Stat mech: Fermi-Dirac distribution

In summary, the FD distribution can be seen as the probability of a specific state being occupied at a given energy level, which is represented by the ratio of the exponential of the energy difference and the partition function. By multiplying the numerator and denominator by the exponential factor, one can obtain a different approach to finding the probability for a fermion state, which may result in a different answer than the FD distribution.
  • #1
davon806
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Homework Statement


Show that the FD distribution can be viewed as giving the probability that a given state ( of the prescribed
energy) is occupied.

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution


Solution to this problem:
Q.jpg


I understand the solution,but I took a different approach which gave a different answer.

For a quantum state i,denote Z_i as its partition function.Then for a single state distribution(2nd red box) :
F.jpg


For a fermion,n_i = 0 or 1. I want to find P(1) for the state i,so by the 2nd box it is P(1) = e^β(μ-ε_i) / Z_i , which is not the same as the FD distribution?
 
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  • #2
davon806 said:
For a fermion,n_i = 0 or 1. I want to find P(1) for the state i,so by the 2nd box it is P(1) = e^β(μ-ε_i) / Z_i , which is not the same as the FD distribution?
What happens if you multiply the numerator and the denominator by ##e^{-\beta (\mu - \epsilon)}##?
 
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1. What is the Fermi-Dirac distribution?

The Fermi-Dirac distribution is a probability distribution function used in statistical mechanics to describe the distribution of particles with half-integer spin, such as electrons, in a system at thermal equilibrium.

2. How is the Fermi-Dirac distribution different from the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution?

The Fermi-Dirac distribution takes into account the principles of quantum mechanics, specifically the Pauli exclusion principle, which states that two identical fermions cannot occupy the same quantum state simultaneously. This results in a different distribution of particles compared to the classical Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution.

3. What are the applications of the Fermi-Dirac distribution?

The Fermi-Dirac distribution is used in various fields such as condensed matter physics, astrophysics, and nuclear physics to describe the behavior of fermionic particles at thermal equilibrium. It is also used in the modeling of electronic devices, such as transistors and semiconductors.

4. How is the Fermi energy related to the Fermi-Dirac distribution?

The Fermi energy is the maximum energy that a particle can have at absolute zero temperature in a system described by the Fermi-Dirac distribution. In other words, the Fermi energy is the energy level at which the probability of finding a particle is 0.5.

5. Can the Fermi-Dirac distribution be applied to other types of particles?

No, the Fermi-Dirac distribution is only applicable to fermions, which are particles with half-integer spin. Bosons, which have integer spin, follow a different distribution known as the Bose-Einstein distribution.

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