × 8 × 1014 𝐽 = 5.30 × 10−19 𝐽 = 1.6×10−19 𝑒𝑉 = 3.3125𝑒𝑉
1 2 2 1
2
𝑚𝑣𝑚𝑎𝑥 = ℎ𝜈 − 𝜙0 ⇒ 𝜙0 = ℎ𝜈 − 2 𝑚𝑣𝑚𝑎𝑥 = (3.3125 − 1.8)𝑒𝑉 = 1.51𝑒𝑉

3. Light with a frequency of 1.2 × 1015 𝐻𝑧 is incident on a metal surface, causing electrons to be emitted
with a maximum kinetic energy of 2.5𝑒𝑉. Determine the work function of the metal. Ans. 2.47𝑒𝑉
−19
7.95 × 10
ℎ𝜈 = 6.626 × 10−34 × 1.2 × 1015 𝐽 = 7.95 × 10−19 𝐽 = 𝑒𝑉 = 4.9695𝑒𝑉
1.6 × 10−19
1 2
1 2
𝑚𝑣𝑚𝑎𝑥 = ℎ𝜈 − 𝜙0 ⇒ 𝜙0 = ℎ𝜈 − 𝑚𝑣𝑚𝑎𝑥 = (4.9695 − 2.5)𝑒𝑉 = 2.47𝑒𝑉
2 2

4. Determine the de Broglie wavelength of a thermal neutron at temperature 400𝐾? [Hints: Kinetic energy
3
of a particle at equilibrium temp. 𝑇 is 2 𝐾𝐵 𝑇] Ans. 1.25Å
3
Kinetic energy of a particle at equilibrium temperature 𝑇 is 𝐾𝐵 𝑇.
2
Momentum (𝑝) of a particle moving with kinetic energy 𝐸𝐾 is given by 𝑝 = √2𝑚𝐸𝐾 .
ℎ ℎ ℎ ℎ
Therefore, de Broglie wavelength is given by 𝜆 = = = =
𝑝 √(2𝑚𝐸𝐾 ) 3
√(2𝑚 𝐾𝐵 𝑇) √3𝑚𝐾𝐵 𝑇
2

6.626 × 10−34
𝜆= 𝑚 = 1.25 × 10−10 𝑚 = 1.25Å
√3 × 1.67 × 10−27 × 1.38 × 10−23 × 400

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Brainware University, Kolkata 1
BTech CSE (AIML) 2023 and 1st Semester
Semiconductor Physics (BSCM101)
Class
2023-24 ODD

5. Evaluate the de-Broglie wavelength of an electron moving with velocity 0.6𝑐. Ans. 0.03Å
𝑚0 𝑚0 𝑚0 𝑚0 𝑚0 𝑚0
𝑚= putting 𝑣 = 0.6𝑐, we get 𝑚 = = = = =
2 2 2 √1−0.62 √1−0.36 0.8
√1−𝑣2 √1−𝑣2 √1−(0.6𝑐)
𝑐 𝑐 𝑐
ℎ ℎ 6.626 × 10−34 × 0.8
𝜆= = = = 0.03 × 10−10 𝑚 = 0.03𝐴˚
𝑝 𝑚𝑣 (9.11 × 10−31 ) × (0.6 × 3 × 108 )

6. Calculate the de Broglie wavelength of an electron traveling at a velocity of 5.0 × 106 𝑚⁄𝑠. Ans. 1.452Å
ℎ 6.626 × 10−34
𝜆= = = 1.452𝐴˚
𝑚𝑣 9.11 × 10−31 × 5 × 106
[Since the speed of the electron is too small comrade to the speed of light in vacuum we don’t apply
relativistic correction to the mass]

7. The electrons are allowed to pass through a crystal with lattice constant 1 Å. Estimate the minimum
uncertainty in its velocity. Ans. 1.1 × 106 𝑚⁄𝑠

𝛥𝑥𝛥𝑝𝑥 ≥ ℏ
ℏ (6.626 × 10−34 )⁄(2 × 3.14)
𝛥𝑥 = 10−10 𝑚 𝛥𝑝𝑥 = 𝑚𝛥𝑣𝑥 ∴ 𝛥𝑣𝑥 ≥ = = 1.1 × 106 𝑚⁄𝑠
𝑚𝛥𝑥 9.11 × 10−31 × 10−10

8. The error in determining the wavelength of a photon of wavelength 400𝑛𝑚 is 0.0001%. Calculate the
uncertainty in determining its position. Ans. 0.031𝑚
−34
ℎ ℎ 6.626 × 10
𝑝 = ⇒ |𝛥𝑝| = 2 𝛥𝜆 = = 1.656 × 10−33 𝑘𝑔𝑚𝑠 −1
𝜆 𝜆 400 × 10−9 × 10−6
ℎ ℎ 6.626 × 10−34
𝛥𝑝𝛥𝑥 ≥ ⇒ 𝛥𝑥 ≥ = = 0.063𝑚
2𝜋 2𝜋𝛥𝑝 2 × 3.14 × 1.656 × 10−33

9. Calculate the minimum uncertainty in the position of an electron moving with speed 3 × 107 𝑚⁄𝑠. [Hint:
use relativistic correction to the mass of the electron] Ans. 0.019Å, if we consider 𝛥𝑝𝑥 𝛥𝑥 ≥ ℏ, 0.038Å
𝑝 = 𝑚𝑣 ⇒ Δ𝑝 = 𝑚 Δ𝑣 = 9.11 × 10−31 × 3 × 107 𝑘𝑔 𝑚/𝑠
ℎ 6.626×10−34 1
𝛥𝑥 = = −31 7 = 0.038𝐴
˚
2𝜋𝛥𝑝 2×3.14 9.11×10 ×3×10

−𝑥2
10. Consider a particle described by a wave function 𝜓(𝑥) = 𝐴𝑒 2𝜎2 , where 𝐴 and 𝜎 are some constants.
Determine the probability density at 𝑥 = 0. Ans. 𝐴2
−𝑥 2 −𝑥 2 −2𝑥 2 −𝑥 2
∗ ∗ 2 2
𝜓= 𝐴𝑒 2𝜎2 ⇒ 𝜓 = 𝐴𝑒 2𝜎2 ⇒𝜓 𝜓=𝐴 𝑒 2𝜎2 =𝐴 𝑒 𝜎2
0
− 2
𝜓 ∗ 𝜓|𝑥=0 = 𝐴2 𝑒 𝜎 = 𝐴2

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Brainware University, Kolkata 2
BTech CSE (AIML) 2023 and 1st Semester
Semiconductor Physics (BSCM101)
Class
2023-24 ODD

1
𝑑 (𝛼𝑥− 𝑥 2 )
11. The operator (𝑥 + 𝑑𝑥) has Eigen value 𝛼. Determine the corresponding Eigen function. 𝜓 = 𝐶𝑒 2

Let’s consider the eigen function be 𝑦.

𝑑
(𝑥 + ) 𝑦 = 𝛼𝑦
𝑑𝑥
𝑑𝑦
⇒ 𝑥𝑦 + = 𝛼𝑦
𝑑𝑥
𝑑𝑦
⇒ = (𝛼 − 𝑥)𝑦
𝑑𝑥
𝑑𝑦
⇒ = (𝛼 − 𝑥)𝑑𝑥
𝑦
𝑑𝑦
⇒∫ = ∫(𝛼 − 𝑥) 𝑑𝑥
𝑦
𝑥2
⇒ log 𝑒 (𝑦) = (𝛼𝑥 − ) + log 𝑒 (𝐶)
2
𝑥2
log 𝑒 𝑦 − log 𝑒 𝐶 = (𝛼𝑥 − )
2
2
𝑦 𝑥
log 𝑒 = (𝛼𝑥 − )
𝐶 2
1
(𝛼𝑥− 𝑥 2 )
𝑦 = 𝐶𝑒 2

𝑑2
12. Determine whether the function 𝜓(𝑥) = 𝑒 −𝛽𝑥 is an eigenfunction of the operator 2. If 𝑒 −𝛽𝑥 is an
𝑑𝑥
eigenfunction, calculate the corresponding eigenvalue. Ans. 𝛽2
2
𝑑𝜓(𝑥) 𝑑 −𝛽𝑥 𝑑 𝑑 𝑑
= 𝑒 = −𝛽𝑒 −𝛽𝑥 ⇒ 2 𝑒 −𝛽𝑥 = (−𝛽𝑒 −𝛽𝑥 ) = −𝛽 𝑒 −𝛽𝑥 = −𝛽(−𝛽𝑒 −𝛽𝑥 ) = 𝛽 2 𝑒 −𝛽𝑥
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥
𝑑2 2 −𝛽𝑥 𝑑2
𝜓(𝑥) = 𝛽 𝜓(𝑥) . Therefore 𝜓(𝑥) = 𝑒 is an eigenfunction of the operator 2 and 𝛽 2 is the
𝑑𝑥 2 𝑑𝑥
corresponding eigenvalue.

13. Determine the normalization constant a if the wave function has the following form
𝜋𝑥
𝜓(𝑥) = 𝑎𝑠𝑖𝑛 , for 0 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 𝐿
𝐿
2
= 0, otherwise. Ans. 𝑎 = √𝐿
∞
Normalisation condition is ∫−∞ 𝜓 ∗ (𝑥)𝜓(𝑥)𝑑𝑥 = 1.
In this case, the integral becomes
𝐿 𝜋𝑥
𝑎2 ∫0 𝑠𝑖𝑛2 ( 𝐿 ) 𝑑𝑥 = 1
𝐿
1 2𝜋𝑥
⇒ 𝑎2 ∫ (1 − 𝑐𝑜𝑠 ( )) 𝑑𝑥 = 1
0 2 𝐿
𝑎2 𝐿 𝐿
2𝜋𝑥
⇒ [∫ 𝑑𝑥 − ∫ cos ( ) 𝑑𝑥 ] = 1
2 0 0 𝐿
2𝜋𝑥
𝑎2 𝐿 sin ( 𝐿 ) 𝐿
⇒ [𝑥|0 − |0 ] = 1
2 2𝜋
𝐿
𝑎2
[𝐿 − 0] = 1
2
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BTech CSE (AIML) 2023 and 1st Semester
Semiconductor Physics (BSCM101)
Class
2023-24 ODD

𝑎2
𝐿=1
2
2
𝑎=√
𝐿
14. Determine the normalization constant a if the wave function has the following form
𝜓(𝑥) = 𝑎𝑒 𝑖𝑘𝑥 , for 0 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 𝐿
1
0, otherwise. Ans. 𝑎 = √𝐿
𝐿 𝐿 𝐿
1
∫ 𝜓 ∗ (𝑥)𝜓(𝑥)𝑑𝑥 = 1 ⇒ ∫ 𝑎2 𝑒 𝑖𝑘𝑥 𝑒 −𝑖𝑘𝑥 𝑑𝑥 = 1 ⇒ 𝑎2 ∫ 𝑑𝑥 = 1 ⇒ 𝑎2 𝐿 = 1 ⇒ 𝑎 = √
0 0 0 𝐿

15. An electron is confined to a one-dimensional box with a length of 0.1 nm. Calculate the minimum energy
of the electron? 0.6024 × 10−17 𝐽
𝑛2 ℎ2
𝐸 = 8𝑚𝐿2 where 𝐿 = 0.1 × 10−9 𝑚, 𝑚 = 9.11 × 10−31 𝑘𝑔 and 𝑛 = 1, 2, 3, ⋯ any integer number.
Therefore, the minimum value of 𝑛 is 1. In other words, the electron is in the ground state. Hence
2
(6.626×10−34 )
𝐸 = 8×9.11×10−31 ×(0.1×10−9 )2 = 0.6024 × 10−17 𝐽

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